AS PART of the measures to address the cholera crisis, Government announced yesterday that it had started identifying different pieces of land on the outskirts of Lusaka where proper structures would be built to accommodate some people living in unplanned settlements as a way of decongesting such areas.
Making the announcement, Minister of Local Government and Housing Gary Nkombo said the Government is looking at ways of decongesting these unplanned settlements and creating spaces for roads and water and sanitation infrastructure. How commendable!
Just as Mr Nkombo has observed, the cholera crisis, if not well managed, has the capacity to reverse the socio-economic development gains the country has recorded over the last few years and, therefore, needs to be dealt with decisively.
Painful as some of these measures may be, implementing them is critical to ensuring that the cholera crisis becomes history.
As the minister of Local Government observed, some of these areas have “no pathways or access roads and blocked drainages spill over into the few passable roads such that it is a challenge to even undertake certain interventions to alleviate the suffering of the people”.
It’s no wonder these areas have become breeding grounds and hotspots for cholera.
The decision to move some people from these unplanned settlements to create room for access roads and other amenities is indeed a bold and decisive one and demonstrates, yet again, the Government’s resolve to improve the living conditions of its people.
The decision, albeit expensive and painstaking, is the only way that such areas can be “sanitised”.
The problem of unplanned settlements is not new. It’s a problem that has been neglected and allowed to grow under successive governments.
It is therefore highly commendable for the New Dawn government to take up responsibility and act to resolve this age-old problem once and for all. By implementing measures that address such long-standing problems, the Government is committing to a sustainable development path that will ultimately result in a more liveable country for all of our citizens.
We also applaud President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to form a task force against cholera comprising the ministries of Health, Infrastructure, Local Government, Water Development, and Community Development to focus on the enforcement of the preventive measures and guidelines as stipulated in SI number 5 issued by Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo on Sunday.
Implementing the bold and decisive measures that the Government has proposed requires collaboration among key ministries, and the establishment of this cholera task force is a welcome move as it provides such a platform.
As we commend the Government for taking such landmark measures that are meant to contain the current cholera epidemic while preventing future outbreaks of the disease, we also welcome the other measures being undertaken by various government wings and other partners to contain the disease.
The cleaning up and spraying of Intercity Bus Terminus led by Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata and the deployment of a team at Kafulafuta Toll Plaza to disinfect buses and cars coming into the Copperbelt Province, as well as the unblocking of drainages in Chililabombwe’s Kasumbalesa area, are measures that will go a long way in containing the spread of the disease while inspiring others to undertake similar initiatives which will further contain its spread.
In the face of this crisis, Zambia has the opportunity to enact meaningful change.
As we have said before, by harnessing the momentum generated by this crisis, our country has the potential to emerge as a beacon of progress, setting a new standard for public health, town planning, and waste disposal in the region. Seizing this pivotal moment to drive positive change will not only mitigate the immediate threat of cholera but also foster a legacy of resilience, innovation, and prosperity for generations to come.
New settlements way to go
AS PART of the measures to address the cholera crisis, Government announced yesterday that it had started identifying different pieces of land on the outskirts of Lusaka where proper structures would be built to accommodate some people living in unplanned settlements as a way of decongesting such areas.
Making the announcement, Minister of Local Government and Housing Gary Nkombo said the Government is looking at ways of decongesting these unplanned settlements and creating spaces for roads and water and sanitation infrastructure. How commendable!
Just as Mr Nkombo has observed, the cholera crisis, if not well managed, has the capacity to reverse the socio-economic development gains the country has recorded over the last few years and, therefore, needs to be dealt with decisively.
Painful as some of these measures may be, implementing them is critical to ensuring that the cholera crisis becomes history.
As the minister of Local Government observed, some of these areas have “no pathways or access roads and blocked drainages spill over into the few passable roads such that it is a challenge to even undertake certain interventions to alleviate the suffering of the people”.
It’s no wonder these areas have become breeding grounds and hotspots for cholera.
The decision to move some people from these unplanned settlements to create room for access roads and other amenities is indeed a bold and decisive one and demonstrates, yet again, the Government’s resolve to improve the living conditions of its people.
The decision, albeit expensive and painstaking, is the only way that such areas can be “sanitised”.
The problem of unplanned settlements is not new. It’s a problem that has been neglected and allowed to grow under successive governments.
It is therefore highly commendable for the New Dawn government to take up responsibility and act to resolve this age-old problem once and for all. By implementing measures that address such long-standing problems, the Government is committing to a sustainable development path that will ultimately result in a more liveable country for all of our citizens.
We also applaud President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to form a task force against cholera comprising the ministries of Health, Infrastructure, Local Government, Water Development, and Community Development to focus on the enforcement of the preventive measures and guidelines as stipulated in SI number 5 issued by Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo on Sunday.
Implementing the bold and decisive measures that the Government has proposed requires collaboration among key ministries, and the establishment of this cholera task force is a welcome move as it provides such a platform.
As we commend the Government for taking such landmark measures that are meant to contain the current cholera epidemic while preventing future outbreaks of the disease, we also welcome the other measures being undertaken by various government wings and other partners to contain the disease.
The cleaning up and spraying of Intercity Bus Terminus led by Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata and the deployment of a team at Kafulafuta Toll Plaza to disinfect buses and cars coming into the Copperbelt Province, as well as the unblocking of drainages in Chililabombwe’s Kasumbalesa area, are measures that will go a long way in containing the spread of the disease while inspiring others to undertake similar initiatives which will further contain its spread.
In the face of this crisis, Zambia has the opportunity to enact meaningful change.
As we have said before, by harnessing the momentum generated by this crisis, our country has the potential to emerge as a beacon of progress, setting a new standard for public health, town planning, and waste disposal in the region. Seizing this pivotal moment to drive positive change will not only mitigate the immediate threat of cholera but also foster a legacy of resilience, innovation, and prosperity for generations to come.