Chingwere mourners demand shelter, toilets

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 10:45:06 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

MOURNERS have asked the Lusaka City Council to provide them with toilets and decent shelter at both Chingwere and Chungu cemeteries.

But Lusaka town clerk Alex Mwansa said both cemeteries had mourning shelters and toilets, hence plans were under way to construct the VIP toilets at all the cemeteries as well as put up solar lighting.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Naomi Simuchimba of Chunga said mourners had difficulties to conduct body viewing sessions especially during the rainy season because there were no proper shelters in the cemetery.

Ms Simuchimba said the local authority should consider constructing more shelters in the cemeteries especially at Chingwere and added that there was no order in the manner the mourners were conducting burial processions.

Another mourner from Matero Township Mable Siwale said mourners were facing challenges each time it rained because body viewing was always interrupted.

“Mourners were being interrupted by the rains because the shelters were far from where people are burying now. Our appeal is that the councils should construct more shelters in the cemetery,” said Ms Siwale.

Meanwhile, Loveday Hakahande of Mandevu appealed to the council to put up toilets in the cemeteries because the existing ones were old and dilapidated and posed a health hazard to mourners.

Mr Hakasande said mourners were forced to answer the call of nature within the cemetery, while others were using opaque packs which was against our traditional norms.

Alinaswe Kaonga of Chazanga compound also said the two cemeteries were busy places, hence they needed proper facilities such as sanitation, tap water as well as modern shelters provided with benches.

“We need proper facilities in these LCC cemeteries and we face many challenges when it comes to answer the call of nature. We are forced to use opaque packs or within the cemetery which is not respect to the dead,” said Mr Kaonga. Mr Mwansa acknowledged the challenges but assured the mourners that the council was working hard to ensure that people were provided with quality services such as shelters and sanitation at any public place.

Mr Mwansa said in 2014 some money from the Ward Development Fund was released to construct shelter and a private contractor was engaged.

“We have done that, in fact we had plans to give them solar lighting, among other amenities, but I am sure the challenge is the distance where the mourners are burying their loved ones now,” said Mr Mwansa.

And Muchinga Ward 24 councilor Elijah Makungu said there were a number of projects that had been lined up including the construction of shelter and he will ensure that the WDF is utilized for the intended purpose.

“The Ward Development Fund is meant for the people and for such projects, so I am going to take that as a priority and I will engage the council to ensure that we find a lasting solution,’’ he said.