Sun, 24 Sep 2017 10:55:22 +0000
By ANNIE ZULU
GOVERNMENT should consider including citizens living in slums around cities in development activities if their livelihoods were to change for the better, Chibombo’s Chikobo Ward councillor Reagan Mubatsa has said.
Mr Mubatsa observed that slum dwellers had for a long time been sidelined in the country’s development activities.
“It’s high time the government started including people living in slums in the country’s developmental cake. It is so saddening to see what people living in such areas go through. Government should take a step so that their living is positively changed,” Mr Mubatsa said.
He noted that people living in slums had the potential to contribute to national development as they were the hidden wealth of Zambian cities.
Ms Mubatsa stressed that it was pathetic that after doing all commendable works, the urban poor people were not recognised or rewarded.
He said the majority of people contributing to the well-being of the country came from the slums.
“Imagine without the urban poor, who would build those beautiful houses and building we have, lay down pipes, and remove waste from our cities? Where would you get your newspaper or airtime if a seller didn’t stop at your car window every morning?” he wondered.
Mr Mubatsa emphasised that people should stop looking down on slum dwellers as they were not lazy people.
He said people living in such areas were important people that play a good role in the development of the country, hence the need for Government to take action and provide them what they basically needed in their daily living.
“These people play a good role in developing this country, yet we don’t recognise it. So let the Government step up and provide their basic needs,” Mr Mubatsa said.
