Kitwe City Council to flush out lawlessness

Sat, 15 Oct 2016 09:59:54 +0000

PLANS to engage the Local Government Service Commission in enforcing laws around development control are underway, says Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kangombe. Mr Kangombe noted that if sanity was to prevail in the city, there was need to start following the various laws pertaining to development.

The mayor told a press briefing at his office that the council was aware of the many illegalities going in the city where people were putting up structures anyhow without getting permission from the planning authorities. Mr Kangombe cited the land across the Kafue River, Kitwe West, Kamfinsa, Mfubu Ranch and Kitwe East as some of the areas where illegality was taking place.

He said it was unfortunate that while Government and the council were trying to control development in the city, people had gone ahead to construct illegally. “You will recall that Kitwe City Council carried out demolitions in Mindolo in 2014 and the Government had to come in through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to provide shelter at Hellen Kaunda grounds until the council relocated 222 families across the Kafue River.

The mayor explained that the Kitwe City Council had planned for a new bridge Kitwe across the Kafue River after the construction of the Mufuchani Bridge and if the dream was to be realised, there was need for sanity. He also urged the public to be wary of unscrupulous people in Mindolo North who were masquerading as agents of the council and selling plots to unsuspecting people.