Lungu pledges to upgrade shanty compounds

Sun, 24 Dec 2017 12:33:35 +0000

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

GOVERNMENT will do whatever isnecessary to upgrade shanty compounds in a quest to improve the living standard of the people of Zambia and bring to an end incidences of Cholera outbreak.

President  Edgar Lungu said this in Lusaka yesterday when he toured  Garden Township to check on cholera interventions mounted so far.

The Head of state noted that cholera outbreak was as a result of unplanned settlements hence the need to upgrade.

He said if it means borrowing, government will borrow for development and ensure that cholera was eradicated.

“If it means borrowing, we will borrow for development. We will borrow to improve the lives of the people,” he said.

He said it was his government’s
desire to play a proactive role to prevent disease outbreaks by ensuring a healthy environment.

“For now the idea is to reduce or eradicate the current outbreak of cholera and a long-term solution is what we are discussing with Ministry of Health, Local Government, Ministry Housing and other ministries involved.

“We want to bring about programmes to upgrade settlements of shanties. You know Lusaka is a big shanty settlement and we need to upgrade it so that people can have clean and safe running water and decent toilets. We will definitely overcome cholera,” President Lungu said.

He was accompanied by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Ronald Chitotela and their permanent secretaries.

President Lungu said as short-term measures to reduce the outbreak of Cholera, government had undertaken preventative measures against further outbreaks of cholera by burying shallow wells in shanty compounds, providing clean and safe water as well as improving sanitation including solid waste management.

President Lungu further said government was also supporting programmes that supported health education, as well as supporting the enforcement of the public Health Act.

The President, however, appealed to members of the public to cooperate with health workers and observe basic rules of hygiene.

He said there was need for residents to avoid using water from shallow wells if cholera was to be defeated.

President Lungu also implored residents to guard jealously the water installations and avoid vandalism.