By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
GOVERNMENT has compensated 126 families of Kitwe’s Nkana West area whose houses were damaged during the blasting of the copper slug dump commonly known as the Black Mountain in 2018.
The 126 families were compensated with a total amount of K1, 245, 000 cash in Kitwe yesterday.
Handing over the money to the beneficiaries, Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe advised the beneficiaries to use the money wisely.
Mr Nundwe also advised the beneficiaries to set aside a small amount each to start up profit making businesses while they were renovating their houses.
Mr Nundwe also warned that those who would not put the money to good use would have themselves to blame should their houses deteriorate for lack of renovations.
And speaking earlier, Kitwe District Commissioner Chileshe Bweupe assured the victims that measures to ensure that their houses were not damaged again in future would be put in place.
Meanwhile, group chairperson Gladwell Mwila thanked the government for fulfilling the promise to compensate the families.
Mr Mwila however appealed to the government to consider empowering the families with the slug dump once all modalities were in place.
