STREET VENDING BAN TO END CHOLERA-YOUTH AID

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 09:12:45 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

CONTROLLED street vending and Government’s action to use military wings to bring sanity in Lusaka is likely a permanent solution to the cholera outbreak, says Youth Aid chairperson Kachenga Chungu.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Chungu said the current cholera outbreak was unfortunate and one of the worst in Zambia’s history, which required various stakeholder’s concerted efforts to avoid further loss of lives.

He said deployment of the military personnel, to control street vending, would be a permanent solution to end the epidemic because of traders’ indiscriminate garbage disposal and lack of proper toilets in the trading areas. 

Mr. Chungu commended government for taking a bold decision to combat cholera.

“The current cholera outbreak is unfortunate and one of the worst outbreaks in the nation’s history. It requires combined efforts by various stakeholders to combat it quickly and effectively, to avoid further loss of lives,” he said.

Mr. Chungu said the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, had shown determination to finding a lasting solution to the annual cholera outbreak in Lusaka.

President Lungu on Sunday toured Lusaka’s central business district and bemoaned the poor sanitary conditions.

The Head of State said some traders would have to be permanently removed from the streets as one of the measures to deal with the occurrence of cholera.