LCC VOWS TO DEMOLISH ILLEGAL STRUCTURES

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:33:37 +0000

… there are no sacred cows

By Aaron Chiyanzo

THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) has insisted that it will go on with the planned demolition of illegal structures in Lusaka’s Emmasdale area as soon as the enforcement notices to be issued to the affected parties mature.

Lusaka town clerk, Alex Mwansa said that LCC was in the process of issuing enforcement notices as engineers from the local authority on the ground taking note of all illegal structures were almost concluding.

Mr Mwansa told the Daily Nation that as soon as the engineers were done, the local authority would issue enforcement notices to all affected parties.

He explained that enforcement notices take 7 days to mature, and thereafter the local authority would demolish all the identified illegal structures without fear or favour if the owners do not demolish on their own as required by law.

Mr Mwansa pointed out that as far as the LCC records were concerned, there was no evidence of plans being submitted and approved by the council.

He said that LCC would follow all the laid down procedures with regard to demolishing of illegal structures, which would render the exercise to be within the confines of the law.

“Us we are following what is written in the Urban and Region Planning Act. We are in the process of issuing enforcement notices, our engineers are on the ground. As far as our records are concerned, there is no evidence of plans being submitted and approved by the council,” said Mr Mwansa.

Meanwhile, both Kanyama constituency Member of Parliament, Elizabeth Phiri and Matero constituency lawmaker, Lloyd Kaziya had earlier called on the local authority to expedite the demolition exercise.

Ms Phiri indicated that some viable projects in the constituency had been halted because of illegal structures standing in their way.