Tue, 31 Oct 2017 09:10:35 +0000
By Simon Muntemba
ERECTING of gates on public roads by the Indian community in Lusaka’s Emmasdale area has riled Matero member of Parliament Lloyd Kaziya.
The MP `has vowed to demolish the structures.
Mr Kaziya who is Minister of Sanitation and Water Development has vowed to demolish all the illegal structures in his constituency which include gates erected on public roads.
Emmasdale residents of Indian origin have blocked Kawimbe and Lukoma roads by erecting gates which are manned by their security guards creating exclusive residential areas.
Members of the public are not allowed passage through the closed road without scrutiny by the security guards.
A spot check by the Daily Nation yesterday found the road blocked with the security guards at the entrance who did not allow anyone who is not part of the community within the road to enter the closed off area.
One of the security guards who was found at the gate (Kawimbe road) said he was instructed by the Indian residents not to allow members of the public who were not staying within the road to pass through the gate.
He explained that only the Indians who were residing on the road and their workers (gardeners and maids) were at liberty to pass through.
And when contacted for a comment, one of the Indians who sought anonymity said they agreed as a community to put up a gate to block unnecessary entry for security reasons.
But Mr Kaziya said the gates were illegal and that he would soon demolish them.
“It is illegal to put gates on public roads and we will demolish all the illegally erected structures. As an area MP, I will not compromise on that type of illegality. “Actually, we have given them an ultimatum and soon we will bring all the illegal struc-tures down,” Mr Kaziya vowed.
He said that such kind of developments were not only illegal but also deny people’s rights to move freely on any public road.
The Minister further said the Indians had not complied with the recent Urban and regional planning Act which provided for residential areas to have open spaces.
