Local, Government and Housing Minister, Sylvia Masebo, has expressed disappointment at the Lusaka City Council’s failure to address the problem of illegal structures.
Ms Masebo prodded the LCC to urgently demolish all illegal structures that have continued to mushroom in various parts of town and residential areas.
The minister said this when she toured some parts of the city in the company of her Lands counterpart, Bradford Machila, and officials from the LCC.
The visibly annoyed minister also directed the LCC to immediately demolish the proposed Celtel offices under construction in the Lusaka Show grounds saying the development was not approved.
She wondered why the LCC allowed the construction to continue saying the council is also to blame for the increase of illegal structures in the city.
Lusaka City Council Spokesperson, Henry Kapata, said the council has not approved the construction of the offices adding that the local authority will tomorrow move in to demolish the structure following the minister’s directive.
Mr Kapata said the council will also embark on an exercise to demolish all illegal structures in the city.
shes acting like its the first time she’s seeing illegals in lsk.its good for a start though.but they have left it too late.if they really want to demolish all of them it means areas like chibolya,which is right in towns backyard.were was the council then??lack of forsight caused this.lets see what will happen next.not much,am sure
she is good, even Celtel offices must be demolished.
am happy that she shows some form of boldness!!
good girl!
MASEBO, DON’T FORGET SIMOSON’S EYESORE and Health and Safety harzard building, please. This is for the sake of public interest.
Poor thinking ka masebe, are you having your menses? why do you react for nothing?
Clean the cities first, good road network, good refuse disposal, good drainage systerm. Think about recirculing the garbage lying around the streets before you demolish becoz you retard development. Poor need accommodation which you and your govnt cant provide?
What about the by-laws for planning permission that says if an application has been launched and nothing has been heard from the council a developer could start building. Careful, request legal guidance before you demolish anything. The problem with piliticians is that they want to resolve all the problems using politics. Had the earlier leaders dealt fairly with professionals there would have been no illegal structures. When people settle in close proximity their services, supplies, systems and the like aught to be engineered, and not politicised. Zambia had such strategies until the day politics took it all. Ba kolwe, get used to living in dirt, you deserve it!!
simson building is still around?while.thats where i used to buy ama wine.
i like her booty
Where is moderate, the MMD spokesman on lusakatimes.com online?
about effing time!
Its so saddening to hear that Celtel, a very big company Africa wise went ahead to put up such a structure while the council and the minister of local govt was looking. Its a bit late unless they are sure of what implications this will have. Most of the structures then must be demolished including Mwanawasas house along KUDU road coz its on disputed land.
Masebo what about the containers surrounding most of our markets? are they approved?
Where were you all this time? somebody has to explain this because that is a big project
People you must get your facts right before trying to be so wise and never just rely on our media – the reporting in Zambia is still of a Grade 7 with little or no investigation of the facts. Here are a few facts:
1. Celtel is not the owner of the building and are merely a tenant. Farmers House (a property listed company) owns the building and it raised $12Mn from pension funds and Zambians 3 years ago to build it
2. Council approval was obtained or rather the law says that after 90days if you dont hear from the council you can start building
3. Farmers House has opened access to Great East Rd without any approvals and its this Masebo is referring to – rightly so.
hope this helps
close up da great east road entrance period.the building looks so good.
Lets just give her the credit she deserves, it took her to make us realise how dirty Lusaka is … big up girl, go get them.
What about all those ugly structures in Kamwala, soweto etc????/
what about that building on Corner Katondo and Freedom streets? she should make an effort and tell some constractors to remove the bricks on the crane. the crane has had those bricks for more than ten years and one brick dropped on a baby who was on her mothers back the innocent soul died immediately. This happend in 1999.
“She wondered why the LCC allowed the construction to continue saying the council is also to blame for the increase of illegal structures in the city.” Precisely, the council has issued plots in Lusaka’s libala south, but guess what there is no site plan and how do you approve a plan for someone’s house if you do not have site plan. This is precisely why the Government stopped this crooked council from issuing the land in baobab area, so Masebo instead of wasting fuel touring the whole lusaka with your yo friend Bradford (I hate his accent), just take a drive across the street to the LCC and deal with the problem from there, you are wasting our time and money.
Masebo is running mad and start acting like a thougtless chicken. She should just formalize the building if it meets the standards and mate a huge penulty to Celtel for disregarding regulation. She can then use that money to clean the city.
F’ck off Masebo, go find a man to put u in good moods every morning.
#16 I agree with you that unfinished building is dilapidated b4 one has finished building it. Is GRZ waiting to loss for more lives before it can act. That building is danger to society more special pipo are trading and parking their cars under it. Those cranes up there can easy drop huge objects that can kill hundreds of pipo!! Arrogant Masebo why are you ignoring that eye sore of a building at heart of the city. You are busy targeting innocent street vendors leaving the unfinished, unattractive building right at the centre of the city. Madam, for once learn to reason.
the openning was wrong,the offices r beautiful.
football pitches are being replaced by plots now in all compounds
MASEBO NINSHI KANSHI?
I THINK THE BUILDING IS OK IF (FARMERS HOUSE PLC)IGNORED THE RULES,JUST CHARGE THEM AND LEAVE THE BUILDING AS IT IS.CELTEL HAS PUMPED IN ALOT OF MONEY IN THAT PROJECT AND MIND YOU THEY ARE IN BUSINESS.SUPPOSE THEY DECIDE TO PULL OUT OF ZAMBIA BECAUSE OF TOO MUCH POLITICAL INTERFERENCE.(INCHITO IFWE NINSHI SHAPWA)UKA TU SUNGA KA MASEBO BUSHE?
Please lets just debate the issue instead insulting the honourable minister. Why not exchange ideas on how best we can sort out the celtel building issue. Am sure the fine should be appropriate. the council need the money and the beatiful building. It will beautify the city.
If planning permission was not obtained prior to the construction, i believe the council should carry-out an assessment, and bearing in mind the social impact of the project, if the building is not a hazard then it should be allowed with the owners heavily fined so as to send a message to other would be law breakers. Win win.
I hasten to add that its not enough that planning permission is sought. The criteria for granting or refusing planning permission should be objective and applied across the board. Corruption negates the need for planning permission.
Our city is an eyesore. Kamwala and Freedom way! All those colours on the Asian Shops.
P.s.
This forum gives an insight into whats happening in Zambia and what issues zambians feel strongly about.
It is with this in mind that it should be taken a bit seriously, otherwise zambians risk being thought of as jokers. ( and peace loving!)
Masebo has identified a problem which she is trying to rectify. Two wrongs dont make a right, so criticise constructively. To hear comments such as ‘i like her booty’, and ‘is she on her menses’? is Disgraceful at best, and insulting at worst!
Unless of course you are a child ,unable to put together a mature, coherent arguement, in which case accept my apologies.
If you think the situation is bad for Celtel Building (aka Farmers House), the owners of Manda Hill are going insane. There is a crazy battle going on between the Council and the new owners of Manda Hill, whereby the Council has given them a “subject to…” approval for them to rehab Manda Hill. The problem is that the “subject to…” conditions are so ridiculous that it makes the whole rehab/expansion uneconomical. We hear currently the matter is in Masebo’s office for appeal but since the boers have also reported the matter to plot 1, she intends to teach them a lesson…ie more delays. In the end who suffers – Zambians!!! This is a $40Mn rehab/expansion – shame on them.
Has Masebo demolished celtel building today as promised? anyone with latest inform me….
I have just read on ZNBC.CO.ZM, Masebo says she did not mean to demolish the building but the access road.
She should be careful how she handles things and not get emotional and swing into action on Projects which has alot of stakeholders. She should learn risk managements and Change control mechanism. This way she will get benefits even from confusion and move for the better.
Even before she closes or destroy the access road..she should do an impact analysis and verification of the assumptions.
We cant afford to be acting on emotions and revenge..Abash two wrongs make it right!!!
There is no way an Org like Celtel can just wake up and put up an illegal structure. Someone from the council must have known and okeyed it. By the way, is he Celtel building the only illegal structure they found? If it is not the only one, why are they not moving aas quickly on the others? Is there something else going on here, that we don’t know of?
#27 NO, READ THIS,
Local Government and Housing Minister, Sylvia Masebo has clarified that the CELTEL building under construction in the Show grounds in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, will not be demolished. The Local Government Minister says the council has only been directed to demolish the illegal access road to the Great East road, and not the proposed CELTEL offices.She said the access road should be demolished because it will worsen congestion.Ms. Masebo said the council had not given Celtel the authority to construct the access road. The minister said this, Tuesday when she toured some parts of the Capital city in the company of her Lands counterpart, Bradford Machila, and officials f
Imagine, just formalise the building and ensure that in future nothing like that happens, the same thing has happened to the Manda Hill expansion project, does Masebo and her people really interested in development by building high quality buildings, anyway nipa ZED.
You know what is even more irritating, the same council will come and destroy a building and do not have teh decency to clean after they have left, the Ntemba’s opposite UTH paediatric entrance, they demolished them, but guess what they left a heap of rubbish which was even more an eyesore than the Ntemba’s themselves.
#30 Thanks!!
Viva Ba Masebo! Thats a very bold decision to take and hope its not mere talk show but will infact be translated into action. I Hope as i finish posting my contribution, someone will inform me that the building has already been brought down. Such an action evens the playing field and will send a strong meassage to prospective flouters of the law. The Law much upheld by all citizen including corporations like Celtel. No one should be left off the hook regardless of status. I therefore salute the “Ever Galant Masebo” for such audacity and impartiality in executing her duties. Viiiiiiiva Sanity!!!
Mukaba ndalama ba masebo buy some good or rather decent breakfast not chabe VIMA POWDER and MINIs.Eat something before you stupify yourself and the govt before the media and the entire world.Dont just utter anything anyhow,has your govt realised how many decent structures this company has put up despite their annoying adverts.
I ll be the happiest to learn that your govt bombs(not demolish) the stupid unfinished buildings in the capital city.its DIRT,or maybe it they look beautiful to you incompitent ministers and MPs…Oh sorry i forgot that you dont do your shopping in lusaka.But you fly over those buildings on your way to SA on my TAX.They look beautiful from the sky dont they?.Mwanya
Ni shani, Uncle Sam mwilaponta ninshi? Mwanya kwisa? Tamunya naiwe?
most of you here are retarded, for goodness sake, grow up. too much negativity, who lied to you that you prove yourself by ALWAYS objecting? that’s what is called stupidity,some of you have never said anything positive,i pity your households.achiteko ban fwaka,mukali against. ndimwe mubwelesa ziko kumbuyo.u r asking ati “where was she all this time?”. i think u r too dull to ask that question,mwaninyanisa … :((
Zambia is not so rich as to warrant demolishing structures.Please lets us regulate and improve the existing ones rather than demolishing.Look at Dag stadium?We need to learn lessons.Celtel can be forced to improve the structures
number 37 i respect your opinion some people in this forum are just arm chair critics…. they are so negative about everything they wright…often without any basis, facts and judgement. i wonder they are just jealous of other people. credit where credit is due.
moving on….. does any body know wats the story with respect to the unfinished building Chiluba started 100 yrs ago – nxt to Arcades??
Where is town and country planning unit, so that the GRZ and its embattles citizens are able to build infrastruecture in a planned and well-thought out manner?
Why does the MMD love to thrive on absence of institutions that can make a difference in the day-to-day building of infrastructure? This clearly shows that this GRZ is full of ignorant people, top-down. Hooligans are running the country!
Their is nothing wrong with the building. the council just have to work on the traffic planning around tha area. the Town Clerk is a planner
she was deputy mayor at LCC and now she’s saying illegal structures.Mind you it takes 10 – 20 years for an illegal structure to up and some of these might have generated during her reign as D-Mayor.This should pose as a challenge to the current crop of mayors that what they do now should be done properly and approved by all relevant authorities including the enviromental council of Zambia which is often excluded from such consultations.
LCC is rubbish, fire the whole lot of them…if someone is not doing their job i THINK a boss usually sacks them. They should start a new CBD away from the shacks that are on the outskirts. LCC has no goals at all just talk like the gov. Lusaka should be allowed to run its own affairs like london, give the people a greater say and may be we’ll see some improvemnets.
Number 4 That was very spupid of you .How can write about a woman like that?you do not have brains in between your ears.This forum needs a moderator ,you can not have it free for all like this ,where are the owners of this website?If you do not have anything to write please keep your insanity to your youself.
WHATEVER YOU SAY HAS THE EFFECT OF POLLUTINHG YOUR THINKING NOW AND TOMORROW.SO MIND YOUR WORDS-THINKING.MASEBO IS NO SUPERGIRL,SHE IS HUMAN AND A MOTHER WHO NEEDS SOME RESPECT.IF SHE ERRORS,CRITISE HER.DO NOT INSULT, IMAGINE IF ITS YOUR OWN MOTHER BEING ATTACKED LIKE THIS.GUYS THE MEDIA(LUSAKA TIMES)MOULDS THE MINDSET OF NATION.YOU IS INSULTING,IMAGINE YOUR OWN CHILDREN DISCOVERS THAT ITS YOU WHO IS SENDING SUCH COMMENTS.LADIES AND GENTS, LETS APPRECIATE THAT MASEBO IS NOT LUSAKA AND CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE.SHE HAS PEOPLE BELOW HER.THE BEST CONTRIBUTION IS MAY BE TO TELL TO CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION IN SAME CELTEL ISSUE.SUCH WILL NOT ONLY EXPOSE CULPRITS IN THIS PARTICULAR CELTEL ISSUE BUT MAN
I support comments from 45.She/he must be a very objective person.No wonder Greeks are very rich like Odys who is putting up a complex oppositre Arcades.
Silver actually is not a failure.It takes a woman to be what she is.If you can do better than her start from the grassroots like she started.Doors are open in UPND,PF,MMD,etc.
Mind you she is not very eduacted but she reached that level.Jealous clouds good reasoning and thinking.Adios
I was shocked to see the LCC Spokesperon Kapata on Muvi Tv clarifying that Masebo did not order the demolition of Celtel Offices but the adjoining road near the Manda Hill Traffic Lights. Ala mwandi ma reporters you should always check your facts before telling us lies. No wonder even State House is also refuting Mulongoti’s utterances that the Government will assist the Nyimba Desaster Road accident victims when in the actual sense it is not so.
Please tell the truth.
No. 46 who told you that sylvia is not educated?check your facts…she is a degree holder
A degree in what?
Social Work, if i can recall correctly. She was my senior at UNZA
Masebo is a social worker? Goodness me! Why did LPM appoint her to head Local Government? She is clearly below my vision of what we need in that portfolio.
No wonder chiefs, thieves, etc are all out stealing from the innocent citizens – there is no leadership at all levels of Zambian government. Economic hoodlums are not unemployed in Zed.
Some Zambians here please you need to grow up – what wrong has Masebo done you. We are so good at issuing out PHDs. Give constructive comments or shut it.
IFYABUPUBA MWEBENA ZAMBIA TETI MULELANDA PAFYAMANO MWAPENA KUFYA BUPUBA LET MASEBO DO HER WORK TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY CLEAN AND HEALTHY TO LIVE IN ,LEADERSHIP IT,S NOT ABOUT DEGREES.THAT,S WHY OUR COUNTRY IS GOING INTO FOREIGN HARDS.NGATAMUKWETE ICHINTO MULEIKALA FYE THAN POINTING FINGERS TO EACH OTHER MULEKENI MASEBO ABOMBE ICHINTO YAKWE.
ITEMBA OUT GOVERNMENT SHOULD FIND THE PLACE VENDORS SHOULD SELL FROM THAN CHASING THEM FROM THE STREETS.
Mwebantu, leave Masebo alone. She is just performimng her God given duties.
KAPATA KAPATA MY DEAR,MUGABE WILL SAY.YOU ARE SO CORRUPT.YOU WANT TO BAN CHURCHES FOR NOISE POLLUTION WHY.IS ILLEGAL STRUCTURE NOT CITY POLLUTION ?COUNCIL HAS FAILED AS AND NOW THEY WANT TO TOUCH GOD.YOU DEVILS GO AND CLEAN THE CITY BEFORE YOU TOUCH GOD.SHOULD YOU WAIT FOR THE MINISTER TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU ACT SURE ?YOU DONT HAVE EYES TO SEE THE ILLEGAL STRUCTURES SURE.WHO GIVE CELTEL THE LAND ?WHO PERMITTED THEM TO BUILD ? I WONDER, SOME ONE ANSWER ME.WE NEED TO PROBE THIS.KAPATA KABIYENI KUMUSHI UKO BA MUPATA.MWAPATA INSHI KANSI.MWAFYELWE MULUPATO.ORO MWALISA PATA PAKUFUMA HENCE THE NAME.God will slain you.leave the churches alone.
I now know the reason why Africa is not developed. I have been to a good number of countries in the Western world and the question I have always asked myself is why they were more developed than us when they are just humans like us. it is because of such behaviour and attitudes. we like wasting time on cheap talk and shy away from serious issues. some of the comments i have read are very disgusting, dissappointing, irritating and nerve stressing. where are your morals guys? let us support masebo for the great job she is doing.
Hon. Masebo,Congrats for telling LCC to demolish illegal structures in Lusaka,Please tour our area (CHALALA) along “BULAYA Road” and see the good houses that have been bulit but LCC have failed to demolish a set of tarvens called “MUNYAULE” a hideout of theives who are terrorising residents, and one was killed last week by a mob at night around 0200hrs.We are told that these tarverns are owned by LCC workers and Police.
You are doing a great job!!!
Masebo is over stepping her role….LCC must sue her for interfering with their duties. Why should the central govt minister start to clean up Lusaka streets..Instead she must follow the protocol of calling this council administrators to her office or before parliamental committee…this is pure micromanaging the nation; no wonder we will not improve!!
She has not right to start cleaning up lusaka streets, she makes policy and make some appointments for that jobs…if she is unhappy, fire the LCC administrations first!
I will finish all your poor structures there,You can’t hide.I’m the iron lady remember?
This was my promise to His Excellence Sc Levy Patrick Mwanawasa that before he changes me to another ministry, i have done changes.He happy about that, so what can say.
Hon S.M.MASEBO PLEASE DO YOUR WORK WHILE YOU ARE ON THAT POST PEOPLE SHALL NEVER CHANGE CLEAN UP THE STREET AND UNWANTED STRUCTURES PLEASE BE LIKE KING COBRA WHEN WAS IN GOVERNMENT AT THAT TIME.
What is she waiting for, if she is a serious person? We have too many pretenders in Zambia who speak loudly and deliver zilch!
Hon. Masebo,When are u coming to Chalala? Bravo to you!!
Should start the cleaning from the Ministry of Local Government an Housing it self. There are too many jokers sitting in those offices. What is happening in the Councils is being done under their noses.
Is Lusaka the only place in the country with Illegal structures? Nichi niba minister ba ku Lusaka fye. Maybe Lusaka is Zambia and Zambia is Lusaka!
When she demolishes, what next? People are quick to condemn without offering credible solutions. I hope she has proper plans for the land to be acquired thereafter. Good start yes, but what next?
Mule wamya ko nook Copper ifuma bamakaka!
It’s good to do the right thing. Masebo must implement the law the way it is and not strengthening one side of it. If the building is neccessary and it has met the standards of the council,then don’t touch it instread touch the owner for not following the procedure. Because we want infrustructure development.There is no point in just demolishing structures without reasoning or assessing them like you are not schooled.
Let her go ahead so that we use it as campaign strategy. Why should she think of that only now when we are about to vote? Was she afraid of Levy? She is too late. I advise her to wait for our big boot.
I guess ‘our big boot’ never got a chance to kick 🙂
Noble Savege
I guess the late Bob Marley was right when he sung
‘if you can’t say something good about somebody just shut up!.My fellow Zed, give constructive criticism.If you think what she did or is doing was/is wrong put on your thinking caps and provide better solutions.some of us just criticise when we ourseves don’t want to be criticesed after all there is nothing tangible we can boast of having achieved in life.Think again instead of insulting
I guess the late Bob Marley was right when he sung
‘if you can’t say something good about somebody just shut up!.My fellow Zed, give constructive criticism.If you think what she did or is doing was/is wrong put on your thinking caps and provide better solutions.some of us just criticise when we ourseves don’t want to be criticesed after all there is nothing tangible we can boast of having achieved in life.Think again instead of insulting
I couldn’t think you are more right