The Zambia Telecommunications Limited (Zamtel) has covered a total of 1,500 kilometers of the planned 4,000 kilometers of optic fibre cable installation across the country.
However, some unknown vandals have already vandalized portions of the new network, much to the dismay of the company.
ZAMTEL Public Relation Manager, Charles Kachikoti, told ZANIS in Lusaka today that it was unfortunate that some suspected vandals have already vandalized the network thinking they could get copper and other valuable minerals from the cables.
He said it was not true that there was copper and other valuable minerals in the material used in the optic fibre network.
He explained that the optic fibre cables were made of fibre glass and therefore, burning such cables, as is the case with copper cables, was an effort in futility.
Mr. Kachikoti said the risk that vandals run in tampering with the cables was of high magnitude with absolutely no benefit because there was no commercial material to extract from the cables.
Mr. Kachikoti has since appealed to members of the public to help maintain vigilance in an effort to stop disruption of telecommunications services and bring the culprits to book.
Mr. Kachikoti has said the installation of the optic fibre in all the distances which were divided into 17 segments starting from Lusaka, has continued simultaneously.
He said the priority in the exercise was the Lusaka-Copperbelt link because it has a shortage of broadband capacity.
The next link would be between Lusaka and Kazungula because it connects Zambia to other parts of the world through Botswana and South Africa.
Mr. Kachikoti said the third priority was the Lusaka-Nakonde link which will connect Zambia and Tanzania and other countries.
This will be followed by the Eastern and Western links.
He disclosed that the Lusaka-Rufunsa link along the Great East Road was almost complete while the Kapiri-Mpika link is only 30 per cent from completion.
Mr. Kachikoti further revealed that the Lusaka-Kabwe link will soon be commissioned and ready for commercial use while the Lusaka- Copperbelt link was expected to be completed for use by January next year.
The optic fibre network project is expected to provide unlimited broad capacity communication to cater for users in all sectors of the Zambian economy.
ZANIS/CM/KSH/ENDS
it is regrettable that people would vandalize everything!
Thats a sign of hunger looming in the nation where people see anything strange to them and think to be of value.
Govt should solve the food crisis that has been around since time in memorial.
Its hunger,thats why they go 2 such lengths. Sad indeed
:d
How about painting the fibre optic cable a certain color (blue for example) and doing a publicity campaign to let the population know that it is not copper?
How would you run a publicity campaign when those targeted are mostly illiterate.
Lack of food, lack of education…
Too much to deal with first.
People will even “vandalise” a stop sign on a street corner because they do not know the implications.
To them its not vandalism, its survival.
Why didnt Zamtel just use the ZESCO lines or facilities
Publicity campaign – picture posters of course, even illiterate people understand pictures.
Why would anyone want a fibreoptic cable , they are not made from any precious metal and are just bits of plastice. Theres no mangishi in fibre optic cables, the only person that would want fibre optic cables is probably another communications company. Whoever tried to vandalize this is probably very dull because he has a better chance of getting plastics from a chishala at market. Zamtel should do a publicity awareness campaign to say the fibre optics are not made out of metal.
wat a shame we will never progress
Sad but it’s a wake up call for ZAMTEL & the govt to get down to a serious awareness program urgently,the exercise is too costly to be frustrated by a bunch of illiterates who think there is something valueble to be extracted from the material being used which of course as explained is not copper or whatever they are looking for.
Poverty & ignorance drives people into trying out extreme ‘stunts’,some chaps even drain ZESCO transformers for oil which they resale & we know several people have died trying to drain that oil coz they think electricity is something to play with,now we have this problem,shame!
Useless chaps! What did thsy thnk it was, copper?
By the way, Happ New Year to everyone. This is my first comment thiyer.
awe guys kuleni..u dont just vandalise anything you see..ninshi?kuno tutila kubasungu natives love what ubuteko fix for them bcoz they know its for their benefits…nomba iwe wala iba…what if you want to call your banakulu kumushi wont u regrate????
hahahaha natukule bane..
Its a pity.True there should be awareness.And culprits should be brought to book.
PF thuggs when are they going to stop this thuggary behaviour?
If it was copper wire, where would they selling it? Perhaps it is time to look at the demand side and cut that off!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AS YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE IN FOREIGN LANDS AND ITS LIKELY THAT NO ONE WILL SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF REGARDING THIS PASSPORT SAGA. THEREFORE MY SUGGESTION IS THAT WE PERTITION AS ONE VOICE THAT THIS CHANGE OF PASSPORT BE EXTENDED BY AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. EACH ONE OF US SHOULD WRITE THREE LETTERS
1. TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN ZMBIA
2. HOME AFFAIRS
3. ZAMBIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY
ZAMBIANS LET US UNITE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
#16 ,Its taken to neighbouring Zaire and sold as scrap meatal… ~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(~X(
There shud be a stiff penalty for vandalism such as life nyamseche prison with hard labour
Extending the time for passport application we lead to many scandals my dear brother.You know that we Zambians have one of the cleanest records abroad in as far as behavioural conduct is concerned.This means that our passports are HOT cake.Reccently we have alot of cases of lost passsports and i can not hide to you that i am one of the victims.Mine was lost just at the Beijing I.Apt on my return from zed after bouncing into a brother who never even came closer to me.Many things to say,but no space.
THE SHORTER THE TIME THE BETTER SO THAT THEY THAT ARE USING OUR LOST PASSPORTS SHUD FACE IT.Without such things,i bet your idea was the BEST EVER.HAPPY NEW YEAR
All the Zambians abroad ( South Africa,Swaziland,Ghana,Europe,China and the USA) Concerned about the passport send us your ideas so we can begin the signature petition drive we need more than 5000 signatures e-mail us at [email protected]
Zambia Passport Teleconference For all Concerns and contribution on how we speak as one Voice (Europe,Asia,America,South Africa,Ghana and all) Please call in, Conference Call on January 3rd,2009 at 11:00 am Central Time USA
CONFERENCE DIAL-IN NUMBER: (218)844-8230
PARTICIPANT ACCESS CODE: 853993#
for a country brimming over with copper , just use copper and replace as necessary , much much cheaper.
Clergyman slams habit of begging
ARCHBISHOP of Kasama, James Spaita, has condemned the growing tendency of begging by many Zambians at the expense of working hard to become self-reliant.Speaking during a Christmas mass at St John’s Cathedral in Kasama yesterday, Archbishop Spaita said begging was a bad practice which did not promote national development. Politicians have taught Zambians all they do is look to Donors.Zambians are just doing what they have learnt
# 17, 21 and 22. Please dont bore us with this passport saga. As you can see, all finacially disciplined bloggers have nit supported you comments. You were given ENOUGH time to prepare for the same but ofcourse you had other priorities. Poor financial planning on your part should not nessecitate a national emergency ! Passport ni paweka thats why its only your face thats on it and not all these 5000 petitioners you want to organize. If you are broke consult other bloggers like Anonymous, Maestro HEHEHE they will send you the 500pin via Western Union. Count all the money you have spent on MacDonalds since the review of the passport fees and you will prove your financial indiscipline !
Ni sample mudala ! :d/
😮
no 25 its not about the money its just about the way of doing things. you check around other countries who are changing/or have changed passports and tell me how long the process took. For example Nepal is also changing to digitized passports but the process is a continuous one and not the 6 months that we are being given. For your information my application papers will be in zed second wk of January.
The passport deadline will be extended anyway, and if not, there is still no need for panic as you can still travel to Z on your current passport even after the deadline. You will then have to obtain a new one before leaving the country. For those who are still waiting for, or have yet to obtain the application forms, these are available at:
zambiaembassy dot de (Zambin embassy Berlin website)
‘However, some unknown vandals have already vandalized portions of the new network, much to the dismay of the company.’
With this kind of news, it appears that the cables are in the UG networks. While educating the Nation about this fibre optic development will certainly yield positive results, like Zamtel and other bloggers have suggested, I feel it is a good idea to explore a way of masking the Zamtel cables on top of ZESCO power lines. This will hinder those with ulterior motives as they will have to overcome the high voltage ZESCO cables before they can pull down the Zamtels cables. Also, this would clean up our places as this would reduce the number of poles and UG networks. :-w.
Another solution is to bury the cables in the ground, it would be more expensive, but people would be more reluctant to dig them up when they realize there is no copper. Could be combined with painting the cable blue and an education campaign that blue cables have no metal in them.
Yes it’s hunger, but honestly should we condone it?