The Lusaka City Council (LCC) will soon swing into action and demolish illegal structures in the city.
Council Public Relations Manager Chanda Makanta told ZANIS in an interview today that the move has been prompted by an increase in the number illegal buildings in the city.
Mrs. Makanta cited Lusaka’s Ibex Hill area as having an alarming rise in the number of illegal structures.
She said despite the local authority issuing several warning notices to culprits, the warnings have blatantly been ignored.
Mrs. Makanta said the council has been unable to construct drainages in the area due to the illegal structures that have taken up the space for the drainage.
She said such a scenario made waste management difficulty for the local authority to fulfill.
Mrs. Makanta said apart from problems of waste management, the absence of a drainage system would inevitably result in flooding during the rain reason.
She explained that council’s move to demolish illegal structures is not meant to injure the illegal developers but deter people from constructing structures prior to the council’s approval.
Mrs. Makanta advised would-be developers to consult Town and City planners at the council to avoid the pain of having their structures demolished after completion.
She said the developers should not blame the council if they do not heed to the local authority’s advice and end up losing money through demolition of there homes.
ZANIS
You should also find a place where to take them.You gave them plots,and you want to demolish their properties now.
For the past 9 (nine) months, the council have not been approving any plans (9 months). Now if i plan to build do i have 9 months to wait just to have my building plan approved? In any case, there approval is just a formality. We all know that it’s the “not connected” people to be the victims of this exercise. If anything, there are no city planners in lusaka, thus why lusaka is a huge slum
In the first place how did you allow them to build without going to the council for permit. this is only heard of in Zed. Building illegally incurs a fine besides demolition
in summary…more street vendors to be delivered..
Before demolishing find out who gave them a go ahead, fire those so that they don’t give another go ahead somewhere. people are losing money like i don’t know.
You get bribes when issueing these plots, you go back to threaten because what you were given is finished! Your reason holds a lot of water, BUT Ibex is on elevated land which is not even in dire need of drainage system! Please LCC, rush to Kabwata and see, it is still flooded in some areas!
Demolishing illegal structure is like going TWO steps forward and THREE backwards because it will evoke emotions which will induce high crime wave in lusaka as the number of “homeless” people and street vendors will trigger.
Makanta thats good move. I give you 100 % support . Our city is too dirty. Just look at the buildings at Kamwala …awee bane let us try to be clean. Please demolish all of them and even prosecute them . There should be order in ur country. However you should also make sure that all the corrupt planners are checked coz they are are the cause of all these unplanned buildings in Lusaka.
Dear country men our councils in Zambia as a whole need much to be improved, imigine it is now over one year since i applied from the council to develop my plot in Chingola. Everytime i visit there offices i am fed with all sorts of stories,so what can one do in this scenario??? Much as we do not support illegal structures people are so keen to build houses when they can afford,besides, rentals are also increasing, so where does one take his family when it comes to the waste??? Its to build an illegal structure.
PLEASE, START WITH SIMOSONS AT SOWETO MARKET.
Unpleasant sites in Zed. Now the city council chase after each other with vendors. Shame!
Before you demolish, please clean up your council. These developments were approved by your corrupt staff. You are not solving the problem. You are the people responsible for approving these delopments. The arears you are talking about are not illegal settlements. Someone must have approved those illegal development plans / drawings. Dont just mention IBEX… start with the town centre..Freedom way, then go to Kamwala, Chalala, you City Council guys should be ashamed of yourselves. You approve most of these developments through corrupt means.
Everything starts from the mind. Cleanliness is all in the mind. If the city council wants to implement anything, they have to clean up their mind from corruption and anything that detracts development. Obama made it very clear to all our african leaders. He is ready to help our governements if only we start by helping ourselves first. No one will change our countries if we can not do it ourselves first.
People if you read this article, this lady is talking about residential plots, forget about kamwala and all dirty commercial buildings, they will never be demolished as the owner have bribed the council officials.
These bustards at council i submitted my building plans in january 2008 and up to now not approved. I have already started building the house, is that illegal?
Mrs Chanda Mankata LCC (PRM) before you emabrk on demolishing other pipo’s shelters find alternative shelter for them. Do not gey excited and displace pipo internally. There are alot of alternatives. There is a serious housing crisis country wide especially after the Chiluba regime sold all council houses a give way. The councils thru NHA despite being mandated to build cheap house for resale to the public has not bin to date. This problem was not caused by the council but the politicians both in the ruling & opposition.Its a matter of a finding a long term lasting solution not demolishing structures. Mind you ROME was not built in a day. Kalingalinga used to be an eye sore but with donor funding thru LCC now its a better place. Dont push the poor too far. We will hit back harder Watch…
The LCC should see what supporting documents these pipo have before demolishing, i feel sorry for the pipo ahe have all their funds tired up in the plots. Shame on LCC.
The Chaps at LCC have run out of plots to allocate now they want to swin g into action and demolish pipos homes. They have bin paid service charges but have failed to provide the services. Go to Chalala (woodlands) to Kamwala South, no proper sewer pipes, water, roads, police posts, markets. Pipo have had no accommodation and thru their own initiative a someone at Civic Centre wants to madly dream of destroying pipos shelter? Please those in power and PF politicians who are running LCC be level headed. Plots and drawings are done and submitted by chaps from LCC and a higher fee. If Chanda & team have energy they should start with those fun structures next to njanji, Remand Prison, Kamwala and town centre. There is lita all over the city and are doing nuts. Think of income ening projects
# 9 as long as u presented your building plans to the council go ahead ans build your structure coz they will never act on them. Meantime the cost of materails and labour are all going up. The delaying tactics are meant to wear you down so that you oil their hands to put ink on your papers. The trend is all over the local authorities. They have run out of plots/land to allocated illigally. they are very innovative in the way they operate. In Lusaka to ve one’s paper as processed u nid to get someone from council to design a house for you and does the presentation 2 to 3 months its done. There is stinking corruption in central & Local govt corridors of power. My dear developer try the trick and it will work your way if youwant to have shelter over your head. Bad way of sorting things,next…
#18 Mwana mulume thanks for your advise, i will start developing my plot and never wait for there approval anyway
I think thats a good move demolish the house give them a fine and then people will stop bribing when gettin plots because if people are thinking its taking too long and they bribe then they themselves are corrupt together with whom they gave.It one of the ways to get rid of illegal structures. the other thing is the coucil has to be serious and not waste people time who are in a hurry to build for building and growth to the countrys GDP
imprisoning people who speak the truth and harassing citizens will not put our country forward.
# 18.Mwana Mulume, where cometh thou with that name?
#10 , you are right , that building is an eye sole, it looks so dirty and no sense os design , who the hell designed that place. The LCC must get rid of it and put a nice building there. The place looks like a ghost town.
Its about time.Our city looks bizarre
Lusaka is just turned into a big shanty.
The LCC is a HIVE of Corruption……..