The cholera situation in Mpulungu district has persisted with 196 cases being treated since the outbreak in August, this year.
This came to light when Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Mwamba, addressed a District Epidemic Preparedness Committee meeting in Mpulungu today.
Mr Mwamba said Government is seriously concerned with the rising number of cholera cases in Mpulungu and urged relevant authorities to do everything possible to bring the epidemic under control.
He, however, expressed shock to learn that K800 million emergency fund released by government to Mpulungu District Council to contain the cholera outbreak had allegedly been misapplied.
The Permanent Secretary observed that the move by the council to buy a tractor and pay
allowances to its officers at the expense of combating the disease is unacceptable and a waste of government resources.
Mr Mwamba, who was visibly annoyed, also expressed displeasure that despite the Department of Water Affairs sinking boreholes in Mpulungu, the District Council has also gone ahead to hire a private firm to sink a single borehole at a cost of K100million.
The PS has since demanded for a full report from Mpulungu District Council Secretary, Jonathan Simbeye, on why the funds meant for containing the cholera outbreak were misapplied.
Mr Mwamba is in Mpulungu to check on the intervention measures put in place by the district authorities to contain the cholera outbreak which has so far claimed three lives.
ZANIS
That picture and the cholera outbreak says it all -that after 50yrs of independence we have failed.
How can anyone be proud of this mess? What a shame!!! So there is still so much poverty at this point and time… I can see most Zambian people cannot even afford to buy flipflops, no wonder they are given ”peanuts” and disrespected by most foreigners. How can anyone respect people who drink cholera infested filth. Ala chansoni sana.
Tats extreme poverty which PF has no clue on how to address it.However,tat was good observation by PS,how do u spend K100m sinking borehole which cost maximum of K35M?? Tats theft of public funds.As usual ACC is asleep..
Dull PS indeed! Sometimes you can drill upto four dry boreholes before finding a good one and what is 100m? A paltry 20pin dollars! Just admit PF has lamentably failed. Yakunyelani nchito achimbwi mufuna yopayapaya.
From Mpulungu cholera is now on its way to lusaka, while on the way it passed through central province, went to lukanga swamps killed 12+ people and now it is on its way to lsk and will reach there nxt month. Lusaka pipo brace yourselves for a bigger bang.
PS get facts first!! You have already demanded for a full report from Mpulungu District Council Secretary, Jonathan Simbeye. Why are u yapping about 100m? Mbulungu is known for dry wells…get facts first bwana… pf? bwafya
IT’S CLEAN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION… THAT’S THE NAME OF THE GAME. HOW CAN ZAMBIA FAIL TO DELIVER PIPED WATER TO IT’S CITIZENS AFTER 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE? AT ONE TIME I WAS PRIVILEGED TO VISIT LUAPULA PROVINCE AND IT WAS SUDDENING TO FIND THAT SOME IF NOT ALL THE SEWAGE RESERVOIRS WERE CLOSED. SO I WAS THING, ABANTU BAKUNO NABALEKA UKUNYA. OR THEY HAVE RESORTED BACK TO DOING IT ON LAKES AND RIVERS WHICH HAVE EFFICIENT DELIVERY SYSTEMS? PLEASE, REVITALIZE THOSE CLOSED DOWN RESERVOIRS AND EVEN BUILD MORE.
will this place ever develop..?
I wonder Taliban, The problem with Mpulungu people there are very dull,they dont get ideas from strangers.
What a shame for zambia since the budget is just on paper not implementing, thats why our enviroment looks like this stil now.