Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) management today resolved to attach a team of engineers to the the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) to ensure that the water shortage problem was resolved once and for all. LWSC has already dispatched the Engineers and they will be stationed at UTH until at a time that water supply is normalised.
Earlier, President Michael Sata today paid an impromptu visit to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka to check on the water supply which was yesterday reported to be erratic.
President Sata was not amused with what he found and without hesitation directed UTH management and the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to ensure that normal water supply is restored at the highest health institution in the country.
“I don’t mind if there is no water in the whole Lusaka but UTH must have water. People are suffering here,” he said.
President Sata directed UTH Managing Director Lackson Kasonka and the LWSC to ensure that both the underground and overhead reservoir tanks are always filled with water so that patients and those taking care of them do not have a shortage of the commodity.
The UTH tank has a capacity of 1.08 million cubic litres of water but there was only about 40,000 litres when the President visited the institution this morning.
Director of Engineering at the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC), Wilson Shane, had a tough time to explain to President Sata why there was an erratic supply of water at the institution.
Mr. Shane however maintained that his company had supplied water to the underground reservoir tank at the institution.
He said the onus was now for UTH to pump the water from the underground tank to the overhead one which distributes the commodity to the rest of the health institution.
Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Housing, Emerine Kabanshi, explained to President Sata that power outages were to a greater extent responsible for intermittent water supply.
Ms. Kabanshi said when there was a power outage at the water pump in Kafue, the rest of Lusaka gets affected in terms of water supply.
But despite all these explanations, President Sata directed that all relevant authorities should find a lasting solution to the water shortage at the institution so that water supply is normalised.
Yesterday, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) reported that normal operations at the UTH theatre had been suspended because of lack of water.
ZNBC further reported that the maternity ward was also facing a serious shortage of water hence operations had been affected.
ZANIS
Chamusebanya sana for a big institution like UTH to operate without a stable water supply.That is inviting more infections and diseases.Good work king Cobra…continue with those impromptu visits.
It’s a system: ZESCO, LWSC, UTH, line ministries etc. Money should be made available, thats all.
Fire the buggers. These guys are so lazy that they only work when they are prompted to do so by the Head of State. They are not professional and if they are professional, they are only professional thieves for stealing from tax payers on a monthly basis via salaries and their conditions of service. This is unacceptable world over, and it is only in zambia where a power cut can disrupt water supplies. These thugs have never heard of power back-up systems? We must get another Clive Chirwa there asap.
I wonder if some heads will roll. Power outages at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport and now the highest medical institution has no water!
Breaking news: So apparently, ba presido made a surprise visit at UTH today. Hahahaha, Zed politics yaba, until someone dies that’s when people seem to want to show that they care. Fyabupuba
The President is a busy person and its really a shame that LWSC and UTH management could not resolve their simple differences and ensure that continuos supply is maintained. How many times shall tit take the president to have a matter resolved?
Should it take the president to intervene to make these useless managers do their work? How can the president be expected to be at all public institutions to make them carry out their duties? It is really disgraceful.
I remember during his farewell speech at UTH Prof Jellis said the last time there was hot water at UTH was in the 1970’s. I think he said something about the lime thats found in Lusaka’s water supply clogged up the systems.Hope our Engineers who were quite pompus at UNZA for being in the prestigious school of engineering BENG will resolve this issue.hope ‘crooks’ hasn’t followed you into the industry.
What a joke of a country!!
Its only someone mentally handicapped and challenged who will be shocked at this, of course the problems starts from the top, why blame the subordinates. A father blaming a son, is a failed parent himself.
The president needs to have a good luck at himself, suspected under performers if not eradicated will say a lot about the people in charge of them
Pathetic country. I feel like throwing up
Thanks
RIGHT…
How is Nick?
“…the Engineers and they will be stationed at UTH until at a time that water supply is normalised.”
CLEAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE ENGINEERS AND PROF CHIRWA. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THE TIME IN WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. SAYING UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS SORTED OUT IS UTTER NONSENSE. PEOPLE SHOULD WAIT ENDLESSLY ACCORDING TO YOU, CHAP. AS AN ENGINEER YOU SHOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF TIME UNDER WHICH YOU CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IS THAT A NEW WAY OF STEALING NOW- WORKING ENDLESSLY?
Imwe ma reporter have you run out of superlatives? What do you mean “at the highest health institution in the country.” Is there such a thing?
The CEO of LWSC must explain to the consumers in his jurisdiction why more than half of the treated water intended for supply ends up unaccounted for. It would seem that notwithstanding power outages, LWSC has for a long time been operated ineffieciently that it does not even have a reliable record of its domestic consumers. How does LWSC hope to improve its services, let alone expand, if as a commercial entity it is perpetually run at a loss? What is the shareholders’ take on this? Erratic water supply and one of the most substandard sanitary conditions in the Sub-Sahara Africa! This is sickening…to say the least.
The cost of two of those Toyota Hiluxes donated to RDA would be more than enough to put whatever needs to be put in place (financially) to sort out the water problem at UTH. I’m certain RDA would not be crippled with 24 instead of 26 vans !!! It all boils down to what are perceived as priorities by the powers that be.
Gross incompetence by everyone mentioned in this story
INCLUDING THE FATHER OF THE COUNTRY HIMSELF. YET SOME PEOPLE WILL PRAISE HIM FOR WANTING TO SOLVE A 1960 PROBLEM
Why is Zambia so pathetic? are we all not making enough effort to make things better olo shani kanshi!
I think Zesco, LWSC and Ministry of local government and housing should wake up. I know Willson Shane from the time he was young and to-date as very hard working guy. I just hope he will be able to use his knowledge to solve this water problem. Viva Presido.
No wonder the mayor in Lusaka and the whole system is full of empty suits..it takes a president to come down and issue presidential directives to get things moving…I hope the president also cancels those funds being used to build his retirement home and redirects them to the UTH water issue.
Very good.
Are the engineers weeing in the tank or what?
??? ?? ???????
IF A COUNTRY IS STRAGGLING WITH BASICS LIKE WATER, HOW DOES IT EXPECT TO HAVE ELECTRIC TRAINS IN THREE YEARS? HAHAHA LETS KEEP DREAMING.
To me it seems that the problem lies with ZESCO. When I visited Luanshya, we had a power cut every night. This was always followed by dry water taps. Until ZESCO reaches a point where it can supply all of Zambia’s needed power, there will be power outages which will lead to all sorts of knock-on problems. I suppose LWSC can install an alternative power source, such as a coal fired power station, but in turn people and GRZ in Lusaka will have to accept higher water bills in return for a more reliable supply.
Sata is very dull. UTH will not be able to cope with patients if there was no water supply in Lusaka. Without water supply there would be outbreaks of disease in Lusaka. Sata uses so much bandwith to transmit rubbish. Anyone who doesn’t care if there’s no water in a city of 2.2 million people is a nutcase!
Why do we need to have our jobs at stake to get to work? sata also is somhw kokai how the hell can he say he doesn’t care if lsk dd not hv water if uth had? that wud equally be disastrous
Mushota you are calling Zambia Pathetic country, aint you the same who wants to
come to Zambia, you were born in Zambia all the sudden you call our country pathetic, shame on you
fool.You are such a disgrace to our country.
Guys help me answer this point:
I really think we as African have a problem with using our minds. Really how can we fail to have water running 24/7 if we have alot of water undergound and river/lakes. Help me understand.
I live in western Australia The bazungu don’t have enough fresh water and most of it is salt but never in the 6years have been here seen no water from the tap it is the 24/7. Please help are we mentally ok?
Dual nationality is the only key.
to what??
The question that beggars belief is that Zambia has thousands of the so called engineers. When did these engineers discover that there was no water at UTH. Sata is onr man and can only solve 1200th of the problems in Zambia, individuals must be responsible. CEO of UTH should recruited from the diaspora, we can run the show better and with minimum fuss.
All you people abroad and Zambian listen to this if life in Zambia distress es you then quit answering to every situation here and stay comfortably abraoad. Mind you even where you are it took years to have such facilities Zambia is even doing better. Didn’t. London almost wiped out in the 1800years due to dirty, chorela and plague. Wait until there is such a disease you will all be deported back to Zambia where you left this mess yourselves and hiding in the name for greener pastures!!!
Hi Kasonteka, I take it that you will also agree that we should avoid the pitfalls that others went through. Is this not the beauty of the information technology age we are in?
“I don’t mind if there is no water in the whole Lusaka but UTH must have water. People are suffering here,” he said.
Ok then, show your pro poor humility Mr President, and start by directing LWSC to disconnect the water supply at State House first…
What kind of engineer is that, who don’t know that the glasses he is wearing women glasses. He looks as if he never drinks water but quenches on Chibuku.
You send engineers to go and wait for water, instead of supplying water in trucks, while sinking boreholes? There is shortage of thinking in Zambia.
@Nostradamus. Haven’t you heard of unisex glasses? Just because your wife and sister wears them don’t make them female glasses!!!!!!!
Stop employing doctors to manage UTH no matter how experienced they are; what would a doctor know about business management or Facilities management or Business Administration!!
You have hit the nail on the head my friend. As a healthcare manager in the UK, I would gladly take on the challenge of transforming UTH, and I am confident that I can do it. For some reason, we seem to think that a medical doctor is the best person to run a health institution, and in my opinion, this is the source of most of the problems with healthcare delivery in Zambia.
#25 this is where some crazy people say that the black man was cursed. if bazungu were in charge in Zambia, this water problem would be a thing of the past. there would be order. No cholera year in & year out. No rusbbish everywhere. We would also not have problems with electricity since we have plenty of sun. no one has cursed us. we have just cursed ourselves because we also have great brains like pro Chirwa.
Hi Matilda, I agree with you on almost everything you’ve said except one: and that is the issue of rubbish. I am not convinced that Zambians need someone to educate about them keeping their surroundings tidy. How do you explain the culture of eating mangoes, maize, bananas groundnuts, sugarcane etc and throwing what we cannot eat ANYWHERE…after that, answering to nature’s call at every turn?
Shame on you LWSC and UTH management! Give the President a break you nincompoops!
Free Advise to the President:- 1. Invest in power generation plants for consistent power supply:- expansion of Kafue & kariba hydros, new hydros in Luapula, thermal in Maamba. Govt should have 49% stake. 2. Replacement of all corroded water piping (inherited from colonial masters) in all towns. South Africa imports drinking water from Lesotho & water never runs dry, yet Lesotho itself has no consistent water supply 3. Reduce the export of unprocessed copper (cathodes); lets add value, first with making wires, tubes & bars., then motors, etc. 4. Make me your Minister of Industrialization.
Man – Abel, you are right.
Investment in infrastructure is the way forward. I might just give you my vote if you are tenacious about this development approach.
what I see is symptoms of lack of instutional arrangement at the hospital. the hospital should have its own water and sanitation department. Otherwise how do they maintain their infrastructure. Stop this fire fighting and shifting of blame to LSWC. No wonder Wilson was not able to give answers to the president when he was put on the spot.
Spend the money on by-elections
thats my president who cares for the sick keep it up man of action un like RB who locked up chansa kabwela when she revealed what was happening at UTH.My president please start firing these people who want to bring you down such as uth management and lwsc management.
Man of action….
Fire these lazy donkeys and hire fresh minds….the nation is behind you. Never mind people with evil minds and intentions.
If they managed to fix the problem after the Presidents vist, then its not about challenges that the company is facing but a luck of seriousness, it has to take the presidents vist to work on a problem they can mange to solve
Please use your brains, sink a borehole every 10 metres around the hospital problem solved. Start by purchasing the machine used to sink them.
Chimbwi No Plan
Ba Wille,don’t worry,mwalasova.Put up five more underground water tanks with a diesel stand by pump which should kick in if there is power failure.I am sure the need for water demand has grown since the 70s so lets create spare capacity by putting in more water tanks and also let’s project for the future.Also,the water coming out of Konkola deep should be directed to commercial towns like Lusaka,get it into the kafue river and that amount should be scooped at various service points.
Chaos is when everything starts to fall apart!
signs of a bad leader, blame others to hid your own incompetence.
Sata wamubaba mupando, he cannot sit down even after 90 days? Ubufumu bukashsha amenso. Uzayonda iwe uzasila na boza ye wenama banthu. Shame, you want a retirement house even before supplying water to the hospital?
Bravo mr. president , these mambalas have gone too far. please mr president move quickly also at ndola central hospital. There are alot of rotten eggs , starting with head of the the institution to fake Doctors.These are the chaps frustrating your government efforts.
Blame the 1 who pays for the water,either uth or govt
Just privatise GRZ things will start moving, period.
But 90% of all these top management and all polical appointments are PF cadres and their relatives, So it is the presido and PF govt. to blame chapwa.