Local Government and Housing Minister Emerine Kabanshi has directed local authorities in the country to start enforcing the solid waste management regulations in order to rid Zambia of garbage.
Ms. Kabanshi said the keep Zambia clean and health programme was a legal requirement as provided for in the local government statutory instrument Number 100 of 2011.The statutory instrument compels producers of waste to comply.
Ms. Kabanshi said councils that have not yet established solid waste management units should immediately do so in order to help beautify surroundings in their respective districts.She made this directive during a consultative stakeholders’ meeting attended by various companies and institutions in Lusaka today.
She said it is unacceptable that some institutions and individuals who know very well what was required of them to keep their surrounding dirty did not do so.Ms. Kabanshi has since called for increase public awareness on matters of personal hygiene and public health among council, government officials and the general public.
[pullquote]Mr.Namachila said it was unfair to entirely blame the councils for not providing effective garbage collection services.[/pullquote]
She observed that most towns, townships, cities and other public places were dirty and unhealthy hence posing a health hazard to the residents and visitors.She said Zambia was generally indiscriminately littered with all sorts of solid waste such as plastic papers and plastics, glass bottles, empty sacks, opaque beer packets and used mobile scratch cards.
The minister further said uncollected heaps of garbage were increasing both in height and size due to increased generation of refuse and indiscriminate dumping of it.Ms. Kabanshi however reiterated government’s commitment to engaging its partners in solid waste management and investment in areas that promote cleanliness and health.
And speaking earlier, Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary (PS) Bernard Namachila said his ministry was convinced that a good number of companies in the country were responsible for generating garbage.Mr. Namachila said his ministry was taking stock of companies in order to punish the indiscriminate garbage dumping culprits.He added that a few companies in Zambia were facilitating the collection of garbage.He also said it was unfair to entirely blame the councils for not providing effective garbage collection services.
[ZANIS]
Let your government remove vendors who generate this waste first of all
We are just a dirty country where no one cares where they dump dirt. We love dressing nicely but walk on streets or go to markets sorrounded by mountains of garbage.
We are just an appallingly unhygenic bunch of citizens who want good things but cant contribute and play our part.
The shake shake traders are culprits. They are the ones responsible for blockages. In addition, people themselves through litter anyhow and expect the council to pick them up. Charity begins at home, people should be responsible for their own cleanliness. Everything, “LET THE GOVERNMENT COME IN”. Atase.
Now you have coins back in your currency you should charge a recycle/refund fee on every glass bottle, plastic bottle, can and shake/shake container that is sold and when it is returned the fee is reimbursed. Money in everyones pockets and a cleaner city.
atase..its your duty..council..clear the streets kanshi..
Introduce a litter levy on all products that are responsible for accumulating such litter. The money to go towards cleaning the towns and cities. In addition to current budgetary allocations by the municipalities.
How sure are going to be that the money from the levy will not end up in someone’s pocket?
How sure are we going to be that the money from the levy will not end up in someone’s pocket?
Where was this woman when 90 days was elapsing?
Waste solid management in the country requires both political and engineering/technical solutions.On the political approach politicians should be in the fore front of ensuring that the law on waste management is functioning without discrimination.District or City Councils should be allowed to perform their duties without in-hindrance from the central government.On the engineering or technical solutions councils should higher learning institution like CBU,UNZA and the engineering industry on the introduction and use of modern mobile waste recycle plants that can moved to local council markets that generates uncontrolled tons & tons of solid waste.Engineering companies that generate waste can be encouraged or mandated by law to buy waste recycling plants.
lelo takuli bola?
Reap the full benefits of uncontrolled street vending!!
I pray what Ms Kabashi is saying will happen soon. Visit Chingola Kabundi south then then spacious parks are garbage dumping areas. The streets are closed by domestic waste. There’s no garbage collecting system in place. TheCopperbelt solid waste management company withdrew their services late last year with no notice to customers.The pits we dung within the yards are full and no space to dig more damping pits within the yards and so all of us are compelled to damp onto the parks.It is a shameful situation and disgusting situation.We have not been told why the only collecting gabbage withdrew their services and whether they resume or not. In the dry season burning of waste within the yards is order of the day and we breathe air contaminated with burning fumes from the plastics.
It is wrong to really blame the council for the mess in Lusaka, the people need to be educated about the dangers of garbage and dirty. We need start teaching young people about the importance of hygiene whilst they are still young(you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, remember)! Tough measures must be put in place to curb the problem in Zambia as a whole!
Last time I saw garbage collection in lusaka was when i was 7 or 8 years old, and now im 34. Its like a distant dream, then the mugomes came and stole all the metal bins. What is it you are trying to bring in Kabanshi? Please educate us, we dont know what a council is, what garbage collection is…
all black communities are the same through out the world
As a concerned citizen who has always lamented on the piles of garbage lying around because of the failure by councils to provide the waste collection services and the Zambian populace that seems to dine with dirty surroundings so much, I think it’s time we reduced on empty statements and spent more energy on tangible actions. I am yet to study the waste management instrument but may I say that in my view the solutions to this proverbial perennial problem are:
1. Councils need to create garbage disposal and collection points through out the cities
2. Councils need to beef up their refuse collection vehicles
3. Councils, in partnership with grassroots orgs & civil need to sensitise citizens on their obligations according to the solid waste management instrument
………..To be…
….continued from the previous posting.
4. A fee should be attached to the waste collection services. To ensure compliance this should be attached to the electricity bills just like the TV levy.
5. The Ward Development Committees or Area development Committees should be strengthened and given the responsibility of dispensing the WM instrument.
6. Non-compliance should be prosecuted
7. There should be unwavering political will that transcends political patronage; no sacred cows please.
8. Strict enforcement of the instruments unlike the usual lackluster approach we see that has rendered many well-meaning laws toothless.
These are my thoughts for now as a patriotic citizen. I hope Hon. Kabanshi, councils and other relevant official will pick at least one of these humble…