GOVERNMENT has directed local authorities to add impetus to the Make Zambia Clean and Healthy campaign.
And Government says the 151 vehicles bought for constituencies for the campaign should be utilised for the intended purposes across the country.
Chief Government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili said in an interview yesterday that the campaign has not been shelved but that the programme is being strengthened by stakeholders.
Mr Kambwili, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said Government is committed to keeping the surroundings clean through improved garbage collection by councils.
He said councils should monitor and improve garbage collection to keep the surroundings clean.
“A clean environment reduces outbreak of diseases resulting in reduced health costs. Government will not spend a lot of money on health matters when the environment is clean,” he said.
Mr Kambwili said monitoring of the exercise is cardinal for the councils if they are to achieve the intended goal.
“We have observed that in rural areas the vehicles are being utilised for the intended purposes as compared to the urban areas where the vehicles are being used for other purposes,” he said.
The minister has since directed the councils in urban regions to release the vehicles to be used for cleaning and health programmes.
Meanwhile, Mr Kambwili has commended the local authorities, especially those on the Copperbelt, that have employed people to sweep the streets.
He particularly commended Luanshya, Kitwe and Chingola municipalies for sweeping the streets in the central business districts.
“We are happy with what the Copperbelt-based local authorities have done by engaging workers to work on the streets,” he said.
Mr Kambwili has urged the private sector to help in cleaning towns through their respective corporate social responsibility programmes.
Actions speak louder than words. You can not just order people to do things. We all know that government institutions function only to pay overheads, the little revenue generated is quickly diverted to patch up other short comings. You need to start hiring people with experience to turn these institutions in to fit for purpose rather than just a cash cow.
Lusaka, one a Garden City now a Garbage City.
Control your cadres selling on the streets and Zambia shall be clean. Send them back to the markets.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE STREET VENDORS ARE CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO OUR DIRT TOWNS AND YET HONOURABLE HASN’T TOUCHED ON THE ISSUE.
Just thinking.
Can we found rubbish bin big enough for him and his political associates?
Ba Kambwili I agree and disagree with at the same time. Yes the vehicles need to be used for their purpose. Some of these vehicles are on stones right now. On the other hand assuming that garbage cleaning is the panacea for our unhygienic living conditions is addressing the problem from the tail end. You’re treating outcomes not root causes. Zambians have poor hygiene practices as can be seen by open defecation, no hand washing, throwing litter out of windows and everywhere. Surely with such poor practices, you cannot clear the problem by having a vehicle. Let’s invest in behaviour change for hygiene. In addition most of the council’s haven’t prioritised public health bringing to where we are. Ever wondered why we only talk of water and not sanitation? That is indicative
#4,Behavior change is difficult to achieve as shown by behavioral change in HIV infection.The mindset change must commence early in foundational classes.Zambia ia dirty bane.
lusaka is so dirty right now its disgusting! vendors everywhere, anybody can set up ANYWHERE and start trading. how can things be let to get out of control like this?
Zambians have become very lazy. I couldn’t believe the amount of rubbish laying around in Lusaka especially. Heaps and heaps of rubbish are everywhere as if there are no educated people in the country. Zambians seem to waste their time attending useless political rallies but fail to show up when calls for everyone to turn up to clean the central business district which is now supposed to be refered to as the central rubbish & filth district.
For Zambia to be clean, first of all the vendors should move off the streets.
Just make littering expensive to those who do it; each vendor can take their rubbish. What do soldiers do? Ask them to clear and then start monitoring; who ever throws goes in for 2 weeks to clean. I was hoping Sata could have done it; but he was knackered. So Chimbwili, do it!!
Can we start by putting a price on plastic and glass so that there is a market for people to collect and sell plastic and glass.
I don’t get it! Why buy 151 vehicles to clean up communities? Would it not make sense to use the revenue spent on those cars to provide jobs for locals to actually do the cleaning? Kambwili is so daft its unbelievable. With the high prices in gas, maintenance etc. What happens if these cars break down? How much will they spend of fixing them. Mentality iya kumushi OMG! Sometimes one only needs to use their brains to come up with a reasonable solution without over spending or stealing. The reason Zambia is always borrowing. We need new innovation and fresh educated leadership with a vision. It’s sickening that we have people vomiting s*h*i*t every minute of the day because they have not been to school. President Lungu is this really what you hired in this position. Please evaluate.
Kambwili has no brains maybe he can use this idea. Start by removing street vendors off the streets, if caught fine or arrest them. For every business caught with litter outside their premises fine or close them for a week. Allocate a site for people to go take their garbage, do pickups twice a week maybe Monday and Friday. Have someone monitor the progress by hiring a local in charge and make sure they do their job, if not find someone else. Do surprise visits don’t assuming its done, the reason we are paying people to do these jobs, don’t hire friends or relatives. People caught defecating/urinating in public fine or arrest them or find some form of punishment. The government needs to be involved in environmental issues and do what its saying and not “greenwashing.” Actions talk!