LUSAKA residents have called on all political parties who took part in the just ended general elections to start removing their campaign posters which are making the city look dirty.
Joyce Bombwe said campaign materials such as posters and flyers especially those pasted on road signs and other directional facilities were making the town look filthy.
She said now that campaigns and elections were over there was need for political parties to engage their cadres and start removing the posters around the city.
Kelvin Chambwa also said posters especially at Kafue and Kabwe roundabouts were making the city look even dirtier, stating that the local authority should move in quickly and address the issue.
Mr Chambwa said it was unfortunate that politicians were in the forefront of making the city dirty by sticking posters anyhow.
And Christopher Mulenga added that political parties must ensure that environmental protection and public safety was upheld in the course of posting or distributing electoral campaign materials.
Mr Mulenga advised political parties to abide by the guidelines of the electoral code of conduct as they removed their post-electoral campaign materials.
He said the electoral code of conduct states under article 10 (f) and (g) that political parties and candidates shall take appropriate measures to ensure environmental protection and cleanliness in the course of posting or distributing electoral campaign materials.
And under (g), the electoral code of conduct states that political parties and candidates shall remove campaign materials within 14 days of the declaration of the election results.
Meanwhile, University of Zambia lecturer Alex Ngoma said there is need for the Lusaka City Council and other municipalities to come up with a law that will compel political parties to buy advertising space for their political campaign materials unlike the indiscriminate placing of posters on traffic road signs and writing of graffiti on wall fences.
Dr Ngoma, who is a political analyst, said the political campaign period had been characterized by the indiscriminate placing of posters on road traffic signs and the writing of graffiti on wall fences and has suggested to the council to come up with a regulation that will compel political parties to be paying for placing adverts within a specified location. He said that this initiative had worked in other African countries where political parties are given advertising space within a specific time frame.
“Political parties just like everyone else should buy advertising space of their own. District and city councils must come up with a regulation so that at the end of the campaign period political parties remove their posters so that the city remains tidy.
The graffiti writings such as those which were done during the UNIP campaigns are still visible today; so my suggestion is for the council to work with the Electoral Commission of Zambia to curtail this scourge as punitive measures could be applied that will instill adherence by political parties,” he said.
Tekanya first. The case is still in court. We can remove posters 14 days after the court has made a ruling. Remember 14 days NOT including weekends.
In the first place no posters shall be allowed to be put. Candidates and parties shall put billboards, banners in the lawns of their supporters and those who are willing to let their space to the candidates. No painting of walls, no posters.
Cannot Zambia follow the cleaner and civilized way of communications as is done in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia?
@Mike Nethan: Spot on, In all future elections, we should ban these posters, they are a mess and just waste of money. if these leaders are genuine let them invest that cash in poor communities. use TV or Radio adverts not posters. even their stu.pid. Vitenges, should be stopped they bring hate in our society. SHAME ON LUNGU AND HH.
With or without posters the city is dirty. You only see posters as dirty? You fools i see dirty everywhere.
Dontcare. You should be reading. The Constitution is clear in Clause269(d). Read and understand the way days are estimated not just making noise here.
Instead of everyone coming together as a community and clean up the filth…if its useless Sunday prayers to your White Jesus you dont even think twice.
Jesus was not white. Jesus was a brown skinned Afro having man. Only Constantine tried to use that lie to blind people.
… dig deeper you will find that Constantine called for the Council of Nicea where the name Jesus was created and Christianity itself. You go and research for yourself ..instead of comforting yourself about the race of a fictitious character!!
Apart from filthy, they also provoke ‘losers’ into a rage as they serve as a constant reminder especially the burnt out ones…! Create a Peaceful environment for healing.
In South Africa political parties are fined for every poster not removed after a certain date. If you impose penalties the parties will remove the election materials and posters.
in these day and age some people continue insulting leaders,how can we survive this hate,when will some people grow up.Be reminded of what happened when people rebelled against God,it was the peace maker who suffered the anger of God
My piece of Advise to these people,go where you came from,Zambians do not insult people,any where you go we are known as peaceful and respectful.We have children to look after,we do not want war in our country,the bush is the right place for savages,the computer is for the elite.Not scavengers who insult others.The law will now catch up with those insulting others for their selfish ends
We are taking about posters taking the city dirty here,not about war you fool.stop preaching here ,insults have been there in zambia even when peace is rigid. Even you you insults ******we