The opposition Green Party has warned that some buildings in Lusaka such as the Energy Regulation Board Headquarters, National Prosecutions Authority and the refurbished Society House are potential fire hazards.
Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has since advised the National Council for Construction to investigate the Aluminium Composite Rainscreen Cladding which he said is being used in constructing such structures.
“As the Green Party, we believe Zambia lacks capability to quench such fires. So, the best way out is to take precautionary measures now instead of waiting for a fire disaster to occur. The Zambia Construction Council should move in to test the susceptibility of the cladding to fires and possibly ban use of such materials, if found risky,” he said.
“We believe that with poor firefighting capabilities in all cities across the country, it is high time that the National Construction Council rethinks use of aluminium composite rainscreen cladding which is used in part to improve the appearance of the buildings.”
Mr Sinkamba said the Ministry of Justice, National Prosecution Authority, Energy Regulation Board Head Office, the refurbished Society House, are among several buildings in Lusaka and elsewhere in the country where aluminium composite rainscreen cladding has been used to improve the appearance of building.
“The Grenfell Tower fire disaster, which swept through a 24-storey, 67m high tower block flats in North Kensington, west London, and resulted in at least 79 fatalities and over 70 injuries On 14 June, 2017, must be an eye opener for Zambian construction authorities,” he warned.
He said external cladding was cited as a possible cause of the rapid spread of the Grenfell Tower fire adding that experts said the gap between the cladding and the insulation worked like a chimney to spread the fire.
“The cladding could be seen burning and melting, causing additional speculation that it was not made of fire-resistant material. The cladding went up in flames like matches,” he said.
Nonsense.
Zambia is more clever than the inferno that happened in uk.
Ignore this statement that undermines president Lungu.
Thanks
Bb2014,2016
It is better to take heed to warnings than pay the price later.Zambia’s fire fighting capabilities are pathetic so regulators should do their job and make sure we don’t use highly flammable materials.Our problem is we have people in offices who just live for workshops and allowances.
It is not a very good thing to draw comparisons between countries for a number of reasons.
The buildings in UK have the extra layer of some form of insulation meant to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer and also act as a fire retardant.
The buildings in zambia do not face that extreme contrast in weather its just hot.
I doubt if it has any padding at all. In the case of Kensington fire its the padding that caught fire not the aluminium panels.
So before we alarm the nation find out what is the padding inside if any. Then after that subject it to independent fire testing and share the results.
Some misfortunes happen elsewhere so that wise people elsewhere can check themselves. Peter Sinkamba wants Zambia to check how safe our buildings are period. #1Mushota do not politicize anything you read about Zambia.
Some misfortunes happen elsewhere so that wise people elsewhere can check themselves. Peter Sinkamba wants Zambia to check how safe our buildings are.
You forget that you diss Zambia everyday displaying your inferiority complex for Britons. Now you want to say the opposite you rabblerouser? A PhD holder would remember what he said before and would be consistent
Sinkamba is a potential drug hazard.
How is this even headline news? Simple, brainless opinion of an individual. Sinkamba is not even using facts. Merely trying to ride on the Grenfell tragedy.
Concentrate on ganja farming initiatives red linso
Skull bonker has spoken
zzra building need republished.
Your brain needs refurbishment, what kind of incorrigible gibe is this that you spin day in day out…!
Good observation. Do we even have a Health, Safety and Environmental Construction Regulation in Zambia? At the moment i suspect there is only the Factories Act that is being used for Safety and Health related matters. Peter, such issues would have been more robustly handled if the country had a specific Act of Parliament that deals with Occupational Health and Safety Regulatory issues in the Construction sphere. At the moment its not very clear as personally have never come across Construction Regulations specific to buildings and roads construction. Please do not compare Construction Regulations to Construction Specifications!!!
PETER is raising issues that matter and the twat from Glasgow as usual has to say something to trivialise an important issue. If you got nothing to say look the f’ away. Twat!
We build using traditional materials. Most of these plastic cladding materials used in the UK are as a result of the massive recycling from disposable polymers.
Bricks do not burn easily and cladding in the UK is essential for the thermal qualities. Zambia has one of the best weather in the world with the only weather adverse to the most being thunderous rain storms.
Kudos a skull has a brain ? Thats why your postings lack substance or reasoning .look in the mirror. Oops forgot you can’t see either
Mr sinkamba should be recommended for his timely advice only a fool and non patriot Zambian will condemn him. Bushe! Who is this shallow minded mushota who always thinks negatively. I know it’s Amos chanda using mushota ‘s name as cover up. Please, don’t charge him for sabotage if in future one of these buildings caught fire because he is speaking from facts. The police in zambia are sometimes funny because they can set a trap like they did to H.H. And penalize sinkamba should one of the buildings he had mentioned got fire.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I listen to Sinkamba is how much weed did he smoke before producing this statement? It becames very difficult for me to take him serious.
Sikamba has made a valid point but one thing he should be aware of is the buildings in Zambia are not highrise like Greenfell Tower which was 24 stories and was residential accomodation type meaning longer evacuation times compared to the buildings in Zambia which are not even 5 stories and are commerical buildings. These buildings probably have sprinkler systems installed to extinguish the fire.
No. Zambia has skyscraping Buildings such as society house which has twice caught fire and our fire brigade was helpless. We need capacity in the fire fighting depts
Green “Ichamba” Party.
Though they are still investigating in UK, we need to take heed and put up corrective action.
Mr Sinkamba is one of the few Zambians who is analytical to issues. I think is a great guy. Zambians like swimming in ignorance and poverty of knowledge over and above wealth.
@1 & 2, you make me laugh despite the presence of the irritating empty UPNDonkeys……kikikikikiki
You are laughing because they fingered your arse?
Ganja can make u spin indeed. Even spining the thinking – what a shame. Chamba mdala kusiyila bafana!
Even UK could not contain that fire so dont say we have no capacity because fire is fire. Also copying stories from elsewhere is being dull – its like plagiarism. Come up with your analysis of Zambian situation not kukopa kubazungu thats being dull and ubuchikopo.
Kudos to James Buga. You are well versed and understand architectural and engineering science. I would have like other bloggers to have had a clue of architectural engineering than blushing with their comments. Sheer ignorance,looks like cancerous comments, most bloggers. cheers once more for the great explanation.