Solwezi Municipal Council has urged members of the public to refrain from planting maize in undesignated places like residential areas.
Council Public Relations Officer, Moses Ngosa told ZANIS in the interview today that residents should understand that maize plants are usually a hiding place for mosquitoes which make the fight to eliminate malaria difficult.
Mr. Ngosa said the residents should abide by the law to ensure that the district is malaria free and the country eliminates it by 2021.
He said according to the extermination of Mosquitoes Act, Cap 312, Section 4(1) of the law of Zambia, every owner of a building or land shall take all the prescribed measures and in addition all such other measure reasonably necessary to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in or such building or land which the local authority may by notice in writing order him to take.
Mr. Ngosa said residents should not put the local authority in position to cut down their maize because the council understands the costs involved in growing it.
He further, appealed to the residents and organizations to enter into agreements with firms which are in garbage collection business to collect garbage from their premises to avoid coming into conflict with the law.
That law is outdated. Science has shown that maize and tall grass have nothing to do with mosquitoes
Does he even realise people plant maize in residential areas to supplement their budgets? Life is very expensive for the ordinary Zambian, we have to find ways of supplementing our meagre resources… and that includes growing food in our backyards!!!!!
And which council in Zambia collects garbage?
You want people to grow marijuana instead of maize?
Council should cover potholes and clean drainages to control mosquitoes.
Very dull Council Pubic Relations officer. Maize is not a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This dull chap needs an education. If anything many residential maize growers spray maize with insecticides against army worms and other pests actually kill mosquitoes. This is why you will find that on many commercial farms there are few mosquitoes. The Act doesn’t say anything about maize so don’t intimidate people. Further why prevent our people from growing a little food at home? Is Solwezi council going to sell their luxury Suvs and buy food for their residents? Nonsense!
Why are we appointing or electing decrepit people to office or professional positions kanshi? This unfounded useless statute (like the car reflectors) was disproved way back in the mid 70s to early 80s. What is wrong with this country kanshi? Awe neo ni kaya mwe! 1diots can actually kill you!!
The council official is right. We should keep the environment free of anything that can serve as a hiding place for mosquitoes. Poverty should not be used as an excuse to break the law. We have clearly deviated from the law in the recent past. Prevention is always cheaper than waiting for a poor person to get sick because of disregarding the law.
Tell the council to first sell their luxury Suvs and use that money to buy dustbins, patch potholes and clear drainages as these are scientifically proven breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies which spread so many diseases. When they do that then we can debate the silly notion that mosquitoes breed in maize. Even in developed nations they allow gardening in residential areas now some jealous Council official feels the need to make life difficult for the people at a time when the cost of living and food is becoming harder. As a nation we will never develop until such evil chaps are removed.
I think there are more pressing issues that the council needs to deal with eg. Garbage collection and cleaning of drainages as the rainy season approaches. This man seems to have run out of ideas to make him appear in the news. Keep quiet and clean up Solwezi!