Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Garry Nkombo says the Mobile money booths have been relocated by the City Council to a more designated trading place which will create less challenges in terms of cleanliness and order in the Central Business District (CBD).
Speaking during the HOT FM Hot Seat Programme, Mr Nkombo highlighted that Mobile Network providers such as Airtel, MTN, Zamtel, ZANACO and all those that have booths have been engaged to discuss with them how they must not only look at the Bank balance at the end of the month, but they must help and assist in the process of ensuring sanity in their industry is attained.
Mr Nkombo clarified that the relocation of mobile money booths from places such as Cairo Road, Chachacha Road, Freedomway and other places around Lusaka is not because of the African Union Summit but the exercise was conducted to keep the city clean and maintain sanity.
He said that Lusaka is a pioneer for this exercise as the relocation of mobile money booths will be conducted country wide to bring back sanity and order and a signal has already been sent to the Councils.
Mr Nkombo noted that having an opportunity to take part in the cleaning exercise after the removal of booths, his experience was extremely reviewing and sadly so the revelation was that faecal matter was found in Nairobi place an area between Wood Gate House and Kafue House in Cairo Road as the entire place was smelling of urine.
“I am not accusing the mobile money operators to be the ones who were leaving the faecal matter,” he said
He added that the Central Business District is stressed in terms of sanitary facilities and part of what we are doing is to shift all the booths that were around the CBD to the land that interfaces between the CBD and the Zambia Railway land from the Main Post Office all the way to Findeco House and in the process of that the Council should create an ablution block for ladies, gents and the disabled.
“Where do you draw the pride from because it is always said that cleanliness is next to Godliness and charity begins at home,” he said
Mr Nkombo explained the need to usher back the power that confers the authority to the Local Authorities to be the ones managing these booths as against political party carders doing that.
“The Council have been collecting Five Kwacha from all the booths thereby appearing to be giving them legitimacy of existence,” he said
He said that at the time of the transfer of power, some of the carders within the political party where he belongs decided to jump onto the bandwagon to partner with those who were doing wrong and this issue should not be viewed as a matter of dealing with the Patriotic Front (PF) but to deal with carderism altogether.
He added that when President Hakkainde Hichilema took office, one of the pledges that he made to the Zambian people was that the authority should go back to what the Constitution permits, and there will be no carderism in the markets and bus stations.
Furthermore, schemes of this nature are still happening and the Local Authority is trying its best to ensure that regardless of which political party one belongs to, the issue of carderism is something that must be stopped as quickly as possible.
I think these booths became an eyesore and Mobile Companies who benefit from such should equally be held accountable or should be the ones building ablution blocks
That’s why all civilized societies first plan b4 doing anything. You just don’t allow booths mushrooming on every space. Equally you just don’t start destroying them. Chimbwi no planning is every where in Zed
Garry the cdf thief. Law will catch up with you soon. 2026 you will be moved back to mazabuka
Most concerned people are talking about engagement as opposed to bulldozing matters. You are dealing with people not animals.
It’s important as a leader to engage the people you lead especially if you make decisions that affect them. The senseless destruction of booths that we saw can’t be classified as a relocation. Whatever your explanation the damage has already been done and some of the affected people no longer look at you the same way they did when they cast their votes for you. Those days when authorities used to operate bulldozers in the wee hours are long gone. Are you going to compensate them for their damaged booths? While we support you for trying to bring sanity to the City we don’t agree with your approach. People deserve better. Always talk to people, otherwise you’ll have difficulties to engage them at election time and vultures will take advantage of these mistakes
Ayatollah, most of these booths were illegal structures on other people’s property. What are you talking about engage with them.
The president is ensuring action is taken, particularly after visiting Rwanda and seeing that Kigali, an African city is not a stinking hole like Lusaka.
That must have been so embarrassing.
Let rwanda be rwanda and ZAMBIA be ZAMBIA. Do we have to live like others. Don’t support blindly.
Deja Vu and your kind stop lying.. If it had been stated that he wants Lusaka to be like London you would have been drooling and heaping praise on his project but just because it is another African city that is being cited you are viewing that with disdain. The truth is Kigali is far ahead of Lusaka and there is no shame in emulATING ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE aFRICAN CITY. bE PROUD OF YOUR RACE!
Build more public toilets kabili!!!..and i thought any Zambian was free to own a booth with all the proviso’s met! yaaa ba Garry Nabo….Hands on yes, but do thorough home work first.!!
I rest my case.
Government of lies….is that how you relocate people….you were damaged their properties and trying to do damage control…chipante pante Government
All well meaning citizens must support this exercise…. the plan to relocate the booths to a more suitable trading area which will be serviced with ablutions etc,is the way to go….I get the feeling PF cadres and their cohorts really went out of the way to twist the truth in this matter.Shame on those tuma fake politicians who are trying to make political capital out of a well thought out plan…..
Let us all embrace the clean city policy for that is the only way we will be able to attract tourists and investors to our country.
#4, All booths have a business permit issued by the council which falls under Garry’s Ministry. So what’s illegal about them? Leadership is about guiding people. You can only guide when you engage. What prompted Garry to wake up in the night and begin to demolish booths? I don’t think he planned to do it that’s why he’s changing positions
About those dreadful mobile booths – good move. I really don’t see how setting up store anywhere & everywhere, can be alright for any nation. Of course, it’s one’s right to earn a living by selling stuff. However, you cannot do this wherever you fancy – It’s hazardous to health and unsightly. Where are the toilets for these traders?? This is intolerable! Cities and towns in Zambia are full of impromptu trading stalls wherever one looks! There are no green areas any more. In Lusaka city, you are more like to see drifting litter than plants. Islands that used to run along roads – separating houses from traffic, are now built up with structures for trading stuff! There is no control. We shouldn’t have to live in squalid conditions just because a few people refuse to live by rules…
Perhaps bwana Garry would say something about toilets too, seeing as that’s his jurisdiction as well. In opposition i for one thought “here are leaders we need” alas pamu pando, the man is like a headless chicken. Seems prone to “solving one problem while creating another,,,,!! and purpoting to be hardworking in the mean while.
I rest my case
Cont., – The problem has festered and become normalised because politicians of consecutive governments have looked the other way; even encouraged this for the sake of getting votes. It’s not right.
#plant a tree please.
i believe and understand were these booths have been taken, in the car park behind the post office and same in the car park at findeco house.( CAR PARKS ) which get flooded when it rains . the man talked about finding fecal maters that is done by the boys and girls who sleep in the streets and why leave tomato, beer( cachasu ), salaula, nsima, fruite, car dealers public buses and michiners on the streets on to go for booth which are said they were allocated by PF carders. if you want to see dulty you will see it were the booths have been taken those booths are now going to became toilets for the streets kids and those around
Ati there is freedom of speech and when people express themselves you are done for defamation.The people are angry bwana minister but there are scared to speak and the people who spoke for them in PF days have been compensated with jobs .
Perhaps bwana Garry would say something about toilets too, seeing as that’s his jurisdiction as well. In opposition i for one thought “here are leaders we need” alas pamu pando, the man is like a headless chicken. Seems prone to “solving one problem while creating another,,,,!! and purpoting to be hardworking in the mean while.
I rest my case
What about the booths in other areas in the country? They’re an eyesore everywhere, not only in Lusaka CBD
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