The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it is currently training a total of 100 council police to reinforce the current man power.
LCC public relations manager, Chanda Makanta told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the council police officers will complete their training by the end of May this year before being sent to Lilayi police training college where they will conclude their training.
Ms. Makanta said the police officers will help the council intensify its efforts in implementing the public order and nuisance act whose penalty fees government increased last year to promote sanity in the country.
She said although some sections of society have complained of the high penalty fees, the charges are meant to deter people from committing various nuisance acts in public.
Ms. Makanta also expressed concern at the negative response and attitude some members of the public have continued to show towards keeping the city clean.
She has since appealed to the members of the public to take personal responsibility over the proper disposal of litter and garbage in designated places such as bins contrary to public perception that the council is responsible for collecting litter.
And the LCC public relations manager has warned that the council will not relent in removing illegal bill boards in the city.
Ms. Makanta said LCC will continue to conduct regular operations to ensure that no illegal bill boards and posters are mounted in the city adding that some of them are an eyesore and dangerous to the public.
Meanwhile Ms. Makanta has disclosed that LCC is consulting with other town clerks across the country to standardize the tower mast taxes for mobile phone service providers in the country.
She said there is need to harmonize the taxes as each council had fixed its own tax rate in each town, a move that has raised concern among mobile phone services providers.
Mrs. Makanta added that the standardized tower mast tax rates are however expected to be concluded by mid this year after thorough consultations with other councils.
She was reacting to Celtel managing director, David Venn’s comment that his company is willing to pay the tower mast taxes once the taxes are harmonized across the country.
Indeed you need man power! But I wish to appeal to who ever is responsible with their colculm to include human rights training in their syllubus am saying so be’coz of the manner in which these same council police with ZP treat vendors when trying to clen up the city! they torture,deprive them of their machandise(properties),prolong detention without tking them to court,sexually abusing young girls selling on the street,eating food they confiscate,just to mention a few!
Yes we need sanity in our cities and public order acts must be respected at all cost,but mind that you are dealing with your fellow human beings whoz livlyhood is depndnt on the machndise you use en eat freely aftr cnfsctng
Councils need to improve the profile of their police unit.They look among the most ignorant,uninformed, poorly dressed, and least motivated in the council food chain.Equip them with appropriate tools to carry out their work effectively:e.g transport & radios.Learn from the way some some pvt security firms dress their guards.You could also expose them to other countries in the neighbourhood whose council police units are doing well.Address also the recruitment process.
Tough financial penalties is what deters people from doing nuisance acts in towns and cities. Look at Singapore. Most sickness and diseases could be eliminated or reduced if people followed strict clean rules in our towns and cities. Go and train your officers.
Chewe, I half agree with your contribution. But, that alone can never work. After, that should come after implementing other measures. Eg, proper public toilets must stategically be constructed in cities and towns. Nursery, primary, and secondary schools curricula must be amended to include and emphasise hygiene and cleanliness in bilogy or social studies. Better, still, if already these subjects are overloaded, the grz should introduce TOURISM as a standalone subject that includes all issues of hygiene and cleanliness, and health and safety. The latter will have a dual advantage as it will introduce in tourism as an independent subject which will largely contribute to the high magnitude…
…success of tourism in Zambia. This is because tourism is here to stay as compared to depreciative minerals. Pretty much the way agriculture science is taken although again I feel it is supposed to start at primary level and not as an option at secondary stage.
Councils must also be penalised for not collecting refuse in towns and compounds at least once a fortnight to balance up the situation with ordinary people. Encourage residents to plant kapinga shrubs/trees, and flowers in their yards. Its after having accomplished the above and many more that you can legislate a law to penalise for public order and nuisance.