Kalulushi residents fetch water from streams

NEWS

| Posted on Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

By ALEX NJOVU
KALULUSHI mayor Howard Simpemba is concerned that the persistent water shortage in the district has forced Chibuluma residents to draw water from nearby streams while others have dug shallow wells at their homes.
And Kalulushi district medical officer Mbandala Sichimba has described the water situation in Kalulushi as worrying.
Mr Simpemba said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that the erratic supply of water to Kalulushi has forced Chibuluma residents to fetch water from streams and shallow wells.
Mr Simpemba urged Chibuluma residents to be patient as government is addressing their concerns.
“We are happy that the ongoing reconstruction of the Mwambashi dam at a cost of about US$9.5 million will bring water problems in Kalulushi to an end. The project is expected to be completed in August next year,” Mr Simpemba said.
He said Nkana Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) supplies water to Kalulushi through its Bulangililo water works in Kitwe but that the supply does not go beyond eight hours a day.
Mr Simpemba said government, in partnership with key stakeholders, is working hard to ensure that the people of Kalulushi have a steady supply of clean water and better sanitation services.
He commended government for its commitment to ensuring that Zambians have access to clean water.
“The construction of the Mwambashi dam is a huge project. Houses for workers who will be operating the pumps will also be constructed in the area and the contractor is slightly ahead of schedule,” Mr Simpemba said.
He warned the residents against vandalising the water infrastructure that government is building at great cost.
And Dr Sichimba says he is happy that NWSC is actively addressing the problem.
“We don’t have any outbreak of water-borne diseases for now and we thank God for that. Our colleagues from Nkana Water are on the ground trying to address the problem,” Dr Sichimba said.
NWSC public relations manager Damaseke Chibale said the water utility company is aware of the water shortages Kalulushi residents are facing and that the company is doing everything possible to address the matter.
“We are appealing to our people in Kalulushi to be patient and we know that once the construction of the Mwambashi dam is completed, the problems we are facing will come to an end. At the moment, the people of Kalulushi are being supplied with water from Kitwe,”Mr Chibale said.
And some Kalulushi residents are happy that the reconstruction of the Mwambashi dam has started.
Henry Mabono of Location, said many people are excited that the project is underway.
“One of our major problems in Kalulushi is water. This has been a problem for many years. We all know that water is life and yet we have problems in accessing quality water and sanitation services in Kalulushi.
The problem has persisted and our only hope is in the reconstruction of the Mwambashi dam,” Mr Mabono said. / Daily Mail

Council workers go 6yrs without pay

 | Posted on Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

By ALEX NJOVU
WORKERS at Lukulu District Council have gone for a record six years without pay, making the council probably the worst affected by general revenue blues dogging local authorities around the country.
And other council workers in Isoka in Muchinga Province have also not received their monthly wages for over 30 months while those at Samfya District Council have not been paid their salaries for more than 24 months.
Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) general secretary Noah Kalangu confirmed this on Sunday.
The revenue base for councils in general has gone down drastically following the sale of councills houses in the MMD era and the removal of some functions from councils.
Mr Kalangu said council workers, especially in rural areas, are offering their services without pay.
“Council workers at Lukulu council have not been paid for over 70 months. We have just written to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to assist us in addressing this problem. In fact, most councils especially in rural areas are facing similar problems,” he said.
Mr Kalangu urged Government to fund councils so that they can meet their obligations.
He said it is important for Government to be consistent in funding councils, especially those in rural areas.
“The problem is even worse for councils which don’t have any means of enhancing their financial base. Most councils in rural areas don’t have facilities to help them improve their financial capacity,”  Mr Kalangu said.
Mr Kalangu said despite not being paid for over 70 months, council workers at Lukulu report for work daily, hoping that one day the situation will change for the better.
He, however, said it is demotivating that most ZULAWU members in rural areas have gone for many months without salaries.
Mr Kalangu commended the Patriotic Front (PF) Government for showing commitment to addressing many problems facing local authorities.
He said Government has shown willingness to resolve the financial problems that have beset councils.
“We would like to thank the PF government. We have seen commitment from them and very soon, they will start addressing these problems. They inherited these problems and they are working towards correcting the situation. We can only advise our members to be calm and patient,” Mr Kalangu said. / Daily Mail

ZCTU against illegal strikes

April 30, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor

By ALEX NJOVU
ZAMBIA Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Kitwe district chairman David Mwamba says the labour movement does not support illegal work stoppages and called on workers to desist from engaging in wildcat strikes.
Mr Mwamba said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that illegal strikes must be avoided at all costs, as they are detrimental to the development of the country.
He urged workers to follow laid down procedures to air their grievances.
“As a mother body of unions, we were saddened to see a lot of workers staging illegal strikes as soon as the Patriotic Front (PF) government came into power. We must all do our part to ensure that we increase productivity in all sectors, to enhance economic development,” he said.
Mr Mwamba said the ZCTU will continue to discourage illegal work stoppages but urged employers to ensure that they pay their workers handsomely, if they are able to.
Mr Mwamba said employers have an important part to play in curbing unnecessary work stoppages.
“Sometimes, workers are forced to down tools when key stakeholders refuse to compromise, to improve the welfare of employees.We believe that employers and employees must always enjoy cordial relations,” Mr Mwamba said.
He said the purpose of maintaining unions at work places is to foster industrial harmony and enhance productivity.
Mr Mwamba said the ZCTU will never support civil servants who agitate for illegal activities that slow down economic development.

Mine Union’s membership rift deepens

May 30, 2012 |  Local News | 

By ALEX NJOVU
THE United Mineworkers Union of Zambia (UMUZ) has accused the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) of allegedly interfering with its operations.
But MUZ acting president Charles Mukuka has accused UMUZ of having ‘stolen’ 1,000 MUZ members and that his union has nothing to do with an organisation that was ‘dubiously’ registered by the MMD government.
In an interview from Mufulira yesterday, UMUZ general-secretary Wisdom Ngwira said his union will no longer allow MUZ to interfere with its operations.
“We cannot allow these people to continue making our operations difficult. We have an agenda of contributing positively to the well-being of miners and the outlook of the mining sector. Gone are the days when they used to harass us,” Mr Ngwira said.
He said UMUZ is ready to work in harmony with MUZ and dismissed claims that the union was dubiously registered.
“Our records of registration at the Ministry of Labour are straight…procedure was followed. We will not allow anyone from MUZ to frustrate us or interfere with our work.
“We have not stolen any member from MUZ. Miners are joining us because they have seen that we have the capacity to represent them effectively. We are not thieves,” Mr Ngwira said.
He said workers have the right to belong to a union of their choice.
But Mr Mukuka said his union cannot embrace UMUZ because it has allegedly stolen over 1, 000 MUZ members.
“In fact, it is us in MUZ who are being harassed by UMUZ. They stole our members, 1, 000 members were stolen by UMUZ. We cannot embrace them in any way,” Mr Mukuka said.
Mr Mukuka said MUZ will continue working with Government to develop the mining sector.

Human skull-carrying dog stuns residents

June 22, 2012 | 

By ALEX NJOVU

A DOG stunned Luanshya’s Maposa farm block residents when it emerged from a nearby bush with a human skull.
Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo said the incident happened on Tuesday around 11:30 hours when the dog, belonging to an 80-year-old woman identified as Mandalena Kofe, emerged from a thicket with a human skull.
“We have a case where a dog was seen carrying a human skull. It was coming from a nearby bush within the settlement when it was spotted with a human skull,” Ms Tembo said.
she said officers from Luanshya Municipal Council grabbed the skull from the dog and buried it immediately.
She said police have instituted investigations into the matter.
And police in Luanshya are looking for a 20-year- old woman who allegedly abandoned her newly-born baby after delivering at Mpatamatu clinic.
Ms Tembo said Astridah Junza allegedly abandoned the baby soon after she delivered on Tuesday.
“This woman gave false information about herself and the address. She gave hospital workers wrong information about her house in Mpatamato.
“She told the workers that she had left clothes for the baby at home and when she was allowed to go and collect them, she never went back to the clinic. The baby is in an incubator because it is underweight. The baby weighed 1.9 kilogrammes at birth,” Ms Tembo said.

Market guttered

Kitwe market gutted

June 15, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor

By ALEX NJOVU
A FIRE on Wednesday morning swept through some parts of Kamitondo market in Kitwe and destroyed property worth millions of Kwacha.
Kitwe City Council chief fire officer Stanley Sichivula confirmed the incident in an interview yesterday.
Mr Sichivula said quick action by a combined team of police and fire fighters prevented the inferno from engulfing the whole market.
“The fire was restricted to a huge container of groceries and assorted merchandise. It was a disaster.  The fire started around 03:00 hours and we took about 30 minutes to put it out,” Mr Sichivula said.
He said investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of the fire.
He commended Kamitondo residents for working with fire fighters to put out the fire.
“For now, the value of the items destroyed is not known but a lot of things were destroyed,” Mr Sichivula said.
And Zambia National Marketeers Association president Elvis Nkandu said it is frustrating for traders that fires have continued to destroy their property in markets.
Mr Nkandu said government should build permanent structures at markets to prevent loss of property.
“We are saddened with what happened at Kamitondo market in Kitwe. It is a sad story.  Our friends lost a lot of valuables through the fire.
We are just hoping that something can be done to address the issue
once and for all,” Mr Nkandu said.