70% OF LUSAKA UNPLANNED – MAYOR
Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala says 70 percent of the capital city is unplanned and that has been causing a problem for waste management.
Ms Chitangala says poor waste management is the biggest challenge that Lusaka is facing although some parts are ‘relatively clean’.
“Areas like Woodlands, Kabulonga, Roma, Kalundu [are relatively clean]. Of course, the CBD (central business district) is uncontrollable and, other parts like Kamwala trading area,” she said on a special interview on Hot FM Radio yesterday.
She revealed that Lusaka City Council is working on a proper and sustainable waste management system, hence it has a new firm, Lusaka Integrated Company, that is going to help with waste management.
“It is still at infancy stage. Sixty percent [of the company] is owned by the local authority and the other 40 percent by Ministry of Finance [and National Planning],” Ms Chitangala said.
She also pointed at some undisciplined business owners in the CBD as being proponents of illegal dumping.
So going forward, how are you going to sort out the unplanned issue? People are still building without planning approval. At the rate Lusaka is growing, you as head of local government can not have a one office planning department. Decentralise planning approval and have a mobile unit to check on illegal structures.