THE floods that have affected some townships in Lusaka and other parts of the country like Southern, Eastern, Central and Western provinces should be treated with utmost urgency and the seriousness they deserve.
In our view, these floods are not only endangering the lives of the people but also destroying household goods and crop fields. We are concerned about reports that a six-month-old baby drowned after the house in which it was sleeping was flooded with rainwater during a downpour.
We are concerned that the damage to agricultural fields and household goods by the floods will subject people to more hardship, poverty and hunger in a nation that is already struggling with a high cost of living and limited job opportunities.
We are also worried that these floods will aggravate the disease burden by causing outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases in these areas.
As a country, we need to find permanent solutions to this perennial flooding in townships like Kanyama, Mandevu, Garden House, John Laing and Kamwala South.
It is regrettable that over the years, the residents of these townships have been subjected to lip service by successive governments over plans to end the perennial flooding. Administrations, both past and present, have announced intentions to improve these unplanned shanty townships and provide them with basic services, including electricity, water, sewer systems and drainages. However, there has been little to no progress in the implementation of the plans, leaving the blueprints to collect dust on the shelves or in drawers.
We recall that some residents of these flood-prone areas have in the past been relocated by government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) and given tents, bedding, food rations and other necessities; however, once the floodwaters subside, they return to their homes and their normal lives.
We are concerned that this is a drain to the country’s treasury because government continues to spend money on the same things instead of channelling resources to other needy areas. To us this is retrogressive to national development.
We agree with Citizens First (CF) president Harry Kalaba that President Hakainde Hichilema should show leadership in the face of the floods that have devastated the people of Lusaka’s sprawling Kanyama Township and other parts of the country.
Kalaba urged Hichilema to urgently declare Lusaka’s Kanyama floods a national disaster.
He urged Hichilema to cut his tourism trips abroad and attend to the serious national crises Zambians are experiencing such as floods and hunger.
According to the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), flooding is expected to continue in most parts of the country, especially over Lusaka, Southern, Eastern, Central and Western Provinces.
ZMD said it had noted a Tropical low-pressure system over the Mozambique Channel with current pressure levels of 992 Hectopascals and sustaining winds at 55 km/h.
In a statement issued in Lusaka, the department said during this period, Zambia was forecast to experience widespread rainfall.
We believe that with this timely warning from ZMD, the residents of these flood-prone areas will do well to relocate to other areas for their own health and well-being. On its part, the government has been armed with the necessary information to mount a robust exercise to relocate the residents, provide them with tents, clean drinking water, chlorine and mobile toilets to prevent a possible outbreak of cholera.
We are also of the view that this regrettable tragedy should not be politicised by either the opposition or the government because it affects the lives and well-being of the citizens. It is time for the New Dawn government to take action and leadership in this unfortunate in this natural calamity.
