to Hotel Edinburgh in Kitwe’s Central Business District covered with
leaves from overgrown tree branches.
THE Kitwe City Council (KCC) has expressed displeasure at ZESCO’s decision to install prepaid meter’s on traffic and street lights without consulting the local authority.
Kitwe Mayor Chileshe Bweupe said it was disappointing that ZESCO had implemented the decision to install prepared meter’s on such facilities without consulting other stakeholders.
Mr Bweupe said during a council meeting that several traffic and street lights where ZESCO had installed the prepaid meters were not in operational due to lack of re-charge.
He said the situation had caused serious traffic congestion on most roads.
“Why should ZESCO decide to install prepaid meters on traffic and street lights without consulting the local authority who are supposed to come up with the plan on who will be recharging the meters,” asked Mr Bweupe.
And Town Clerk Bornwell Luanga said ZESCO had installed prepaid meters on some street lights and that the local authority would discuss the issue with ZESCO management to see how best it could be addressed.
Mr Luanga wondered why ZESCO had only decided to install prepaid meters on the Copper belt province when it was not the case in other areas.
“We wonder why it is only on the Copperbelt province, we inquired and discovered that it is not the case in Lusaka and Livingstone,” he said.
But ZESCO spokesperson Henry Kapata said the company had embarked on a countrywide exercise to install prepaid meters on streetlights but not on traffic lights.
Mr Kapata said ZESCO needed to generate income, maintain their generators and other equipment’s
Just pay up your bills, it does not matter whether the same system is being used in Lusaka or Livingstone. Who knows what arrangements those two cities have with Zesco. Thats one of the reasons Zesco doesnt do very well because all these govt institutions not paying taxes but they are so quick to make sure that Zesco pays for registration on all their vehicles, Zesco pays for water bills etc
You have got to be shxxting me! Only in Zambia
The world over is using Light Dependant Resistance (LDRs). Why not use solar power in a poor country like Zambia?
The money can be channeled to improving and implementing the deteriorated synergy services in the country. Continuously load shedding is a menace to the development of the this country.
With all the vast array of rivers, lakes and falls but we the majority of citizens have no access to clean water.
What will happen if the prepaid card runs out of units in a middle of congested traffic?
Solar energy is what the world is at, not prepaid cards which can run out of credit whilst people are cooking or are on the traffic lights.
Totally disagree with the move regardless, the government must learn to pay their bills on time. What’s is the purpose of paying for car registration?
When the council send sheriffs to its clients’ homes they don’t take any explanation. They are ruthless and heartless. Now it’s their time to pay they cry the loudest.
Kitwe and other cities must be smart. They should start setting up Solar powerd traffic lights and street lights if they are really worthy the name “city managers”!!
Thats my city go Kitwe! whos been to this great town recently? with all the new smooth roads and infrastructre and a hardworking city council Kitwes becoming like a small English town. Just like Livingstone, pure good workmanship and goodwill from the local authority. Now come to Lusaka and you’ll dirty everywhere what do you expect with ka (HH) THROWING CATTLE LITTER ALL OVER THE PLACE. Kudos!
That litter is from he who walks with a mobile toilet in his suits. Once full, trouble maningi.
Both MK and mwanawanga are RETARDS!!!
That’s good for Zesco,Even police houses too should be installed with prepaid in order to make more money in Zesco’s pockets not only police traffic’s pockets. Police /Teachers are getting enough salaries to manage to pay prepaid.
Does State House have a pre-paid meter?
Why are the councils always wining about such things. Councils have so many ways of making money within their jurisdictions. How about charging for parking? They can even tax money changers, street vendors who do not have licenses, charge dirty residential areas as was the case in the colonial days, charge people mining free river and pit sand, the list is endless. Most of these council officials are in these offices for their own benefit without doing anything for their councils!
Yes but the money goes to central govt,most of the councils are not yet decentralized.
Kudos sta nyo k o
HH has surprised you and your id.i.o.t Sata that’s why you mention his name in $hits.you are a mad dog.
Too bad,the council is worried because those traffic lights will be switching off from time to time.
Hahaha, free issues ever get abused. Get them pay, I know institution like the council get subsidised charges and they should just pay. Free issues make people take things for granted. Sit up, council. There comes a true electricity usage bill, next is power cut if you do not pay. Watch out for that none functioning traffic lights due to power cut.
Is Zesco also paying for ground rates for each pole? If not the council should also start charging as well.
nice!
Ituntwe, that is how to think! Let Kitwe city council also charge ZESCO for all the erected transmission poles in the city of Kitwe!
KITWE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD JUST INSTALL SOLAR POWERED STREET AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS.
Chimwemwe has already installed but not effective.
Surely if you pay you shouldn’t cry as loud as you have Mr Mayor.Prioritize you payments to the necessary and important issues,you don’t expect to accumulate huge bills and late them remain unsettled for a long time.Start raising revenue from those street vendors,pirate taxis e.t.c
Problem people like vama hala, just pay, we all do
Govt instructed Zesco to meter all street lights in the country Livingstone here three streets are already on metered.Councils should find ways on increasing revenue collection and reduced expenditure especially the town clerk’s office.But the cost or commencial rates are not friendly I should say its about k150 per 20 poles per five days.
Only in Zambia. ..if this was anywhere else Zesco would be challenged in court for endangering the lives of motorists.
Charge zesco ground rate for each pole ,and that will solve the problem
instead of complaining they should look for other altenatives sources like the Kaal-Masten solar lamp posts:
*****
COUNCIL JUST FIND YOUR OWN WAY OF GENERATING POWER. SOLAR SOLUTIONS WITH DAYLIGHT CHARGING SHOULD WORK. OTHERWISE KAPATA WANTS TO WIRE THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A NAME.
HOW COME ALL OF A SUDDEN ZESCO HAS A LOT TO SAY JUST BECAUSE OF KAPATA.
ITS NOT THE COUNCIL WILL FEEL THE PINCH BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC INCLUDING YOUR SELVES.
Zambia can still make more money to sustain even ZESCO from our minerals like copper. full stop.
With all the Zambian sun why should the city council rely on Zesco power? Lack of thinking because of unqualified family tree employees with no proper qualifications. Use solar power for your street lighting & traffic lights or robots as we call it in Zambia.
Lets not pretend please, u mean ZESCO from planning stage, procurement till installation never Consulted U , IF U HAVE NOTHING TO SAY JUST KEEP YOU TAIL UNDER THE LEGS
ZESCO should explain the economic concept behind charging for street lights, there is need to maintain a balance between private and public goods if you are to protect citizens.
This is a good move so that the careless council PAYs for what they are USING
This is irresponsible and ridiculous on the part of ZESCO. Let the council leave the traffic lights near ZESCO office off to let them see how stupid they are.
That will teach the arogant ZESCO bosses a lesson! LOL!
Kitwe city council why not use solar power?…simple!
This is some funny sh8..really? Only in Zambia..
already stated by someone else and more eloquently.
if you expect people to read you posts, why not read theirs first?
You need to reply to the actual comment you assume has been repeated, then it will be clear. As it is, you are just talking to yourself.
So what’s the point of paying road tax may I ask?
Ba LT takwaba ati equipments it is just EQUIPMENT
We can cut right through the BS and install solar street and traffic lights #just a thought
Oh yeah, sure we can since there is sunlight 24 hours per day.
It shall be made criminal to avail any facility and not to pay for it. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Town Clerks shall be personally responsible for payment of all creditors. President, Minister in-charge of the ministry, PS, deputy PS and accountant shall be personally responsible for all services and supplies they order and in case of non-payment as per Purchase order, all of them shall go inside the Jail, without exception.
Same shall apply to private sector. Zambia will become a disciplined country overnight. And the courts for such offences shall be called Financial Courts and headed by ZICA Members and not by lawyers. No legal procedures but simple informal presentation of proofs of supplies and non-payment by the receiver.
Zambians are the worst when it comes to paying their bills…
aahwhe not all zambians, pehaps yourself!
You should be happy that ZESCO has done that; it is good for your own management and will help you prioritize. Devolution of powers means you should be able to manage yourselves adequately as much as you collect money from people. When those lights go off, the people will know that you are not paying bills while you are busy collecting money from them. Paying ZESCO bills is not issue that you can even bring to the public as to who will be ‘charging’ those metres. It only takes a phone call to charge, if you dont know ask your accountant you criminal