Minister of health and chairperson of the inter-ministerial Committee formed to fight the Cholera outbreak has announced that public schools are free to open from 23rd January 2018. This follows the reduced cases of new cholera infections that have been reported in the past three days. International and private schools will be free to open from the 16th January subject to passing health inspections and being certified by Public health department, stated Dr. Chitalu Chilufya.
At the same press briefing, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale has announced that local markets will also be free to re-open from today after being certified by health inspectors. The market committees have also been enhanced with putting in place “market health committees” that will ensure that health inspections are passed and that standards are upheld. Mwale announced that health inspections will continue and that those markets that fall in health standards risk being closed again.
Mwale further announced that Kabwata market passed the health test and has already re-opened as of yesterday morning despite the authorities having expected the market to re-open from today. Other markets given a go ahead to open includes Libala market, Mwamba Luchembe market etc and that more would be made public in due course.
Meanwhile, health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya stated that the local inter-sectorial team should be commended for the work done so far without hiring any external experts to combat the outbreak. The minister said that he is confident that the fight against the Cholera outbreak will be won by the local team of expert, government and business community.
He said that long term measures such as the provision of clean drinking water to all informal settlement will go ahead so that this historical problem is solved once’s and for all. The contracts that have been initiated for construction of water reticulation systems will go ahead.
The water and Sewerage companies have lagged behind other utilities such as Zesco that has been able to provide electricity even in the so called informal settlements. In this case, the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company has been unable to supply clean water even in places were the tenants are able to pay for capital construction works, a scenario that beings into question the motives and competence of the water utilities.
Zambians have ended up hiring and paying borehole drilling companies due to inertia of water utilities across the country. The issue now is that borehole and underground water is heavily contaminated and has become unsafe due to increased construction of septic tanks or underground faecal waste disposal again due to failure to construct Sewerage lines by the same water utility companies.
The National Water and Sanitation Council NWASCO, the Regulatory wing of government is one institution that despite this outbreak, has remained in the sidelines, binding and not taking its fair share of their failed responsibilities. It’s NWASCO regulatory policies and price setting responsibilities that have been failing to lead the nation to securing clean and safe drinking water and property Sewerage and sanitation services for both urban and rural Zambians
Kanyama riot has proved to be effective.
@ the real Farmer. It’s not the riot that has caused all this. The minister must be out of touch with reality. LWSC has failed to provide water even in areas with a well reticulation system like Cheston, northmead,avondale justvto mention a few. Water is always rationed. Some areas only receive water for 30 minutes a day.please tell us how the same that has failed will manage to put piped water in so called shanty compounds. These are what are called pronouncements. Let’s set realistic targets and not fantasy.
COMESA market is an eye sore and a source of huge amounts of garbage which in most cases remains uncollected eventually blocking drainages. The market structures are such a sorry sight. Opposite the street we have beautiful carousel shopping mall and right across the road a dump site for a market. Sh!thole!
what a bunch of lazy tw***
PLEASE WHY PF HAS FIRED Hon TUTWA NGULUBE IS BEYOND MY UNDERSTANDING, CAN THE DECISION BE REVERESD?
rubbish.was it really cholera or it was just another scam disguised in cholera.who is questioning about how the vaccines were procured and at hw much?
This is a disjointed report… Not clear who condemned NWASCO for “failing to lead the nation to securing clean and safe drinking water and property Sewerage and sanitation services for both urban and rural Zambians”!
The response by the interministerial team needs to be commended. What is needed now is to make sure that hygiene standards are upped and maintained everywhere and all the time.
so called water sewerage you failed the all Zambia. you caused of cholera. rubbish don’t kill as
God is great by withholding the rain during this cholera trying period. It would have been impossible to clean up the drains during cholera. Now I hear that one misguided religious minister with the approval of Mr Koswe of cause, has called for national prayers for rains and cholera. Please Zambians do not use the name of the Lord in vane. Cholera is not a natural calamity but results from filth caused by negligence of hygiene standards. Prayers will be called for pastors for Lungu to make money.
Then cases go up and you close schools? 30 January was okay to give room for error and the unforeseen.
Kuwayawayafye.
@Victorialfalls-I don’t see your argument against the real farmer holding any water. You shud have just made your point without attaching to the one of real farmer.
Meanwhile, interministerial committee shud tell the nation on how they will give clean water to people especially that they fail to provide even dirty water to alot of places in Lusaka after over 50yrs of independence
I totally agree with MMM, this is not the right time to think cholera has been contained. It has not not been raining, wait for the rains and see how it will be.
They 21 trucks of Mukula trees which were released from chilanga police shud fund the Lusaka clean up and market reconstructions
This govt is vry consistent with their inconsistency. Is it nt the same govt that said the decision to reopen schools will only be reviewed on 30th January 2018? Is today 30th? Wats really wrong wit these guys? Too much hallucination!!!!
@Lussacs;why do you always want to look wise when infact you are very dull?look, if a patient is admited in the hospital and on first day a medical doctor says he or she can only discharged from the hospital after one month,but after few days, a patient recovers,should the hospital keep a person who has recovered until after a month as the doctor predicted?no!!same here,the cholera outbreak is now under control,quicker before 30th January.so why should things remain on standstil when cholera cases have drastically reduced in Lusaka or Zambia?LEARN TO KEEP QUIET ON ISSUES YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WELL!!
Fi upnd you really irritate!!
Am glad u hv seen sense in th nonsense i posted. Now if th doc says wil continu to monitor th patient for th nxt one week and u xcuse th patient frm som say physical wrks and on day two u find th condtn has improved, do u send them to their normal duties b4 th stated monitoring period is over? Th anser is NO. Pliz do not label evry independent mind as belonging to dt or this political party, dts only common wit retrogressive thinkers n dont prove dt u’r one of them.
@Njimbu. Am glad u hv seen sense in th nonsense i posted. Now if th doc says wil continu to monitor th patient for th nxt one week and u xcuse th patient frm som say physical wrks and on day two u find th condtn has improved, do u send them to their normal duties b4 th stated monitoring period is over? Th anser is NO. Pliz do not label evry independent mind as belonging to dt or this political party, dts only common wit retrogressive thinkers n dont prove dt u’r one of them.
Waaaat ndrama tinamwela hoping to find before the 30th….safety kwisunga wemwine…..my children will only report after they last case is cleared.
Government told us that the cholera situation was going to be reviewed by the 30th of January after which an announcement was going to be made about when schools were to be reopened. Dr. Chitalu Chilufya is not Minister of General Education. Who gave him authority to make that announcement? Parents have been planning to send their children to school after 30th January. This is confusion!
Meanwhile reading all the postings and I shall make the summary of all the comments after weighing the facts from either writers. Continue posting Guys!
Pay everyone on 18th,or else 30th January still stands
Drama! Most of us wont be able to send children to school before 30th. This total confusion.
It’s strange who makes these decisions. A week earlier it was schools closed indefinatly. Then schools will be opened in a week , who does that. Was this just a ploy to focus attention of public from mukula and kalabas resignation while toll gate and CDF money was being looted. Surely minister of education should be making these announcements…and would ve made sense to open first week of February. Anyways.
HOPE AND TRUST THAT WE SHAL GET PAID BEFORE 22ND BECAUSE WE HARD PLANNED FOR IT FOR 30TH AS ANNOUNCED BY GOVERNMENT EARLIER.