Lusaka City Council (LCC) has bemoaned the high incidences of damage and theft to the newly installed solar traffic light poles and fittings by some motorists and individuals.
In a statement released to the media, LCC Public Relations Manager George Sichimba said in the month of July, 2020 the Council recorded 11 incidences of damage, out of which seven (7) were incidences of motorists hitting into traffic light poles and four were theft of fittings.
“This unfortunate scenario is leading to solar traffic lights not working at full capacity,” Mr Sichimba added.
“The damage and theft incidences are rampant along Lumumba and Mungwi Roads.”
Mr Sichimba disclosed that the hit and run of the 3.5 meter traffic light poles by some irresponsible motorists is giving rise to theft of components as thieves are taking advantage of the situation.
He said in other incidences, some unscrupulous people are simply stealing components for personal gains.
“These irresponsible acts are a drawback to the road infrastructure development in the city,” Mr Sichimba said.
He charged that Government is spending colossal sums of money in road infrastructure in the city but enemies of development are busy frustrating the efforts.
Meanwhile, the local authority is appealing to motorists to be taking responsibility when they hit into a traffic or street light pole by reporting to the police or Council.
Mr Sichimba said that prompt reporting of such incidences will help the Council to quickly move in and secure the damaged installations before thieves pounce on them.
He stated that individuals who are in a habit of stealing solar traffic light components should be warned that it will not be long before the law catches up with them as surveillance has been heightened.
And LCC is calling upon members of the public to be vigilant and report to Police or Council, all those found tempering with road furniture in particular and public installations in general.
Pretty sure some of those missing solar lights are at Lusambo’s house. PF thugs they even still breast milk from their own wives.
It is not Lusaka city council to offer security to public roads, it is Lusaka Minister incharge. Anyway even minister Lusambo don’t know his job description. Deploy soldiers to guard those projects. Fyakula, ubushiku fyaiba again.
And LCC is calling upon members of the public to be vigilant and report to Police or Council, all those found tempering with road furniture in particular and public installations in general.
Which Police Station will listen to you having witnessed these thefts? The story should have read: And LCC is calling upon Dora Siliya and Bowman Lusambo to be vigilant and report to Police or Council, all those found tempering with road furniture in particular and public installations in general. These are the only people Zambia police will listen to.
These guys should engage good architects for such infrastructure. This is sooooo outdated and ugly
PRICE OF CEMENT IS INCREASING EVERY DAY, WHY ARE NOT REPORTING ON THESE ISSUES.
SHOULD IT BE PF THAT UPND THAT ALL THE TIME.
SOME PEOPLE ARE STEALING FROM INNOCENT BUYERS BY OVERPRICING COMMODITIES.
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY.
CCTV cameras could help you secure the development.
why not install cctv in the CBD area and other major roads? in the 21st century we are still crying about annonymous cadres yet we could be capturing on cctv when they misbehave.
Where’s Zambia Police?
Hunting for citizens who are criticising Lungu. Zambia Police only work when a minister tells them to arrest someone.
They only wait for someone to report a crime but can’t prevent crime. Reactive and not proactive. Even when reports there’s no guarantee…
@GUNDIXY maybe they are scared that once cctv is installed in public places, that will be the end of the famous annonymous cadres.
Thats what happens when everything is flat packaged from the country giving loan to be assembled in Zambia.
Poorly constructed, does not come any closer to European especially UK standard. Corrupt attitudes compromise high standards.
Shame i remember when people were stealing plastic reflectors along Kafue road in early 2000( road markings)….and thats the difference between the Western world and Africa….we still almost anything even things we dont need….or have any use…thieving mentality
Its a vicious cycle! Even those CCTV cameras will be stolen or hit into. In a more broader sense, as a country we are paying a price for leaving people behind economically. Govt is giving contracts to foreigners and leaving its citizens in squalor and despair.
There are some people in our beloved country who always want to see whatever infrastructure development government puts up develop problems soon so they can always say it was poor workmanship done at high cost and point to corruption. These are the same people behind this vandalism.
We have too many people giving problems rather than solutions in this government. If someone hits a lamp post charge them for two including the installation fee. You could also start installing CCV on these roads and have a command and control post where traffic cops could be monitoring bad drivers. The gradient for that flayover is suspect anyway. Soon you will see cars flying off that thing.
It all starts with poor planning!
Did you do a Risk assessment before embarking on this project?
I am sure you are aware that Solar batteries are on high demand because of ZESCO Failure to end loadshedding. If there was no loadshedding, no one would see any value in stealing those things. Instead of investing in Solar power plants, we are busy with cosmetics. It would be interesting to know how much has gone into this non-productive venture. How much will these solar lights add to GDP? Did we do a Cost-benefit analysis or it’s all about winning 2021?
Tarino what has theft got to do with it ? So if they were sourced from your grandfathers village then they wouldn’t have been stolen? You upnd chaps can politicise things. Even where no politics are involved ati n.y.o n.y.o
Sorry I don’t respond to silly impostors
This disease is typically Zambian. You dont see such vandalism in any other country, even in Africa such vandalism is unseen. It seems Zambians are used to living in squalor and dirty surroundings. All you hear is “boma iyanganepo”. Very frustrating and sometimes you feel embarassed to be Zambian.
Ala imwe the fly over bridge is looking fantabulous. I was not driving to anywhere but just took a drive there to enjoy the development of this government. The road is smooth. Diaspora slowly there will be no difference between infrastructure here and those countries you ran away to
Yeah, as someone has already mentioned, this is what happens when you want to develop infrastructure only, and not people. Have you noted most thefts are around compounds? People have no money. And no power. Seems to me a poor zambian would think stealing a solar street light is a good idea. Sell it for parts or use it at home. Point is, its not political. It’ll keep happening unless you invest in people’s employment and wellbeing first. It is your misplaced priorities.
Get the Subways going iwe KZ. That is the best way to decongest. Kuno kwali yendelela boss, that is just a drop in the bucket but progress at reast lol. My Copperbelt pronounciation PF least.
Agony is sitting in your council flat in the UK farting whilst pretending to drive around Lusaka in a New Jeep without mentioning where to…surely how low can a scum bag get!!
is this mediocracy substandard outdated flyover to be commissioned by head of state. Zambia is so backward in terms of infrastructure design,
whoever designed this is a m.o,r,on just waste of taxi payers money.50 years after independence sure kwena we still lanquishing in poverty mentality corrupt leadership ba swaini.
“Muli ba kwebe kwebe ba shinga manyela ba swaini” lamented the late musician Spokes Chola
Charity begins at home. Many of us were brought up as vandals and thieves. We never stop even when we grow up and become leaders. Reckless driving. Drink driving. With a population of only 17 million, and fewer cars than other countries, we have a very high accident rate per car ownership. Kaizer Zulu can testify to this fact.
what they know is just thieving. Nostradamus, you made me laugh. What a befitting description of these SERIAL THIEVES. Ati they even steal breast milk from their wives. The R.A,T.S. have seen your comment.
They can steal nappies from their new born baby to sell on Salaula
‘Infrastructure development’ funded by debt and most of which is cosmetic, will attract such thefts because it does not run side by side with actual human development that includes an environment that provides the basics to health, education, production and jobs for the locals. In many a country without proper economic planning, such structures have ended up as white elephants – with hungry mouths sitting beside them and wondering what all the fanfare was about. It’s not automatic that such structures ‘stimulate’ economic development – there is parallel thinking and planning linked to the same that is involved. If you have no local industries that produce from local resources (but are mostly a retail dumbing ground) meaningful employment will continue to be scarce and people will…
Ebu Chimbwi no Plan beba ubu. There are so many things you could have done. You should have anticipated such thefts. You could have invited business partners to help you with closed circuit surveillance cameras. You could have installed heavy duty devices for the poles that would render gadgets difficult to steal or unusable if detached. When Nawakwi installed her township lights the poles were so high that thieves didnt want to take the risk. Think just think and there are as many solutions as there are thieves.
Zambians are in the habit of stealing anything laying around. I caught a fellow Zambian stealing a bag of ice cubes at a barbecue I hosted at my house here in London last weekend. Unbelievable!!!
What did they expect? Seriously? They drop US$13 million on a bridge instead of investing it into power, education, sanitation, healthcare or job security, and then they are surprised when people don’t respect the finished product.
Infrastructure appreciated