The Office of the Vice President through the Disaster Management Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has moved in to help traders that lost goods in the fire that swept through part of Chisokone market in Kitwe last week.
DMMU National Coordinator Gabriel Pollen in the company of Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo distributed food stuffs and a K5, 000 to each of the 125 affected traders to help them restart their businesses.
And Dr. Pollen said the support given to the traders is a demonstration of President Hakainde Hichilema’s love and care to the people of Copperbelt.
He noted that the President has always responded swiftly to all disasters that happen across the country.
And Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo has charged that he will not allow people to bring confusion in the province by causing fires in markets.
Mr. Matambo said the New Dawn government wants traders to run their businesses freely without harassment and confusion.
He has since directed the police to expedite the investigation into the cause of the fire.
“As a Minister, l am suspicious that the fire could have been planned because the first firefighting truck that came to quench the fire was stoned and the security camera that could have shown the police how the fire started was tempered, this means that the people that stoned the firefighting truck planned to burn the entire market, to those who think they will destabilize Copperbelt, we will meet them head-on,” He charged.
The Copperbelt Minister also disclosed that over 5 million Kwacha was lost in the Chisokone market inferno.
And Chisokone Market Curio section Chairperson Mutale Kapengwe thanked the government for the support.
Mr. Kapengwe however appealed to the government to give them a secure trading place and a better empowerment initiative to enable them get back on track.
Last week a fire swept through the Chisokone Market Curio section in which over K 5 Million worth of goods were lost.
Gay peoples lives have been burnt since time in memory. What has anyone done about our plight?
New data show that the effects of homophobia and exclusion could be costing economies billions of dollars. In a panel discussion organized by the World Bank, participants discussed the findings of a new study that developed and tested an economic model to measure the cost of excluding sexual minorities.
The study highlights that in India, where homosexual behaviour is criminalized and no protective legislation exists for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, it is estimated that up to 1.7% of GDP is lost in one year due to homophobia and exclusion of LGBT.
May you repent your sins, and also receive a medical checkup because what you are following is sickening.
2020 enlighten me on why another person’s sexuality is sickening? How is it affecting your sad life? You don’t see me criticising your heterosexuality. Grow up
This chi Chitambo is supposed to be in jail today. Where did it get the cash it was dishing? Why not leave money at bank, then beneficiaries go lineup at bank? There must be way of respecting citizens.
Giving cash without receipts or anything. Insulting citizens by throwing cash on them, just same as PF.
And Fat Albert believes it’s the opposition that torched the market….that says a lot… like we were burning markets when we were in opposition so who else could be burning markets if it’s not the opposition since we’re now government? FA this is a cold season and it’s most likely the fire came from a warning device that was not secured.
Of all the UPND ministers this Matambo guy is the most untrustworthy, there are other more honest and trustworthy people in UPND who can fill in that job.
It has always been the duty of [DMMU] in this country to look for affected areas and victims who affected to bad situations like fire in Chisokone Market,since KK’s time and previous governments it has always been there,thats why its called Disaster Management Mitigation Unit which looks and protects the victims.
So why should we thank individuals instead of the DMMU term for the support the have given to people of Copperbelt to state again.
Dishing out money like that is a recipe for misappropriation of funds…I can assure you a lot of money was stolen by Matambo and that ka yobally Pollen. What a bunch of m0r0ns you have running a banana republic called Zambia
They never learn.
It’s estimated that goods worth K5M were lost in the inferno. HH’s government has given each of the 125 traders K5,000 which adds up to K625,000. Compared to the degree of loss, this amount shouldn’t even be so hyped about as it’s just a drop in the ocean. And I know that not everyone has received that amount. Some traders come from as far as Chililabombwe and couldn’t make it in time at short notice. Some were still in transit when the DMMU team left, what with the detours on the road? Why was the DMMU team in a hurry to return to Lusaka if indeed they had come to assist the affected people? Don’t politicize disasters as you seem not to be different from your predecessors.
So here is a minister with a suitcase of GRZ cash handing money out in full view of the cameras …where have I seen this movie before? How can you stop corruption with such type of behaviour? What is wrong with a minister just handing out a cheque or letting the DMMU deal with it. I am suspicious of such incidents…remember the gassing and market fires during PF to dupe the masses.
Got the money…in 2026 don’t vote for them. Donch kubeba
The people can be supported in a better manner. Where is that money coming from? If the government wanted to help people they would have done it in a better way than just dishing money to show that they care. By the way when are the pensioners going to be paid their dues? They need the money urgently to help their families and pay for their children’s school. Some of the pensioners have passed away and have been unable to benefit from the money they worked for, living the widows suffering in order to look after the children. Please take this matter seriously.