By CHATULA KAMPO –
CHIPULUKUSU Ward councillor Laban Chibuye has expressed concern at the increasing number of teenagers that are patronising drinking places in the area.
The township situated in Ndola Central Constituency has witnessed a growing number of under-age children patronising bars in recent days with alcohol abuse on the rise.
Mr Chibuye said the number of teenagers patronising drinking places in the area had increased and that beer drinking among youths had become a habit.
He said the area was recording a number of assault and insult cases as a result of excessive beer drinking among the youths.
“The number of people trading in alcohol here has increased. Bars here open as early as 05:00 am and close after midnight. Most of our youth have fallen prey to this and are now engaged in excessive beer drinking,” he said.
Mr Chibuye said a number of bar owners in the area did not restrict the sale of alcohol as their aim was only to make money.
The councillor said it was sad to see boys and girls as young as 15 years drinking alcohol and patronising bars day and night in the area.
He warned bar, tavern and bottle store owners to desist from allowing young people from entering their premises as this could promote beer drinking among the youth.
Mr Chibuye said he would engage the local authorities to monitor the situation and ensure that young people below the recommended age do not engage in beer drinking and other vices.
He said the council would put in measures to ensure that drinking spots adhere to the stipulated time of opening and closing.
He also urged the youths to focus on education and desist from engaging in beer drinking and other activities that might ruin their lives.

Zesco  wall fence elates Soweto traders

By SARAH TEMBO
TRADERS at Lusaka’s new Soweto market have expressed happiness with the decision by Zesco to erect a wall fence on the power lines near the trading area.
The power utility company last week started electing a wall fence along the power lines near Soweto market in a bid to protect the area from encroachment.
Musonda Kabwe a trader said the move by the power utility company to put up a wall fence was good as it would deter people from throwing garbage on the power lines.
She said the garbage which was dropped there by some traders produced a bad smell which prevented traders from going to new Soweto market.
She said during the rainy season, the garbage, which was usually thrown there, was a health hazard to the traders who were trading from that place.
“We stop having business here in the market during the rainy season because traders fail to come to the market due to the heap of garbage which is usually found just along the power lines,” she said.
Charity Lungu another trader said the decision by Zesco to erect a wall fence was an excellent move as it would force traders trading near the power lines move in to new Soweto market.
She said traders had for a long time defied Zesco’s directive to vacate the place under the high voltage power lines because the place was not safe.
“Before we have someone electrocuted, Zesco has made a great decision to put up a wall fence which will definitely send the traders trading along the power lines to New Soweto market,” she said.
Another trader, Lisa Phiri noted the erecting of a wall fence was a good decision because the area was being used as a hideout for street kids at night that attacked innocent people.
She said several people who used the route after 18:00 hours where usually attacked and their goods taken by the street kids.
She, however, appealed to Zesco management to speed up the works so the uncompleted structure does not equally become a hide out for criminals.
“As much as we appreciate what Zesco Limited is doing, we appeal to the company to speed up the works because if left unfinished for a long time it can turn out to be a hideout for criminals,” he said.

Seatbelt campaign hailed

By SYLVESTER MWALE
COMMUTERS have welcomed and commended the Zambian Road Safety Trust for embarking on a campaign to encourage motorists and passengers to use seatbelts to reduce fatalities in road accidents.
Volunteers from the Zambia Road Safety Trust during the week conducted an awareness campaign at Lusaka Intercity bus terminus on the importance of wearing seatbelts.
The volunteers distributed education materials, interacted with passengers and bus drivers as well as encouraged them to wear a seatbelt when it was available.
Alice Banda, a motorist noted that many people ignored the simple rule of wearing seatbelts despite the continuous fatal accidents being experienced in the country.
A survey by the Trust Research Volunteers in July this year showed that a vehicle occupant most likely to wear a seatbelt in Zambia is the driver at 51 percent rate.
It however, revealed that the wearing rate drops sharply for other occupants revealing 46 percent of front seat passengers buckle up.
Zambian Road Safety Trust – Board Chairperson, Daniel Mwamba said the Trust was concerned with the findings of the survey.
“These findings are of great concern to the Zambian Road Safety Trust,” Mr Mwamba said.
Seatbelts can reduce the chances of death or serious injury in a crash by up to 75 per cent.

Kafubu water  seeks dam construction in Masaiti

By CHATULA KAMPO
KAFUBU Water and Sewerage Company (KWSC) has proposed to Government to construct a new multi-purpose dam in Masaiti District to improve water supply in the Southern region of Ndola and Luanshya District.
Residents in the Southern Zone of Ndola have been complaining of erratic water supply, green and brown water with a bad smell in recent times.
Public relations officer Margaret Zulu said the company had sent a proposal to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to construct a dam along the Kafulafuta River in Masaiti District.
The construction of the multi-purpose facility would improve water supply in Ndola and Luanshya districts.
Ms Zulu said residents in the zone had been complaining of green and brown water supply that smelled bad during the hot season.
She said the green and smelling water in the southern Zone of Ndola was due to the weed that had covered the Kafubu dam and the Kafubu River.
“There is a lot of weed in the river and at the dam. This is the reason our customers are receiving green or brown water during this period.
“Government is in the process of procuring a dredger that will help remove the weed in the river but the permanent solution for this is to have a new dam,” she said.
Ms Zulu said despite the change in colour and the bad smell, the water in the zone was treated and was safe for drinking.
She said the company had not received any cases of diarrhoea or any water born disease resulting from the quality of water in the zone.