By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –
THE Government will soon degazette the Ndola forest to pave way for the construction of an industrial park and residential area.
Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Christabel Ngimbu said the process to degazette the forest had reached an advanced stage.
This follows the request by the Ndola City Council (NCC) to excise 330 hectares of the 2910-hectre Ndola Forest to pave way for the construction of a shopping mall and a housing complex.
Ms Ngimbu said her ministry was in the process of degazzeting part of the national forest for development to be spearheaded by the local authority, and it had proposed to excise off 181 hectares for residential plots.
“Due to the increasing population, the local authority has seen the need to open more land for development,” Ms Ngimbu said.
“The process to excise part of the forest has reached an advanced stage as you may be aware that the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium is located in the same forest, hence the need to normalise the developments that have taken place and are yet to take place.”
The Ndola Forest was established in 1942 under Gazette Notice Number 238 and was amended through Statutory Instrument numbers 286 of 1970 and 158 of 1975.
In 2013 the NCC entered into a partnership with Henan Gouji Group of China to put up modern infrastructure at the site under a public-private partnership.
The Chinese-based company is expected to spend US$200 million which will see the opening up of an industrial park and a residential area, which will see the construction of 2,000 high, medium and low-cost housing units, a shopping mall, hospital and two five-star hotels.
Once completed, this project would decongest the central business district which has been congested because of population growth.
North-West elders nod new shopping mall
By JENNIPHER MUTOSHI
THE Council of Elders in North-Western Province has welcomed the construction of the first-ever shopping mall in Solwezi, saying the facility will further boost the economy of the province once completed.
The construction of the shopping mall in the province has started after compensating the people who were on the land meant for the project.
Until now, the major shopping outlet in the province has been Shoprite Store and the elders feel that the new shopping centre would go a long way in enhancing competition of prices of goods.
The Council of Elders provincial chairperson Lucas Chikoti said North-Western Province had lagged behind in terms of development and it was pleasing to note that new structures were coming up.
Construction of the mall is the latest in the province that has witnessed increased mining activities over the years.
Mr Chikoti said the development would also reduce on the long queues that people experienced at Shoprite every day.
He said people had been having problems to obtain foodstuffs because of inadequate shopping outlets.
“We are happy that a shopping mall is about to be put up in Solwezi because we have been starved in terms of where to obtain food,” Mr Chikoti said.
“However, there is still a lot that has to be done in the province in terms of development.”
He said that many roads were still in a poor state, especially during the rainy season, and called on relevant authorities to rehabilitate them.
Mr Chikoti said the roads needed urgent attention because many Solwezi residents had even stopped using their vehicles for fear of getting stuck in the mud.
He further said the town needed more health institutions and another hospital because Solwezi General Hospital was overwhelmed by people from all parts of the province.
Pupils laud ZATACA scholarships
By SYLVESTER MWALE
SOME pupils in Lusaka have commended the Zambia Tamil Arts and Cultural Association (ZATACA) for sponsoring 61 of their vulnerable colleagues who were on the verge of dropping out of school.
The association presented 61 educational scholarships to 61 pupils from different secondary schools in Lusaka and Mazabuka.
Among the schools whose pupils have been sponsored are Munali Boys and Girls Secondary schools, Mazabuka Girls, Matero Boys and Chelstone Secondary School.
Terence Mwiinga from Munali Boys said the scholarships would go a long way in helping the students complete their secondary school education.
Mwiinga, who is an albino, however, appealed to the association to consider extending the bursaries to university students so that many less privileged youngsters could attend tertiary education.
“We are grateful to you. This scholarship is a morale booster and will motivate us in our education,” Mwiinga said.
“We would like to urge you though to consider expanding the scholarships to university education so that many vulnerable pupils can be able to attend tertiary education.”
Another student, Josephine Sakala, said the bursaries would go a long way in assisting the pupils who were on the verge of dropping out of school.
“We thank you very much for this and we will endeavour to put our best in our education so that we complete our secondary school education,” Sakala said.
She said that many pupils were in need of scholarships and urged other well-wishers to emulate the ZATACA in assisting the vulnerable children.
District education board secretary Grace Banda said the Government was happy with the work of ZATACA because it would help in alleviating poverty.
“Most pupils you are supporting have got no parents and it has been difficult to pay for their fees,” Ms Banda said. “As for you the children, you should take this seriously because there are many that need such help.”
ZATACA is a non-profit association which draws its membership from Lusaka-based Tamil-speaking people originally from southern India and Sri Lanka.
ZATACA chairperson Chandran Shankar said the association was planning to increase the scholarships to cover more than 500 pupils in the next three years.
Mr Shankar said ZATACA had identified education because it was key to unlocking the potential of the citizens in contributing to national development.
Marketeers cry for shelter
By THANDIWE MOYO –
TRADERS at Emmasdale Market have appealed to the Lusaka City Council (LCC) to construct a shelter at the trading area.
The traders are currently selling at an open space from where they are forced to stay away every time it rains.
One of the traders Edith Phiri said marketeers had suffered losses because their merchandise had been destroyed by rain because of a lack of a shelter.
She said the marketeers had reported the matter to the council on several occasions but nothing had been done.
“All we need is a simple shelter. Why are we being treated like this?”
Ms Phiri asked. “We sell while sun-bathing and during the rainy season we cannot even trade for fear of being soaked. We appeal to the council to rescue us as this business is what puts bread on our tables.”
Another trader who did not want to be named accused the local authority of neglecting the market.
She said an official from the council recently came to evaluate the site with a view to building a permanent structure but had not returned since then.
When contacted, LCC public relations manager Habeenzu Mulunda said the council had no plans to build a market in Emmasdale.
Mr Mulunda said neither had the council plans for the rehabilitation of the market at the moment.
Hone class boycott called off
By Sunday Times Reporter –
STUDENTS at Lusaka’s Evelyn Hone College have resolved to end their five-day class boycott by attending lessons tomorrow following the restoration of water at the learning institution.
The students stopped attending classes last week in protest against poor sanitation at the institution as well as the recent increase of boarding and tuition fees by management.
However, Evelyn Hone College Students Union (EHCSU) president Amos Chipaila said the students would resume classes tomorrow after management agreed to improve sanitation at the college.
While water has been restored, Mr Chipaila said management could, however, not reduce the fees as it referred the matter to the Ministry of Education.
“We will engage the minister of Education to see how the issue of tuition and boarding fees can be addressed,” he said. “We have decided to resume classes because we do not want to disturb the academic calendar for this year.”
Students have for a long time been having diseases like fungal infection and diarrhoea believed to be directly connected to poor sanitation in their hostels.
Some students told the Sunday Times that there had been a delay by TEVETA to issue results, a situation which could see students learning for just one month before the school could close.
“In view of this, there is no way we can be asked to pay the full amount because we will learn just for one month,” said one of the returning students who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation.
