By Adrian Mwanza –
KABWE Municipal Council (KMC) says it will soon inspect all boarding houses to ensure compliance to required standards in the wake of an increase in the number of such facilities in the district.
The local authority has also warned of stern action against boarding house owners who have turned them into brothels.
KMC director of public health Victor Kagoli said in an interview that the council would not hesitate to shut down any boarding house that was being used as a brothel.
He urged the general public with information on some of the boarding houses which were being used as brothels to report to the authorities so that such people could be prosecuted.
Mr Kagoli said the council would carry out an inspection in Kabwe to ensure that people were conforming to regulations when setting up such establishments.
He said the demand for boarding houses had increased but some people were turning their houses into sex dens defeating the whole purpose of providing accommodation to students.
“Demand for boarding houses has increased but people should ensure that they do not abrogate the Public Health Act which clearly stipulates the criteria needed to set up such establishments,” he said.
Mr Kagoli said the council would carry out a series of inspections soon because the rainy season posed a great risk to people in such places as most of them were  in a  deplorable state.
KMC Town Clerk Ronald Daka said the council did not take pleasure in closing down boarding houses because reality was that some students depended on them since most training institutions in Kabwe did not have adequate hostels.
He urged owners to follow laid down procedures to avoid closure or even prosecution by the local authority.
“There is a huge demand for boarding houses in Kabwe so people should just ensure that they adhere to the Public Health Act to avoid closure or prosecution,” he said.
Mr Daka said there was no legal boarding house in Kabwe but that the council had relaxed a bit because of the circumstances that students were in.