22 July 2008
editorial
A well-planned area or settlement is easy to service with amenities such as water, electricity, education as well as health facilities.
It is for this and many reasons that people putting up structures should adhere to the law regarding land administration so that local authorities as well as the central Government are able to facilitate social and other services.
It is t herefore sad that some residents in Kitwe's Mulenga Township and surrounding areas are illegally erecting structures near the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway in defiance of the city council regulation.
The Kitwe City Council had earlier pulled down structures that were illegally erected along the same stretch.
It is thus surprising that some people have started reconstructing the houses in the same area knowing too well that the action is illegal. In fact, the story we carry today indicates that some people in the township are building these houses at night.
We agree with Town Clerk, Ali Simwinga who says that his council will ensure that sanity prevails in the manner structures are springing up in the city. The council, he says, will demolish illegal structures.
There are reasons why people should follow the law in putting up structures.
One of them is to ensure that sewer lines and Zesco power lines are laid down according to requirements. The utility companies would be able to guide developers to avoid building structures on the already existing installations, such as pipes and sewer lines.
The other reason is that people would be given plots in designated areas where provisions for facilities such as police posts, health centres, and schools are available.
The ugly structures coming up near the Kitwe-Ndola dual carriage way are not only a danger to traffic, but also to the dwellers themselves once they shift into these houses.
Structures should be erected at a considerable distance away from the road as stipulated by law.
Some of these structures are so close to one another such that in the event of an inferno, the fire brigade would not be able to reach the accident scene and thus make it impossible to extinguish the fire.
Therefore, those who are putting up the structures should stop before the local authority moves in to pull them down.
They should ensure that they apply for land in designated areas.
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