PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema spent the day visiting flood-hit areas in the capital city including Misisi, Chawama, Kanyama and Garden House.
The Head of State’s first stop was at one of the worst-affected areas in Kamwala South where medical staff are operating from a barbershop after rainwater flooded a 14-staff health post in the area.
President Hakainde Hichilema’s visit to Kamwala South comes a week after a 17 year old boy drowned in the floods and his body was only retrieved two days after his death.
The government has responded to the floods, that has sent many out of their homes, by dispatching engineers from the Land Development Branch (LDB) of the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and personnel from the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to sort of mitigate flooding.
The combined team of ZNS and DMMU is pumping and re-directing the water from people’s dwelling places.
In neighbouring Libala South where floods are also wrecking havoc, David Mvula, a resident of the area has appealed to the government to extend the ZNS water pumping services to his neighbourhood.
“The water has flooded our house and damaged part of it. I have had to send my children to stay with our relatives and me and my wife have to wad through filthy water to leave or enter our house,” Mvula told #Kalemba as he and wife Nsamwa wadded through a flooded road leading to their house.
Over the last two weeks, homes in selected residential areas of the capital city have been overwhelmed with rainy water.
To get first-hand appreciation of the devastation that floods have left, President Hichilema went to visit the flooded areas.
In Kamwala South, near the flooded health post, President Hichilema said short-term and long-term solutions have to be put in place to offset floods.
He is accompanied by several ministers, defence and service chiefs, DMMU national coordinator Dr Gabriel Pollen, among other government officials.
Pictures by Salim Dawood
Kalemba February 25, 2023
