By NCHIMUNYA MIYOBA
Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu says 150 houses in Kitwe’s Cha-cha-cha Township needs serious attention due to cracks that have developed over the years.
Speaking when the parliamentary committee on cabinet affairs paid a courtesy call on him, Mr Mpundu said the cracks on the houses is a looming disaster, hence the need to find a solution before a disaster strikes.
Mr Mpundu informed the committee that his office has already informed the office of the National Coordinator for Disaster Management of the impending disaster before lives are lost.
Mr Mpundu said the cause of the cracks to the houses is not yet known as Mopani Copper Mine has denied any connection to the mining activities in the district.
He said the cracks on the houses have been around for a long time even before Mopani Copper Mines took over the operations of the mine.
And when asked if the district has in place any mitigation measures in handing disasters, Mr Mpundu said currently there are no measures in place as the district responds to disasters according to their nature among them cholera epidemic.
He said lack of funds has made it difficult to adequately respond to disasters in time as his office mainly depends on provincial office for financial assistance once disasters happened.
Meanwhile Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Martin Malama advised the District Commissioner to put in place disaster drills that will help the district mitigates future disasters as the district mainly depends on mining activities.
Mr Malama said disaster drills are important in the preparedness of any disaster because people are made aware of what to do when faced with a calamity.
He stated that such activities are important and that the district should not wait until disaster strikes.
The parliamentary committee which is chaired by Mongu Central Member of Parliament Dr Mwilola Imakando is in the district to check on the effectiveness of government programs and to check on the works of the Kapompi Bridge that collapsed at the beginning of rainy season.
Other Parliamentarians in the committee are Mwasambobwe MP, Rodgers Mwewa who is also the spokesperson of the committee and Lukulu EastMP, Dr Christopher Kalila.
