By CHINOYI CHIPULU
Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu says that the permanent solution to the growing number of street children on the streets of Kitwe is removing them by force.
Mr Mpundu said this move is so because three quarters of the children are coming from homes and have made the streets as money making venture.
The MP posted this on His Facebook page that for a long time various strategies including force has been put to rid of street kids without much success, but after this move it will be illegal for any kid to be found on the streets.
“The decision therefore to move the kids and make it illegal thereafter for any kid to be on the street will help us zero in to the most needy children around whom we will concentrate our efforts for provisions of the necessities for them to live a decent life,” he said.
Mr Mpundu said that people have contributed to the nurturing of street kids through the small handouts given to street kids.
He urged families who have allowed their children to be on the streets to move them out as the exercise will involve picking the kids up and locking them.
The MP said talks with stakeholders have commenced to see how to create safe and habitable homes for those whose stay on the streets will be found to be genuine.
Mr Mpundu also commended Kitwe District Commissioner Lawrence Mwanza and Kitwe Mayor Mpasa Mwaya for their swift action by subsequently moving the families, who used to live on the streets in the corridors of Martindale and taking them back to Luanshya and Ndola where they all came from.
