City councils need to wake up from slumber
(Judge Mbadwa is making his determination on the failure by Ministry of Local Government to rein in on substandard structures in the country’s cities)
Mbadwa: This is not the first time that this court is tackling an issue of infrastructural development in the country’s cities. There have been concerns that most structures in our cities are an eyesore and their development does not follow any set blueprint.
We have noted several road projects being implemented in city councils under the Tokha Alliance, but the challenges left by the Mapuya regime are not being addressed. Town roads are almost non-existent and the drainage system in the city is as chaotic as it gets.
Village structures are mushrooming everywhere, raising questions on why the councils should still maintain the town planning and engineering departments when there appears to be no planning at all.
At the watch of the city fathers, street vendors are no longer playing their trade in designated places such as markets. City streets, especially in Kabula, have become de facto dumping sites as vendors litter anywhere and compete with motorists for space.
Tired of the current state of affairs, citizens asked this court to summon the parent of the councils, the Ministry of Local Government, to explain why they are not reining in city fathers. I don’t want to be speaking to myself; is the Minister of Local Government, his principal secretary and directors present in this court?
Court Clerk: My Lord, they are all present.
Mbadwa: The citizens want an explanation why the entire hierarchy of the Ministry of Local Government is sitting cross-legged and not acting on the rot taking place in our cities.
Look at the city of Kabula, for instance, the citizens are asking why vendors have been left scot-free to litter our streets and highways against cities’ own by-laws. The vendors rush to complain to party regional governors whenever the council wants to chase them away from the streets. The council is actually a toothless bulldog that dances to political songs of governors.
Then we have the central business district (CBD) still littered with warehouse-like structures that eat a lot of land instead of allowing developers to erect skyscrapers or multi-storey structures? And talking about Limbi; it is a prototype of a nauseatingly mismatch of standards. New structures are deteriorating at the rate of the derelict ones surrounding them, yet they were approved by city engineers.
The capital city is even worse; most of the structures mushrooming in the CBD are of the hostel type (midadada).
Corruption has enabled developers to erect structures anywhere, including in river beds. Any wonder that floods are becoming a perennial thing in the city?
Where is the city going to get land to fulfil its metropolitan ambitions? Msumba is erecting more shacks than proper buildings while the University town appeals to the former glory of being regarded as a museum city with most of its colonial buildings which have never seen renovations.
Honourable deputy minister and your team; what is your job? Conducting meaningless familiarisation tours or ensuring that standards are being adhered to?
Saima Doubt: My Lord, we have been taken by surprise by this summoning. We understand the magnitude of the challenges in councils. Can you give us two weeks to consult so that we furnish this court with proper answers?
Mbadwa: Request granted, but this court will not accept any delay on the matter. In two weeks’ time we will gather here to hear from the minister and his team why they are not taking councils to task over sub-standard structures in the city. Court dismissed.
