MTN, Airtel, Trade Kings Disturbing Residents, Pupils

Dear Editor,

LAST week, I happened to be working in Lusaka’s Kamanga Compound and what I saw and heard melted my heart: every other day MTN, Airtel and Trade Kings marketing teams promoted their merchandise with extremely loud music.

The outside spectacle was done between 09.00 and 12.00 hours, attracting huge crowds and disturbing households beyond Kanyama and Chelstone.
I know this is not an isolated incident and is fairly wide spread.
Teachers I spoke to from nearby government and community schools complained bitterly that these companies praise singers were insensitive to the local scenario; school children from local community and government schools were running away from classes to participate in the revelry.
If this is what MTN, Airtel and Trade Kings call brand marketing, I would gladly tear my marketing certificate.
How can a disturbed pupil to do well in school and become a marketer amidst such weekly noise pollution? Pupils interviewed said they could not concentrate because of proximity and the uncalled for noise pollution. It seems none of the companies involved are aware that there are more than five schools within that locality, whose pupils are entitled to a quite morning environment.
My suggestions are as follows; our police should take a keen interest and ensure that loud music is never played within 500 meters of any school, especially in the morning when most of the lessons are in session.
They should also ensure that police permits come into play and that this is done during weekends only or at night. Location also matters, why not do the promotions in a stadium like Nkoloma instead of choosing open spaces near schools?
Secondly our Local authority, especially Henry Kapata (Lusaka Council Public Relations Officer) must act.
GODFREY CHITALU,
Private Bag 542X RW,
Lusaka.

Posted by Editor on February 26, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

6 Responses to MTN, Airtel, Trade Kings Disturbing Residents, Pupils

PF ADVISOR Reply

February 26, 2013 at 11:22 am

Let them do such activities on weekends or after 1700hrs.
kakolwe Reply

February 26, 2013 at 2:13 pm

Spot on ba Ucar Chitalu! This is worse in rural J sub-aburn localities were such promos are a rare form of entertainment where even teacher, nurses, police, agriculture ext. Officers ++ will join pupils in the forey!
CNP-4U Reply

February 26, 2013 at 2:48 pm

these chaps should not be allowed to continue..school girls especially in the compounds stop going to school to just go and dance for phones..
Wemfula Isa Isa Reply

February 26, 2013 at 5:44 pm

Well spoken Chitalu. But trouble with noise pollution is that the Environmental Council of Zambia hasn’t yet set the maximum allowable volume level for residential areas. In that case, we just have to plead with the polluters.
Mwana Mfumu Reply

February 27, 2013 at 8:26 am

they have to make a living
nana Reply

March 2, 2013 at 8:49 pm

U are right. Its just too much