Vendors operating at the Zesco Substation opposite COMESA Secretariat along Kafue Road in Lusaka have turned a multi-million kwacha down town/ Kanele fly over bridge into a public toilet as can be seen in the pictures circulated by Tumfweko Media.
The fly over bridge which gobbled millions of tax-payer’s money is littered with faeces, with a medical practitioner fearing that the cholera outbreak is eminent if nothing is done by the local authorities to safeguard the premises.
The bill boards that have been mounted on the said bridge, make it possible for traders to answer call of nature without being spotted by motorists and passers by.
As though that is not enough,couples relax and take selfies within the feacal contaminated bridge, perhaps due to lack of recreation facilities in the capital city.
Government evoked a Local Government Act that curtailed traders from trading from streets but those opposite COMESA were spared. Our investigation established that big fishes claiming to have connections to the corridors of power where involved hence failure by the local authorities to take action against the vendors in question.
Surprisingly, even ZESCO, a power utility firm has failed to remove the vendors hanging clothes and food items to a Substation despite being aware of risks involved.
“One wonders why this inept Lusaka Council allows street vendors to trade when they have not provided sanitary facilities(toilets) for them and this is a source of worry as Cholera outbreaks are imminent. This Government should take a blame if God forbids, Cholera breaks out in this area, “ a senior Government doctor said after inspecting the area.
Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo last year visited the place but casually complained about the state of the fly over bridge.
Mr Lusambo was concerned that despite Government spending a lot of money on the bridge, members of the public do not use it for crossing the busy Kafue road.