I N AN effort to help fight COVID-19, Lusaka engineer Shanhneth Sul has donated 100 full body sanitising machines worth US$400,000 to the Lusaka City Council. The machines will be distributed to markets, bus stations and shopping malls in the city. Receiving the first donated equipment yesterday, Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa said the machines are user-friendly and that the chemicals are as simple as those used in ordinary sanitisers. Mr Sampa said load-shedding will not affect the use of the sanitising machines because they also have a provision for solar power.

“We are grateful to you for designing such a machine, especially during this time when Government is looking for stakeholders that can join in this fight. “The 100 full body sanitising machines that have been donated to the council and Lusaka residents will go a long way in preventing the spread of coronavirus,” Mr Sampa said.

He said depending on how the full council meeting deliberates, the use of such machines could become mandatory. “We may make it mandatory. We are having a full council meeting with councillors and if we agree, anybody going into Kulima Tower Bus Station or entering a market will be required to pass through the machines and be sanitised,” Mr Sampa said. And Mr Sul said the cost of each machine is about US$4,000. “Every day we will be giving you one machine which can also use solar,” he said. Meanwhile, Zambia Sugar Plc has handed over refurbished buildings and assorted items as part of efforts to fight COVID-19 in Mazabuka district. This is contained in a statement by Zambia Sugar Plc corporate affairs manager Eugene Chungu. Company managing director Rebecca Katowa said the buildings were handed over to the Mazabuka district epidemic committee. “Zambia Sugar acknowledges the cost of this support. The company has also implemented preventive measures in a bid to fight COVID-19 in workplaces,” Ms Katowa said. Mazabuka District Commissioner Jenny Chirwa urged other stakeholders to come on board and support the fight against coronavirus.