LUSAKA Province Minister Sheal Mulyata has directed traders in the Central Business District together with the Lusaka City Council to conduct a cleaning exercise twice a week to prevent possible outbreak of Cholera in view of poor sanitation.

Ms Mulyata says the exercise should be conducted on Mondays and Fridays.

Speaking in Lusaka today when she met traders and marketeers from the CBD , over the sanitation situation in Lusaka, the Minister further directed that all shops should have individual bins warning that traders who refuse to comply will be removed.

The Minister also directed Lusaka City Council to conduct patrols on Freedom Way, Lumumba and Cha Cha Cha roads as they are the streets mostly affected by bad sanitation in the city.

Ms Mulyata stressed that the country needs to learn from the Cholera pandemic which claimed over 600 lives in Lusaka last year.

“There is need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to avoid a repeat of last year’s health crisis,” she said.

And Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala said the Zambia Police Service should help the local authority in enforcing measures that will promote cleanliness in Lusaka.

Ms Chitangala said the local authority does not have the capacity to handle the situation on its own.

Meanwhile, a trader called for the need of establishing a security team collectively involving all the traders that will monitor people that throw waste indiscriminately in undesignated places.

Bernard Chipembele said traders maintain cleanliness but noted that some vendors are responsible   as they capitalize on the absence of other traders and Lusaka City Council personnel after hours.