GOVERNMENT through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) has so far evacuated and provided rental relief worth K66,000, tents and foodstuffs to 22 families whose houses were flooded in Raphael Chota Ward of Mandevu Constituency in Lusaka.

Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, has revealed that other households who have also been affected by floods but have not yet been evacuated will also be provided with K3000 each as rental relief.

ZANIS reports that over 300 households have been affected by floods in various parts of Lusaka, which include Chipata, Chaisa, Mandevu and Kanyama, among others following heavy rains experienced in Lusaka earlier this week. 

And the Vice President has revealed that all houses built on waterways, blocking the drainage system in Lusaka will be demolished, stating that the demolition process has already commenced in Kanyama. 

Mrs Nalumango said this when she conducted a spot check of flooded areas in Matero and Mandevu Constituencies of Lusaka. 

The Vice President learnt with disappointment that most of the affected houses were built in waterways, thereby contributing to flooding. 

“It’s not that the houses got flooded because there was too much rain. Some of you, even where there is a drainage, you build. That means if the water was passing through the right way, you would not have been flooded,” she explained. 

Mrs Nalumango also noted that the rampant dumping of waste in drainage systems in most of the affected areas has also contributed to the problem. 

The Vice President has since warned that anyone found dumping waste in undesignated areas will be brought to book, further advising residents and civic leaders in the areas to effect citizen’s arrests. 

Member of Parliament for Mandevu, Christopher Shakafuswa, has expressed gratitude to the government for coming to the aid of the affected households. 

“We are grateful to government for providing money to the affected families to rent houses in safer areas or else they would have been hit by waterborne diseases,” he said. 

And one of the affected residents, Eliya Mwale, said government’s prompt response to the disaster is a clear demonstration of its commitment towards protecting the vulnerable. 

“As I am speaking, some people will leave these tents and leave room for more affected people because of the rental relief provided by government,” he stated.