Chilima orders demolition of illegal structures
Vice-President Saulos Chilima on Monday ordered Lilongwe City Council (LCC) to demolish houses constructed illegally along Lingadzi River as they are a threat to lives.
Speaking when he visited Ntandire residents that were affected by flash floods on Sunday, Chilima said there is no point in government spending on flood victims every year when the solution to the problem is obvious.
In his view, if a person was able to buy a plot ‘in a river’ he should also be able to buy one in an appropriate area.
Said Chilima: “It is not entertaining to be coming here every year to support victims of floods, yet we know that these floods are a result of a few selfish individuals who constructed in a river, forcing the water to change its course and affect people’s lives.”
He was referring to dwelling houses which have been constructed in Area 49/New Shire opposite the Bingu National Stadium (BNS) which, during the visit, were submerged in water hours after floods were noticed earlier in the day.
Chilima further said the council will have to follow the procedure for the demolition according to the laws of the country and “if the law says demolish then demolishing it will be”.
During the visit, it was established that the floods have affected 638 people in 138 houses, out of which 12 houses have collapsed.
One of the victims, Nzanani Kalumbu, said it was around 5am on Monday when he heard the sound of water and rushed to wake up his wife and their children.
He said: “We only managed to rescue a few items but all our clothes, over 10 of our chickens and other household items were washed away.”
This is not the first time Nzanani has been affected by the floods in the area.
He attested: “After I settled on this plot in 1979, floods hit in 1981 and later last year on February 10, making this the third time for us.”
Nzanani said although he has always felt the need to relocate, he has not had enough funds to do so.
He, therefore, appealed for support to help people like him relocate to safer areas.
Another victim, Mtisunge Mchenga, described the experience as scary.
Said Mchenga: “Our houses were submerged within minutes. There was no time to save our property as water was all over the place. It was such a scary and traumatising experience.”
Last February, the floods affected Ntandire, Area 49 and Area 47 in the capital.
During Monday’s tour, Chilima also ordered LCC to supply chlorine to the victims and Lilongwe Water Board to supply safe water through water bowsers.
The Veep also encouraged the people to treat their water to avoid Cholera.
Lilongwe is one of the districts that have been hit hard by cholera, with 213 cases and seven deaths recorded as of Sunday. Nationally, cholera has affected 13 districts, killing 17 and infecting 693 people.
