Bauleni residents cry for street lights
Written by Millennium on April 1, 2019
LINDA SOKO TEMBO Writes
RESIDENTS of Lusaka’s Bauleni Township have appealed to Lusaka City Council to install street lights in the area to help curb crime.
The residents complained in separate interviews that the absence of street lights in the area, especially along the main tarred roads, made it difficult to control the ever rising crime in the compound.
One of the residents, Stanley Mwansa, said that the thieves were taking advantage of the lack of streetlights in compound to rob people at night.
“We have lots of challenges here in Bauleni but one of most serious ones is lack of street lights because thieves take advantage of the darkness to commit crime,” he stated
Mr Mwansa disclosed that community members two weeks ago picked up a body of someone suspected to have been murdered in the night, a crime which he said could have been prevented if the area was lit.
He said that street lights, if installed, would also enable the residents extend their business operational hours to 22.00hours without the fear of being attached or robbed.
He also attributed the increase in crime in the area to lack of employment opportunities for the youth.
“Lack of jobs among the youth is also forcing most young people to resort to stealing and drinking. Life is hard for them and the expectations from their families are huge,” he said.
Mr Mwansa said urged government to come up with youth empowerment programmes, which would enable the young persons also, contribute to the economic development of the nation.
And other residents Mercy Ngulube a marketer said putting up of security lights in the community will help them not to fearing waking up in the early hours of the morning to go and order things for sale.
Ms Ngulube said Bauleni was not safe to move alone unless in groups because on the crime levels that had increased and lack of streetlights made it worse.
“We are appealing to LCC to look into the matter very quickly because this place is not safe to move in the night or in the early hours of the morning like 03:00hrs when we as Marketeer have to go and buy farming produce at Soweto market. We move in groups to avoid been attacked,” she said.
