Jumbos give residents sleepless nights
Written by Millennium on August 12, 2019
ANDREW MUKOMA writes
RESIDENTS of Zambezi Ward in Livingstone are worried about the continued destructive of property and gardens by elephant.
The residents have charged that the influx of elephants in the area is causing damage to their property especially concrete fences.
During a public meeting organised by FOEP and GIZ held at Sawmills Primary School last weekend, the residents appealed to the Livingstone City Council to engage the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) to find a solution to the problem.
Fred Mbozwa said people in the area were living in fear for their lives and their property because of the elephants.
Mr Mbozwa said if it was possible, the DWNP should put up a wire fence that will stop the elephants from coming out of the park into residential areas.
During the same meeting, the residents also appealed to the council to work on the drainages and roads in the area.
James Kapindu said during the rainy season, the area became impassable because of bad roads.
In response, Ward councillor Robert Wandila assured the residents that once the K120,000 Ward Development Fund from the council was released, the roads would be worked on before the rainy season started.
Mr Wandila said the biggest problem was the type of soil the area had, which he said was prone to floods.
FODEP district chairman Nyambe Mutete said the interactive meetings his organisation had started were meant to bring the electorate and civic leaders together and discuss the challenges they were facing in their respective wards.
Mr Mutete said so far FODEP had held eight successful meetings in eight wards out of the 17 Livingstone had.
He said at the end of the programme, FODEP and its partner, GIZ, would compile a report of recommendations on what the local authority was supposed to do in providing services to the people of Livingstone.
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