GOVERNMENT DEVELOPS SLUM UPGRADING STRATEGY

By MacPherson Mukuka

Local Government and Housing Minister STEVEN KAMPYONGO says government will continue providing leadership and mobilizing resources as investors to promote access to housing and provision of infrastructure services in unplanned settlements.

Speaking during the opening of a Two Day National Slum Upgrading Conference, Mr. KAMPYONGO says Government will continue creating an enabling Environment that will allow for various stakeholder participation in making the cities and towns more efficient, productive, cleaner and greener for improved health and sustainable development.

Mr. KAMPYONGO says Government recognizes the huge task it has to upgrade the existing unplanned settlements, and hence welcomes the private sector to supplement government’s efforts in improving the lives of the majority Zambians living in slums.

 He says Government has developed the slum upgrading strategy which will guide the local authorities to upgrade existing settlements with basic infrastructure services.

 Meanwhile, People’s Process on Housing and Poverty- Zambia Country Coordinator NELSON NCUBE says the growing population of the poor living in city slum settlements means that urban poverty needs to be specifically targeted if national poverty is to be reduced.

 Mr. NCUBE says ignoring urban challenges may create uncontrollable social and political upheavals that have already started manifesting in some urban areas.

 He says inclusivity entails that poor urban settlements in cities should be given attention and planning efforts should endeavor to embrace them.