Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit national coordinator Chanda Kabwe says the Government will empower ex-Roan Antelope Copper mine Limited retrenched miners and dozens of displaced residents of Luanshya as a way of alleviating their suffering.
And the DMMU has donated 50,000 facemasks to Luanshya District with a call on residents to adhere to total compliance to Coronavirus regulations and the Public Health Act to prevent the spread of the deadly respiratory disease.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda at the Civic Centre, Mr Kabwe said the Government was aware of the ex-miners’ suffering after the privatisation of the copper mine by their former employer, RAMCOZ.
He announced that plans were underway to empower the families who have been displaced in Luanshya’s Kawama area and those whose houses collapsed during the last rainy season in Roan’s Pama Church area, with building materials, cement and roofing sheets.
Mr Kabwe explained that the DMMU was working in close collaboration with the Offices of the Mayor and District Commissioner in Luanshya to come up with a mechanism which will see to it that the ex-miners, who did not benefit from land were assisted and that the displaced and those who had their homes collapse were assisted with building materials to construct new homes in the quickest possible way.
Mr Kabwe, who also handed over assorted facemasks to the Office of the Mayor and DC at the Civic Centre, said the Government was determined to see to it that all Zambians, regardless of their status in society, were reached and helped in preventing Coronavirus.
Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda thanked the DMMU for the timely intervention aimed at addressing the plight of the displaced Kawama Township residents who became homeless after someone emerged and claimed ownership of their land on which they had built their houses.
He said some Roan residents whose houses collapsed during the rainy season were assisted with land to build their houses by the Luanshya Municipal Council but most of them lacked building materials.
Mr Chanda said the move by the DMMU to work with the the authorities in Luanshya to empower the remaining former miners who were left out on the list of the Government donated farm land in Luanshya and other towns Copperbelt towns was commendable.
He explained that the people of Luanshya were among the most affected victims of the mismanaged privatisation of the country’s mining sector.
Meanwhile, Luanshya District Commissioner Patrick Maipambe said government workers in Luanshya were committed to see to it that the issuance of National Registration Cards target of 18,000 NRC is met.
So far, 10,000 new NRCs have been issued in Luanshya.
This is according to a statement issued by Luanshya Municipal Council
Public Relations officer Mr. Gideon Thole.