Frank Mutubila writes: My nephew Chitambala Mwewa, the Mayor, you deserve your flowers. You have ticked one of the many important boxes, and the progress we are seeing in Lusaka deserves to be acknowledged. What you have demonstrated is that where there is a will, there is a way. Kudos to the political will behind […]

Frank Mutubila writes:

My nephew Chitambala Mwewa, the Mayor, you deserve your flowers. You have ticked one of the many important boxes, and the progress we are seeing in Lusaka deserves to be acknowledged. What you have demonstrated is that where there is a will, there is a way. Kudos to the political will behind this exercise, because political will is what turns good intentions into action.

In saying so, can shop owners now paint, clean and maintain their premises. Can businesses ensure that their premises have adequate toilets and clean water for customers and workers. Other businesses could complement the Council by constructing public toilets in strategic locations across the city. This should become part of the business community’s contribution to a cleaner Lusaka.

For those of us from yesterday, Lusaka was known as the Garden City. Can landscapers, nurseries and plant sellers now get into the act and help restore that identity. Businesses and residents can beautify their surroundings, while the Council identifies public spaces for landscaping and tree planting. Let us make Lusaka cleaner, greener and more attractive.

Council, this is where the next step must begin. Provide vendors with designated trading spaces, toilets, clean water, waste collection points and regular waste removal, then enforce the agreed standards fairly. If traders receive decent facilities and services, paying levies and rentals becomes a reasonable civic responsibility. Let the Council also publish clear standards and timelines, so residents can see what is expected and measure the progress.

How about a competition for the cleanest street, market and business district. Let the Council establish simple standards, assess them regularly and recognise those who perform well. Businesses, residents, traders and community organisations can then compete and take ownership of their surroundings. Cleanliness should become something we reward, not merely something we deman

The biggest recognition, however, should go to the traders themselves. Well done, mwebantu ba kwa Lesa, for embracing the change. The journey must now continue by ensuring that the facilities match the responsibilities being placed on vendors. With decent facilities in place, there should be no difficulty in expecting traders to comply with regulations and pay their levies and rentals.

And now, may the Chitambala Mwewa action spread to the rest of our towns and cities. Clean, orderly and well managed urban spaces should become a national standard. Let other councils learn from Lusaka and develop programmes suited to their own communities. This is how local leadership can inspire national transformation.

Crucially, while commending the Mayor for this awesome accomplishment, let us ensure that the success belongs not to the Mayor alone, but to the Lusaka City Council. The Mayor deserves the recognition, but institutions must outlive individuals. We do not want him to move to another portfolio and Lusaka to return to ground zero. Let the Council institutionalise what has started, provide the resources, enforce the standards and make this part of its long term programme.

One city, one people, one responsibility, one sustained effort.