Mufulira Central MP urges overhaul of Kafironda Township sewer system

A prolonged sanitation breakdown in Mufulira’s Kafironda Township has created a severe public health crisis, leaving twenty households without functional toilets for over fifteen years. The crisis stems from the total structural failure of the area’s soakaway, which has…

A prolonged sanitation breakdown in Mufulira’s Kafironda Township has created a severe public health crisis, leaving twenty households without functional toilets for over fifteen years.

The crisis stems from the total structural failure of the area’s soakaway, which has completely collapsed and requires a complete system overhaul.

Speaking when newly elected Mufulira Central Member of Parliament, Elijah Biyete visited the township, Former Kafue Ward Councilor Kennedy Mubanga said the area originally possessed a fully operational sewer network.

Mr Mubanga explained that water shortages left the line dry for extended periods, ultimately causing the soakaway system to collapse entirely and severing residential homes from the sewer network.

“The situation has persisted for a long time without a full overhaul of the collapsed soakaway, the houses will remain completely disconnected from functional sanitation,” Mr Mubanga said.

Meanwhile, Kafue Ward Councillor, Lydia Hikeembe disclosed that the infrastructure failure has severely strained community relations, particularly with nearby Kafironda Secondary School.

Ms Hikeembe explained that out of goodwill, the school initially permitted affected residents to use two designated pit latrines on its premises, keeping the remaining facilities locked for pupil use.

“When the designated latrines became unusable, some residents broke padlocks to force entry into student only restrooms. This forced the school management to completely ban community access and deploy a guard dog to patrol the premises at night,” she said.

The Councillor stressed the extreme severity of the situation, explaining that residents now have nowhere to answer the call of nature.

She noted that the surrounding area lacks nearby bushes, leaving affected households stranded with literally no place to ease themselves.

“The crisis intensifies after dark, as residents fear being bitten by the school’s guard dog if they attempt to approach the premises at night, and if you look at this area there are no nearby bushes,” Ms.Hikeembe said.

She emphasized that urgent action is needed to restore human dignity and basic sanitation to the township.

And in response, Mr Biyete described the prevailing situation as a disaster, saying there is urgent need to rebuild the sewer network.

Mr Biyete announced plans to immediately engage the Mulonga Water and Sanitation Company to address the required overhaul.

“This requires urgent intervention and I will engage Mulonga because we cannot allow this situation to continue, especially with the rainy season approaching,” he said.

He added that he will report the situation to Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD) so that it can conduct an on the ground assessment, emphasizing that the public health risk warrants full disaster intervention.