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It is unacceptable that only 13 per cent and 37 per cent of people in rural areas have access to sanitation and safe water respectively, local government and housing minister Sylvia Masebo has said.

And Masebo said that 1000 hectares of land had been found in Chongwe Constituency to relocate more than 200 families from the Lusaka International Airport compound.

During the launch of the National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (NRWSS) programme yesterday, Masebo said it was disheartening to note that more than 40 years after independence and in spite of the progress made, people in rural areas still lacked access to safe water supply and adequate sanitation.

She said the first thing to do if Zambia was to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to reduce by 50 per cent the population without access to safe water and improved sanitation by 2015.

Masebo said this would be done through the NRWSS programme.
"The NRWSS has been developed in response to the MDG challenge and in a manner so as to reduce to transaction costs through usage of common funding and reporting modalities.

Targets have been set to meet 75 per cent and 60 per cent coverage for water supply and sanitation respectively," she said.
Masebo said the programme had also been prepared bearing in mind that past interventions had paid less attention to sanitation and hygiene as compared to water supply.
"The low priority on sanitation actually takes away some of the gains of water supply improvements as poor sanitation is a source of contamination and pollution of water sources," she said.
And director in the ministry's department of infrastructure and support services, Peter Lubambo, said a total of K923 billion was needed for the 10 year programme period and that so far only K453 billion had been committed. Lubambo said there was a shortfall of K470 billion to meet the budget for period.

And Water and Sanitation Programme Africa (under the World Bank) acting regional team leader Wambui Gichuri said it was estimated that 30 per cent of the population did not have access to any type of sanitation facility.

Gichuri said despite the relatively low level of access, the joint monitoring programme had classified Zambia as one of the countries that could potentially reach the MDG for rural water supply and sanitation.

And during a meeting with residents in Chongwe Constituency on Tuesday, Masebo said the government would help in the repatriation of the people from airport compound. She said there would be significant progress on the repatriation of the people before the end of this year.

"We have found alternative land for them within the constituency. It is a 1000-hectare land. People have been here since 1967. The National Airports Corporation has asked that people be removed. In the past, they have refused to move out, but now they have agreed to move," Masebo said.

During the same meeting, some residents complained that water supply to their compound had beencut off by the National Airports Corporation in an attempt to force them out of the area.

MMD Lusaka Province vice-secretary Billy Munyumbwe said people were now being forced to illegally draw water in the Airport buildings.

"They have been drawing water illegally in the Airport. They had no option. There is a pipe at the buildings department where we have been drawing water," said Munyumbwe.

However, as the meeting was still going on, Masebo received a phone call from National Airports Corporation managing director Chileshe Kapwepwe, who assured her that water supply to the people would be restored.

Masebo also said that residents in the affected area were paying for having voted for a wrong councillor for Chinkuli. This was after the people complained that MMD area councillor, Water Fonso, was not seen in the area.

They complained that Fonso had a tendency of absconding meetings in the ward.
Masebo urged residents to critically analyse the people they voted for.

However, Masebo said sometimes, members of parliament and councillors feared visiting their constituencies and wards because the electorate usually asked for money. She said councillors and members of parliament exist to offer services to the people and not to dish out money.

Masebo further urged the people to be industrious and not just concentrate on 'kachasu drinking and gossiping'.