Mangango MP calls for marine transport

Opposition MMD Mangango Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), Taundi Chiseke, has appealed to government to provide boats to schools along the banks of the flooded Luena river in Kaoma district to enable school-going children to go to school.

Mr Chiseke expressed fear that the pupils will soon stop going to school because crossing points are wide and have become unaccessible to both the children and expectant mothers.

He lamented that even the Zambia National Services in the area does not have a boat to intervene in the situation, hence the need for the Ministry of Transport, Works Supply and Communications to provide the boats to ease transport challenges faced by the learners, parents and school authorities.

Mr Chiseke was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

The MP further lamented that the villagers who own canoes are charging a minimal KR1 (K1,000) fee per person to ferry the pupils and pregnant mothers from one side of the Luena river to the other.

Mr Chiseke said the river is infested with crocodiles and hippos and lives have been lost and people killed by the reptiles and other creatures when crossing it and the villagers are now leaving in fear.

He urgently said government should send boats to Mangango area otherwise attaining the UN 2015 Millennium Development Goal on quality education and health would not be possible.

He named some of the affected learning institutions as Mbale, Lwambilo and Wyande among others that are situated along the Luena River.