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Government is disappointed with the way the make Zambia clean and health campaign, which it launched in 2007, is being implemented.
Local Government and Housing Minister Emerine Kabanshi singled out garbage collection as one area that has not performed well because most local authorities lack capacity to effectively clear refuse.
Ms. Kabanshi said this in Lusaka today when she handed over refuse trucks and bins to selected councils in the country.
She said her ministry will soon be announcing measures that it will be taken to improve solid waste management.
Ms. Kabanshi said the ministry has also prioritised the procurement, mobilisation and distribution of modern solid waste collection and disposal equipment to local authorities.
She said this was meant to improve garbage collection which she said was still a serious challenge.
The minister has meanwhile bemoaned the culture of indiscriminate dumping of waste among Zambians noting that this poses a health risk to the public.
She said the private sector which is involved in production of goods has also not taken responsibility to sensitise their customers on the proper means of disposing garbage.
The waste disposal equipment that was handed over to councils include eight refuse compactor trucks, four skip trucks, and 172 skip bins worth K24.6 million.
The compactor trucks were handed over to Lusaka and Kitwe City Councils who received two each, while Ndola, Kabwe, Choma and Chipata received one each.
The four skip trucks went to Kasama, Chinsali, Solwezi and Chililabombwe councils.
And speaking at the same event, Mayor Deputy Lusaka Mulenga Sata thanked government for assisting councils with equipment that will lead to better management of waste in councils.
Mr. Sata said councils alone cannot handle the challenges of garbage collection hence the need for government to provide financial and material support.
And in a vote of thanks, Solwezi Town Clerk Ronald Daka thanked government for coming to the aid of the local authorities most of whom lack capacity to effectively manage waste.
Mr. Daka also asked the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to extend the gesture to all the councils in the country because they were all grappling with challenges of garbage collection.
