For many Zambians living abroad, returning home for a holiday is often an emotional experience. The excitement of reuniting with family and friends is sometimes tempered by the sight of littered streets, overflowing rubbish bins, blocked drainage systems and the disorder that characterises parts of Lusaka’s Central Business District.
It is a contradiction that has troubled many Zambians in the diaspora who have experienced cities where cleanliness, effective waste management and respect for public spaces are part of everyday life.
For Lusaka Mayor Chitambala Mwewa, however, complaining about the state of the capital is no longer enough. He is turning his concerns into action through a city-wide sanitation campaign that has earned him public commendation from President Hakainde Hichilema.
Operating under the slogan “Iwe Doba Apo,” the mayor’s campaign is an attempt to restore order, improve hygiene and change attitudes towards the use of public spaces in Zambia’s capital.
The initiative signals a determination to move beyond the familiar cycle of complaints about Lusaka’s dirtiness and begin addressing the problem through practical measures.
Mwewa’s approach brings to mind the late Michael Sata, who returned to Zambia from the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and subsequently served in the United National Independence Party (UNIP) government, including in Lusaka’s municipal administration.
Sata became associated with efforts to improve the cleanliness and orderliness of the capital. His experience abroad had exposed him to different standards of urban management, and he was determined to see Lusaka reflect some of those standards.
There is a striking parallel between that history and Mwewa’s present mission. For people who have lived or travelled abroad, the difference between well-managed cities and the conditions that prevail in parts of Lusaka can be difficult to ignore. Clean streets do not happen by accident.
They require effective local government, reliable waste collection, properly managed markets, functioning drainage systems and citizens who understand that keeping a city clean is a shared responsibility.
Mwewa appears determined to translate that understanding into a practical programme for Lusaka.
The first phase of his campaign has focused on clearing streets of illegal vending, sweeping public walkways, removing accumulated rubbish and providing waste bins at designated points.
Working with the Lusaka City Council and council police, the mayor has sought to reclaim public spaces that have become congested and difficult for pedestrians to use.
The next phase is expected to focus on moving street traders into designated markets and ensuring that shop owners keep the areas immediately outside their premises clean.
This is an important step because a clean city cannot be achieved through occasional sweeping alone. Businesses, marketeers, residents and local authorities must all play their part in maintaining acceptable standards.
The challenge is particularly significant in Lusaka, where informal trading provides livelihoods for thousands of people. A successful clean-up campaign must therefore balance the need for order with the economic realities facing ordinary citizens.
Relocating traders into properly organised markets, with adequate facilities and reasonable access to customers, will be essential if the changes are to endure.
The mayor’s broader vision also encompasses better street lighting, unclogged drainage systems and improved pedestrian safety.
These are not merely cosmetic interventions. Properly maintained drainage can reduce the risk of localised flooding, while functional street lighting and accessible walkways contribute to a safer urban environment.
Cooperation with initiatives such as the Lusaka Marathon organisers’ clean-city campaign could also help build a stronger culture of civic responsibility.
President Hichilema’s public praise for Mwewa gives the initiative additional political significance. By recognising the mayor’s efforts and urging local authorities across the country to prioritise high hygiene standards, the President has reinforced the message that clean towns and cities should be a national development priority rather than the responsibility of Lusaka alone.
For Zambians in the diaspora, the campaign carries a particular resonance. Many have become accustomed to environments where rubbish collection follows established schedules, businesses are expected to maintain clean frontages and public authorities intervene when communal spaces deteriorate.
Their desire to see similar standards at home is not necessarily a rejection of Zambia. It is often an expression of affection for the country and a belief that its cities can offer a better quality of life.
The challenge is to turn that aspiration into sustainable local practice. Lusaka cannot become clean through the mayor’s efforts alone, just as no city abroad remains orderly without cooperation between authorities and residents.
The public must stop treating streets as convenient dumping grounds, businesses must maintain their surroundings, and the council must ensure that waste collection and enforcement continue after the publicity surrounding the campaign fades.
Mwewa’s determination is therefore being tested not only by the amount of rubbish removed today, but also by whether Lusaka remains clean tomorrow.
Consistency, adequate resources and public participation will determine whether “Iwe Doba Apo” becomes a lasting civic movement or another temporary clean-up exercise.
The comparison with Sata is a reminder that the desire to improve Lusaka’s appearance is not new. What matters is whether political leadership can turn that desire into lasting results.
For a capital city that represents Zambia to visitors, investors and citizens returning from abroad, cleanliness should not be an occasional achievement. It should be a permanent standard.
Mwewa has made his intentions clear, and the President’s commendation has given his campaign an encouraging start.
The real measure of success will be a Lusaka whose streets are cleaner, markets are better organised, drainage systems function properly and public spaces are treated with respect.
For the mayor, the mission is to prove that the Lusaka many Zambians have long wanted to see is not beyond reach.
For the rest of the country, the message is equally clear: building a cleaner Zambia begins with taking responsibility for the places we call home.
Picture: Mwewa in Lusaka
By Kuchalo reporter