LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes
@SunZambian
A TEAM of Public health officers from of Lusaka City Council (LCC) are to conduct physical checks on buildings that are not certified for occupation and slap penalties on developers found wanting, says public relations officer Lisa Ng’oma.
Ms Ng’oma said the move followed the expiry of the three months grace period that he council had given the developers in March to regularize their structures.
In a statement Ms Ng’oma said the council had discovered that many developers had occupied new buildings without obtaining occupation certificates.
Ms Ng’oma said it was a requirement by law that before occupying a new building, the occupation certificate was obtained to certify that the building was fit for occupation.
“The Public Health Act Cap 295 of the Laws of Zambia, Section 14(1) states that “The applicant or his authorised agent shall give notice in writing to Local Authority when the building is completed, and no person shall occupy or suffer to be occupied any new building until such building has been certified by the Local Authority,
“And where available, by a medical officer of health to be, in their opinion, in every respect fit for occupation, or, in the case of the domestic building or dwelling- house, fit for human habitation,” she said.
Ms Ng’oma said Section (2) of the same Act states “The Local Authority shall cause an inspection of the building to be made within forty-eight hours from the date of completion.
She said the law applied to all categories of buildings such as dwelling houses, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings, adding that partial occupation also required certification under Section 15 of the Public Health Act.
Ms Ng’oma said the local authority had accorded an opportunity to people occupying uncertified buildings to regularize the structures by applying and paying approved fees.
“The approved fees are K1, 771.56 for industrial buildings, K1, 328.67 for commercial, K885.78 for institutional buildings and K531.47 for high cost residential buildings.
Others are K664.62 for medium cost residential buildings and K544.20 for low cost residential buildings,” she said.
