Kitwe District Commissioner Binwel Mpundu says some houses in the city’s ChaChaCha Township are at the verge of collapse due to cracks developed as a result of mining activities in the area.

And Chiengi FDD member of parliament Given Katuta says government needs to urgently relocate people who have settled in Kandabwe township because it is unsafe since sits on top of Mopani Copper Mines’ deposits.

Mpundu was speaking when a parliamentary Committee paid a courtesy call on him, Wednesday.

The committee was in the district on a tour to check on the executive performance in terms of mitigating disasters.

And Mpundu said the matter had been reported to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit for the development of an action plan on how to sort out the problem.

“There are a few important concerns in the District that have to be highlighted and this is the  issue of houses in Chachacha (that) have developed cracks and we do not know how to address the issue because when Mopani took over the Mines, these houses had already developed cracks. Therefore, I do not know the relationship between the current mining and the cracks but it is still a disaster, for some houses have moved away from their original point of constructions and at any time they may fall,” he said.

He said there was need for the district to begin preparing itself for disasters because several mining projects were posing a threat.

And Katuta, who is a member of the committee, said  there was need for government to relocate residents that had settled in Kandabwe; a township which sits on top of Mopani Copper Mines’ deposits.

Katuta said residents needed to be sensitised on the dangers of settling on the area as it is a time bomb.

Katuta said the government should not look at the political side of the settlement but look at the living conditions of people in that area since many lives risked being lost.

“Kandabwe is a disaster in waiting and there is need for something to be done on the settlement and as a committee, we would like to know how ready are you as (a) district to relocate the residents and in preparing for these disasters because we fear that lives will be lost for the area is not safe to live in and we should not look at political affiliations or votes that are living in an area we should look at the importance of safety,” said Katuta.