Nchelenge DC explains his thought of difference with Chief Kambwili

Nchelenge DC explains his thought of difference with Chief Kambwili

Nchelenge, February 27, ZANIS ——- Nchelenge District Commissioner Joseph Chisakula has explained that his professional approach to the development of Nchelenge District has created some misunderstandings between him and Chief Kambwali.

Mr Chisakula said following his appointment as District Commissioner, he was tasked to assist in the implementation of already agreed upon measures intended for fish restocking in the district through the integration of all squatters in the entire Mifimbo fish breeding areas into the mainland.

He said the programme of sensitising squatters in the fish breeding areas in his district was started even before he was appointed as District Commissioner.

He said attempts for fish restocking in the district will only be possible if all the people who have established illegal permanent squatter communities in the breeding areas were integrated into the villages on the mainland where they were coming from so that fish could be breeding freely in the entire Mifimbo breeding areas.

Mr Chisakula said the chief should work with government in sensitising the people in the breeding areas to leave the areas free for fish to breed because there will be many beneficiaries if the breeding areas were set free from human encroachment.

The Mifimbo area squatters were sensitised on the dangers of living in the breeding areas because of lack of basic facilities and social amenities as there was no infrastructure to support the wholesome development of children like clinics, schools, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in the areas.

The District Commissioner disclosed that cholera outbreak which vexed his district in December last year started from the people who remained in the breeding areas and claimed one life because there were no medical facilities in sight.

He said the Mifimbo areas were subjected to an international agreement between Zambia then Northern Rhodesia and Congo DR in 1946 that the breeding areas should be free from human encroachment so that fish could be breeding freely for the benefit of all which agreement was still in force to this day.

The squatters were given September 30, 2012 as the deadline for everyone in the breeding areas to freely and voluntarily migrate to their villages on the   mainland which deadline some have defied with impunity.

Chief Kambwali at the time had instructed all his subjects in the fish breeding areas to vacate according to government directive because as they continued to live in the squatter communities, their lives were in danger from invasions from some aggressive Congolese.

The chief at the time of the visit disclosed that he was receiving reports of how his subjects in the fish breeding areas were being attacked and killed by unknown people without government protection.

He told them that if they moved to the mainland, they would enjoy state security from any aggression from outside forces.

The squatters at the time of the visit agreed with the chief that they would freely move away from the breeding areas back to their villages on the mainland so that their lives were protected.

The District Commissioner said the other problem that has created a misunderstanding between the Chief and his office was the way tender procedures were being handled in the district as there were many anomalies in the procedures which he was trying to correct and some people must have falsely accused him and slandered him and making him unpopular to the chief.

He added that his appointment as District Commissioner entailed that he was the eyes of the President at district level and he should oversee central government intentions, programmes and projects to ensure that they were being carried out according to laid down procedures and guidelines.

He said he was committed to the mandate of his office and would not like to disappoint the president who appointed him to assist in the development of the district.

Mr Chisakula said it was his desire that all the stakeholders in the development of the district including the chief should be doing things correctly and in a transparent way so that the benefits of government efforts for the development of the district should not be confined to the privileged few but should trickle down to all the citizens.

The District Commissioner said he would love to work closely with Chief Kambwili on developmental programmes because both the chief and himself should have a common goal of bringing development to the area and uplift the living standards of the people.

He said both parties should support better ways of handling government projects in the area so that government does not lose colossal sums of money over projects which could be done at a lesser and reasonable cost.

Chief Kambwali on Monday last week complained to Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Mbololwa Muyaba when she paid a courtesy call on him at his palace that he was not working well with the District Commissioner and suggested that the District Commissioner should leave his chiefdom before something nasty happens to him alleging that he had brought hatred in the district.

He also said he was upset with the way the District Commissioner was doing things and promised to disclose the reasons at a later stage.

ZANIS ENDS/CN/SM ———- DRY