Kapema, Munkombwe community transport blues sorted

Kapema, Munkombwe community transport blues sorted

Nchelenge, June 25, ZANIS —–Government has handed over two Banana boats with accompanying five horse power marine engines to residents of Munkombwe and Kapema areas in Nchelenge district.

The two Boats which were procured from the 2012 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) at a cost of  KR 36,000 were handed over to the two communities yesterday by Nchelenge District Commissioner, Royd Chakaba and Nchelenge District Council Secretary, Mabvuto Masiye.

ZANIS reports that Mr Chakaba implored the two communities to ensure that the boats are used for their intended purpose of safe mode of transport across the Kalungwishi river.

He said there is need for the two communities to form committees that will over-see the running of the boats by ensuring that fuel is procured and the boats are serviced.

Mr Chakaba also took the opportunity to sensitise members of the community on the removal of subsidies on maize and fuel.

"The various developments that you are seeing such as construction of roads, clinics and boreholes will even intensify once the savings from the removal of the subsidies start pouring in because there will be enough money to finance developmental projects," Mr Chakaba said.

He also urged the youths in the area to form and register clubs so that they can access the Youth Empowerment Fund to drive themselves out of poverty.

And Nchelenge Council Secretary, Mabvuto Masiye said the application for the two boats were approved after seeing the need to provide safe water transport for the people of Kapema and Munkombwe to enable them safely cross the Kalungwishi river into Kaputa district where they access health services and schools.

Mr Masiye said his office will soon send people to train the two communities on how to operate the boats.

And, receiving the boats on behalf of the communities, Representative of Munkombwe Sub-Chief, Agrippa Kaluba thanked government for the gesture.

Mr Kaluba said the boats will greatly improve the livelihood of the people in the two communities to travel to Kaputa district to access health services and school because they are nearer than those in Nchelenge district.

He said before the bringing of the boats members of the two communities were using unsafe dug-out canoes to transport patients to Kaputa district.