JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
—Chief Chizela of the Kaonde speaking people in Mufumbwe district has appealed to government to conduct consultations with stakeholder before implementing some policies.
The chief said the removal of subsidies may receive misconception from most people because they may not understand what it means as the concept was not explained to them before the policy was implemented.
The traditional leader said this in Mufumbwe yesterday in a speech read for him by Ntongo Traditional Ceremony Association Chairperson, Starick Mwanaute, during the commemoration of the this year’s annual ceremony at his palace.
Meanwhile, Chief Chizela commended government for constructing a boarding secondary school in the district but appealed to government to facilitate the quickening of the construction so that the school is opened next year.
He further appealed for government’s facilitation to quicken the full operational of a district hospital in order to reduce costs of referrals to hospitals in other districts.
Chief Chizela also appealed to government to construct a standard police station in order to curb the rising crime rate in the district due to rising population.
Officiating at the ceremony, Youth and Sport Deputy Minister, Stephen Masumba, said the Patriotic Front government is committed to ensuring that economic development trickles down to the poor communities in the country.
Mr Masumba said government realized that maintaining subsidies was not economical as government was buying maize at a higher price and selling to millers at a lower price yet that money could have been utilized to address many challenges facing the people.
He said by removing the subsidies government will save money that will be used to carry out projects that will help the people such construction of the standard police station which the chief requested and many others that will benefit the majority poor.
On the opening of the district hospital, Mr Masumba said works are underway to put the necessary machinery in place and by July, this year, everything will be in place and the hospital will be operational.
The deputy minister, who is also area Member of Parliament, added that the tendering process for 14 rural health centres for the district has been concluded and by next week officers will be in the district to check on sites where the health centres will be constructed.
He further disclosed that government has allocated 50 boreholes in the district and directed the council to ensure that they include chiefs’ palaces when allocating areas for drilling the boreholes.
Meanwhile, Mr Masumba said government has allocated KR 1 million youth empowerment funds in the district and urged youths in the district to be innovative and come with viable projects in order to access the money.
Speaking on behalf of chiefs, Senior Chief Musele appealed to government to relook at the land clause in the draft constitution to strengthen chiefs’ authority over their areas because they draw their strength in the people and the land in their respective areas.
Chief Musele said as chiefs in North-western province, they are not comfortable on the provision that gives traditional leader only surface rights excluding resources under the surface such as minerals and the waters rights in the rivers that are in their chiefdoms.
The traditional leader, nevertheless, commended the PF government for establishing the Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Ministry to look into the affairs chiefs.
