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Govt. calls for pro-activity in councils
Kapiri Mposhi, February 8th , 2013, ZANIS — Government has advised Councils in Central Province to be proactive by developing plans to guide the growth and development of their respective districts.
Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ronald Sinyangwe notes that currently most councils in the province do not have long term and specific development plans to provide an holistic strategy for the growth of their districts.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Sinyangwe said this when he officiated at the Kapiri Mposhi District Integrated Development Plan (IDP) stakeholders meeting, today.
Mr. Sinyangwe said due to lack of long term development plans most councils have fallen victim to haphazard development adding that government was extremely concerned by the levels of unplanned developments taking place in most districts of the Province.
“ We urge councils to adopt integrated type of planning because unlike previous structure plans, integrated planning will bring together social, economic and environmental factors in a single planning document and provide a holistic strategy for their growth,” Mr. Sinynagwe said.
Mr. Sinyangwe noted that the IDP will help Councils to guide development activities, coordinate investment programs and ensure creation of sustainable and habitable towns.
The DPS advised Kapiri District Council to involve the local people in coming up with development plans saying previous plans have failed to yield positive results because they did not involve the locals who are affected by the impact of the program.
An IDP sets out standard strategies to guide the development of districts over a five year period with an indicative view of the subsequent ten years beyond.
Once approved, the Spatial Planning will replace the existing Local and Structure Plans that the current Town and Country Planning Act require councils to prepare.
Currently, most councils among them Kapiri Mposhi were using the 1979 planning framework and do not have an overarching vision and development strategies.
The stakeholders meeting which was also attended by traditional leaders among them: Senior Chief Chipepo of the Lenje speaking people, Chiefs Mukonchi and Nkole both of the Swaka speaking people in Kapiri Mposhi district was organized to consider the outcomes of several IDP public participation exercises undertaken by the council over the past two months.
The chiefs were part of the meeting because they are expected to surrender parts of their traditional land to the local authority for the growth and integrated development of the district.
An IDP sets out standard strategies to guide the development of districts over a five year period with an indicative view of the subsequent ten years beyond.
Once approved, the Spatial Planning will replace the existing Local and Structure Plans that the current Town and Country Planning Act require councils to prepare.
Currently, most councils among them Kapiri Mposhi were using the 1979 planning framework and do not have an overarching vision and development strategies.
The stakeholders meeting which was also attended by traditional leaders among them: Senior Chief Chipepo of the Lenje speaking people, Chiefs Mukonchi and Nkole both of the Swaka speaking people in Kapiri Mposhi district was organized to consider the outcomes of several IDP public participation exercises undertaken by the council over the past two months.
The chiefs were part of the meeting because they are expected to surrender parts of their traditional land to the local authority for the growth and integrated development of the district.
And Kapiri Mposhi District Council Secretary, Hamweende Mpande said that the district was growing at a fast rate and needed an all encompassing planning arrangement.
According to the District Status Quo Report and the 2010 Census of Population, Kapiri Mposhi district recorded a 2.1 percent population growth rate which is the highest in Central Province.
Mr. Hamweende said the Council will soon produce the Development Framework document which will outline the development of the district upon consultations with locals and stakeholders.
“We have undertaken an extensive baseline analysis of existing conditions in the district and we have engaged stakeholders in this process and hence we are going to produce the Development Framework document after we discuss the implications of our findings with stakeholders during this meeting,” Mr. Hamweende said.
The Ministry of Local Government and Housing has placed priority on the formulation of Integrated Development Plans to steer the development of towns and cities in the country, he said.
The IDP, which is being piloted in some districts including Kapiri Mposhi in the country, is required under the terms of the Draft Spatial Planning Bill which is currently awaiting approval by government.
