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–All Civil Servants employed to work from Ngabwe district in Central province are stuck in Kapiri Mposhi due to lack of office and housing accommodation in the newly created district.
The workers who are already on the government payroll were employed upon President Michael Sata’s declaration to elevate Ngabwe area situated over 200 Kilometers west of Kapiri Mposhi to a district level last year.
But Central province Permanent Secretary, Edwidge Mutale has said the civil servants have delayed to relocate and work from the area because of Chiefs Ngabwe and Mukubwe royal establishments’ failure to agree on the location of the administrative center of the new district.
The two royal establishments are members of the steering committee which was set up to determine the possible location of an administrative center of Ngabwe district.
The steering committee also includes line government ministries such as Lands, Local Government and Chiefs Affairs.
In an interview with ZANIS today, Ms Mutale said the steering committee has failed to agree on the matter thereby delaying government workers’ movement into the area to start rendering services.
“It is not the fault of our workers but the committee which was set up to agree on where to set up the administrative center of the new district, as government we are waiting until they come up with an amicable solution because we don’t want to impose,” Ms Mutale said.
The two traditional leaders have disagreed at several meetings on the location for an administrative center of which each one of them is demanding that the center be created in their chiefdom.
Ms Mutale said government is ready to move into Ngabwe district because it has even set aside K500, 000 in this year’s budget to put up office infrastructure in the new district.
She said government is committed to realizing the Presidential declaration because it has even created a public service structure for Ngabwe district.
The Permanent Secretary stated that government will not move into Ngabwe district to commence with construction of its offices and other accompanying infrastructure because of the impasse.
“As government we have done our part by employing officers and allocating funds in this year’s budget for construction of office buildings for our officers to operate from but the onus is on the local people that include Chiefs Ngabwe and Mukubwe that are involved to resolve the impasse over where they want to set up the boma… as government we are ready once this is done,” Ms Mutale exlained.
The Permanent Secretary has since called upon all stakeholders involved in determining the location of an administrative centre in the new district to speed up the process.
Several meetings have been held to resolve the matter but the two traditional leaders have disagreed on the location of the headquarters of the new district.
Meanwhile, people of Ngabwe district are dismayed at the delays in implementing the formation of the new district.
Ngabwe Ward Councillor, Borden Kalebuka said people are not happy by the holdup because it will further negate development in the area.
“We are just refusing the opportunity to develop our lives because even when our President gave us the chance we don’t want to take it… we are not happy with what is going on as there is need for a solution,” Mr Kalebuka said.
Mr Kalebuka said this in a statement issued to ZANIS.
The councilor said the area lacked crucial amenities such as roads, phone network and electricity saying these will be attained once the area becomes a fully fledged district.
