Government has set aside K11 billion for the upgrading of Mbala Zambia Air Force Airport to accommodate commercial flights.
Northern Province Minister Charles Shawa says another K17 billion has been set aside for the upgrading of Luzuwa Hydro power station while K24 billion will be spent on the construction of a road from Mbala to Kasaba bay.
Mr. Shawa announced this in reaction to the chairperson of the Mambwe-Lungu Cultural Association (MALUCA) Felix Chitala who in his address during the Umutomolo Tradition ceremony yesterday accused government of neglecting traditional leaders and their subjects in Mbala and Mpulungu Districts.
The minister said Government has also electrified palaces for all gazetted chiefs in Mbala and Mpulungu Districts by either connecting them to the electricity national grid or providing them with solar panels.
He further said Government under President Rupiah Banda’s leadership was undertaking a number of developmental projects in the two districts with a view of uplifting the economic status of the local people.
Mr. Shawa cited the revamping of the Kasaba Bay Tourism resort as one of the major projects which will uplift the economic status of the local people through the provision of job opportunities once completed.
He said it was wrong for anybody to allege that government was not doing anything to develop the two districts.
The visibly upset Minister challenged Mr. Chitala to be factual when addressing people instead of fabricating lies.
Earlier, Mr. Chitala, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Mambwe-Lungu chiefs, said they were disappointed that while government was assisting chiefs in other places, it was not rendering support to their chiefs.
Mr. Chitala charged that most Mambwe-Lungu chiefs were staying in glass thatched palaces while roads leading to their palaces had not been graded.
He observed that chief palaces in other areas had been electrified by Government while those for the Mambwe Lungu had not.
The MALUCA chairperson also claimed that the two districts had continued to lag behind in terms of development despite them being supportive of the government.
But Chief Zombe of Mbala district disassociated the Mambwe-Lungu chiefs from Mr. Chilala’s statement saying that was his personal opinion and not the opinion of the traditional leaders.
Chief Zombe said contrary to Mr. Chitala’s claims, the Mambwe-Lungu chiefs were happy with the efforts government was making to develop the two districts.
He said Chiefs in the area will continue to support President Banda’s government because they were happy with its commitment to develop the area.
Chief Zombe also said it was wrong for some politicians to claim that the chiefs in the area were against the government.
The Umutomolo Tradition ceremony which attracted hundreds of people is an annual event which brings together Mambwe-Lungu chiefs to witness the festivity and fisting of the fruit of harvest.
ZANIS
Bushe fyakuchita announce ifyo. Why do you guys like exposing the status of our security system in the Country?
can there be also an effective mechanism put in place for checks and holding people accountable should the money be misappropriated please! we are tired!
Mr Shawa, you need to be humble not to say ” it was wrong for anybody to allege that government was not doing anything to develop the two districts”. What would help is for you to verify what “Mr. Chitala charged that most Mambwe-Lungu chiefs were staying in glass thatched palaces while roads leading to their palaces had not been graded”. Afterwards, then you could seek an apology from Mr Chitala if at all you will prove him wrong.
Fyabufifye! How many international airports do they want to have? Where will be the flights coming from for that airport to be international? Since they completed the Kasama airport ow many fligths have landed there? This makes me very angry when politicians do not have anyhting credible to tell the people!
I like the idea of the road from Mbala to Kasa Bay. This has been overdue for the past 40 years!
Chitala is right to help fight these poor local Chiefs, but because GRZ are in the area, they cannot speak for themselves and are shy to be open.Otherwise GRZ wont give them kick backs.
Help the poor in the area please since independence nothing has been done.
GRZ has alot of money the development planning to upgrade of Mbala Zambia Air Force Airport to accommodate commercial flights. So they also need to keep something for this poor medical officers so that they can go back for work.Enough is Enough
Just another way of stealing money, really, you dont do that during the time of recession. Where is the money coming from??. You can as well set aside money for nurses you *****s. What commercial use would mbala airport have for the benefit of the country. The problem with headless governments is that they always do wrong things in pretext to steal money. Why is that these people are bent to doing wrong?.
#6
Well said, I wouldn’t be suprised if some of these MMD owned companies get contracts.
So that chap called Kapoko could have easily upgraded the airport on his own,
They are preparing for a quick get away in 2011
These guys are cheating the Zambians. Setting aside funds is not the same as funding a project. Take for example how they said they had set aside 20billion for the upgrading of Solwezi Airport. Today it remains to be seen if ever something will be done about their promise. Mark my words
malovian @ 10, I couldn’t agree with you more for seeing thru these liars’ meaningless semantics!! What the F does “setting aside funds” mean?
Please let me decide who gets the contract for the ZAF Base project. After all I have the experience from my last ministry! Please, pleeeeeezzzzzzzzz, I beg you Bamaluma RB!!!! Tizaziba zocita!, you and I. Oh, and Judge Musonda too.
Impressive stuff. On “The visibly upset Minister challenged Mr. Chitala to be factual when addressing people instead of fabricating lies“, I wonder as to which facts. This news is all a circus as one chief decided to represents alll chiefs in his/her? “But Chief Zombe of Mbala district disassociated the Mambwe-Lungu chiefs from Mr. Chil[?t]ala’s statement saying that was his personal opinion and not the opinion of the traditional leaders“.
I am waiting for a more truthful article over this.
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Matt 6.33 + KJV Bible.
ala first of all let me say am a born and bred of mbala and what i would like to say the mabwe- lungu chiefs in mbala are the poorest chiefs in zambia that av never seen especially that chief who has no moral, he goes on kwacha gudmorning zambia and asks for cash.neither is mr. chitala an angel but on this one i support him those people are in terrible states as far as i know.
ZAF, there is more to to ZAF than the airport. politicians, first of all think of developing and commercialising that town you act,if you have thought, where will those commercial flights be coming from and what will those pipo go to do in mbala. think twice menn. but anyway i have a feeling its jst one way of…