Chief Ntambu of the Lunda speaking people in Mwinilunga district has appealed to government to expedite the process of implementing the national decentralization policy.
Chief Ntambu said decentralization is the only vehicle through which development can reach people in rural areas and attain meaningful socio and economic development.
He said this during a consultative meeting with traditional leaders on the national decentralization process organised by Caritas Zambia held in Mwinilunga district yesterday.
Chief Ntambu expressed worry at the rate at which development in rural areas is moving saying once the decentralization policy is fully implemented poverty levels among people will reduce.
Speaking at the same function, Caritas Zambia pro- poor and economic justice manager for North western province Isaac Mungwala said people must not look at decentralization as a way of dividing the nation.
Mr Mungwala said instead the process should be viewed as a mechanism put in place to increase citizen participation to effectively implement the national developmental agenda.
Mr Mungwala urged people to support the government of the day and its policies by expressing their opinions on issues such as the decentralization process so that it could be done in good faith.
And Mwinilunga District Commissioner Masela Chinyama said government has taken a bold step of devolving some powers to lower organs through the decentralization process, the initiative she said must be supported by all citizens.
Ms Chinyama said government wants its people to have access to quality social services and appealed to the ministry of local government and housing spearheading the implementation of the decentralization policy to ensure that it is implemented in time.
Can PF hear this and does she has the ears to listen? I doubt. PF manifestal is not on an open air where everyone can access it but is like some churches which hides the constitution from their church members. PF talks but development is seen to go one side. I would love one day see that people from Northwestern province rise in 2014 to see to it that roads in all towns are tired like the way we see Muchinga, Northern and Luapula is as at now. Lunda, Luvale, Bakaonde get united that is why you have three tribes on the media for unity and not for division. Please work-up you have all the resources available for developing your Region. Solwezi is in a deplorable state and Council guys are sharing the money everyday living Solwezi in ruins.
Seleni, you are right by calling a spade a spade. NWP should rise up and unity or else only Muchinga will be regarded as Zambia. There is no reason for this North western or Mwinilunga to stay behind as if we were still in the year 1952. wake up guys or die
@ Seleni
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. BUT YOU ARE BLAMING WRONG PEOPLE!
I WISH YOU COULD VISIT NEW AND SURROUNDING AREAS OF MINING TOWNS IN SOUTH AFRICA OR BOTSWANA. MAN, THERE IS NO TOWN TO COMPARE WITH IN ZAMBIA.
SOLWEZI SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MODERN CITY BY NOW IF MMD KNEW WHAT THERE WERE DOING..BEFORE A GRAM OF COPPER WAS EVEN MINED THERE.
The blame totally lies in fake PF leadership which has shown skewed governance and does not want to see other provinces develop.The chiefs and stakeholders in NWP must put more pressure if this idea is to come to fruition.
Decentralization will make local governments motivated and work hard. Right now local govts are lazy because money generated locally is sent to BOZ lusaka for redistribution which does not happen equally. I will also be lazy no doudt.
Its never too late man Luapula premier (2 above), all that is needed is political power and will. PF promised to turn-around things for the better of every Zambian but its like they meant turning things around for themselves and tribesmen. Really what they have done for Muchinga, Northern & Luapula should have been split among other provinces less developed. Instead of building 2 unis in Muchinga there should have built 1 in Northwestern for Christs sake. You see the much publicized link Zambia 8000 & 2000 fimofimo has no project in progress for Northwestern. ba fi color are doing things deliberately.
Its never too late man Luapula premier, all that is needed is political power and will. PF promised to turn-around things for the better of every Zambian but its like they meant turning things around for themselves and tribesmen. Really what they have done for Muchinga, Northern & Luapula should have been split among other provinces less developed. Instead of building 2 unis in Muchinga there should have built 1 in Northwestern for Christs sake. You see the much publicized link Zambia 8000 & 2000 fimofimo has no project in progress for Northwestern. ba fi color are doing things deliberately.
I know the grandiose of self rule and determination appeals to most of us. B ut we always forget the aspect of resource limitation. How much resources can mwinilunga mobilise? I ve been to the town without a filling station, agriculture is lame at 15, 000 metric tonnes/yr. Even the so called pineapples are grown in ikelenge. Districts like mwinilunga shud be the last one to cry for decentralisation as it would do them more harm than good.
Yakuna, what some of suggest is that provinces be given a certain autonomy, then we have a federal government. In this case Mwinilunga would not be isolated, and will be closer to Solwezi as an administrative capital than it is to Lusaka. For some interesting reason our provinces are also cut out along the lines of related ethnicities. This would reduce the feeling of certain ethnicities that their resources are benefitting a different ethnicity. Local people would feel empowered with a bit more sense of self-determination, which reduces tensions that cause conflict, and motivate one to work harder, when they feel they have a stake in it. Regional administrative centres would also be better placed on how to work with traditional leaders.
The issue of poverty is not just about the lack of availability of resources, or government policey, but for many it is also an issue of motivation and a complacent mindset. Two people growing in the same conditions, hanging out in the same neighbourhood, on the same spot, one starts selling cigarettes and the other comes there everyday to beg instead of doing the same. Government must of course have deliberate policy. We should remember that the system of government we inherited, and its infrastructure, including administrative centres, were designed for efficient administration of extraction of our mineral resources and transportation of the same out of the country, and that trend continues. We now need to start looking at more in-ward structures.
Of course, you might be right. Maybe decentralisation, or a federal system may not work. We anyway need to ask ourselves these questions and really analyze using the scientific approach to maximize output. We cant afford to think like a high school debate club where you can just choose a side and start arguing no matter what.
@ Chavuma
Chavuma, you are a big f o o l. How do you blame the poor layout of Solwezi town-a marketplace right the town center, the dirt/dust and the moving of copper concentrates across town & the poor/luck of infrastructure in Solwezi & Zambia generally on a government which has been in power barely two years? Can we attribute your madness or your luck of education to the DNA of your stepfather just because he has failed to fulfill some promises made to your mother?
Kaunda’s Solwezi of 1976 during my ZNS years was sparkling. Today’s Solwezi is a ghost town. I was there prior to 2011. Women knickers were full of concentrate dust during windy weather. Its dullness of the likes of Chavuma who tolerated MMD to be in power for more than 20years with nothing to show off.
DECENTRALIZATION IS SURELY COMING HOWEVER LONG IT WILL TAKE TO ADOPT THE NEW CONSTITUTION. IT IS IN THE PARTY’S MANIFESTO BECAUSE IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE CAUSES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY.
WHICH OTHER PARTY HAS DECENTRALIZATION IN THEIR MANIFESTO?
PLEASE LOOK AT, COMPARE AND CONTRAST SOLWEZI AND ZAMBIA IN GENERAL AFTER 10YEARS! POOR/LACK OF PROPER ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE NW? WHY DO YOU THINK WILLIE HAS BEEN STRATEGICALLY PUT IN CHARGE OF RDA?
What we need is federation. Press for federation, not for decentralization. I do not see how decentralization can bar biased govts from looting resources in one province and developing another. In decentralization, it’s only service delivery where locals may have a say and depending on whatever Central Govt gives them. In the case of NWP, the locals will have a say on the little or on the nothing they receive. In federation the locals will manage their own resources such as tax, mineral royalties and decide how to utilize the same.
Join me in crying for federation.
small chiefs can’t do anthing. this lunda chief shud jus wait for da Bemba chef to act!
@Mpundu trust: you are as smelly as your smegma.
You are myopic, uneducatedb i/diot.
PF has worsened the conditions in most of these small towns. Their policies do not appear to surge development particularly in NWP where the mines are doing absolutely great. PF should have built unversity in NWP, enhance CSR in all mining towns especially in NWP. PF has done nothing to correct the situation, all the profit realised from sell of copper none in ploughed back to NWP. Now you want to open your dull mouth and insult. I can insult you more than you know. I/chinyo pa matako sta,nyoko.
@ Mpundu trust
You are the worst fool really. If you find a road accident and someone is bleeding profusely and you just sit around do nothing and victim goes into coma. Can you defend yourself that you where there for 5 minutes only and victim then went into coma. You could have tied a tone cut to the leg what ever it is called to stop the bleeding and call for help immediatelly. Its folks like you who cannot stop the curse in your family cos you found it existing already. A fish is only caught when it opens up its mouth. I have caught your dullness, avoid opening your dumb mouth. You are a retard and am sure your wife ,girlfriend has told you before.
Be smart mother f/ucker.
uluse ba @Mpundu trust.
Point to learn, avoid confrontation talk or you will find your superior march.
Go to sleep mpundu and i think be smarter next time.
The analogy by NWP power of the accident nailed the the point home. There point to blame the driver of the car that made an accident but mpundu let the patient go into coma when he could have saved his life. Two wrongs dont make a right. PF should not make the second wrong. Indeed why build two unversities in Muchinga/northern when their in none in NWP. Mpundu do you need a rocket scientist to explain really. PF built universities and good roads somewhere else in the period they have been in power but none in NWP. Dont support PF blindly, be objective.
@ Mwape
I am a Lunda fromLuapula. Rome was not built in 20 years. I did my ZNS in Solwezi during the Kaunda era. I was in Solwezi prior to 2011, before Madala became president. My girl friend’s knicker was always soils because of copper concentrate dust and dirt in the streets of Solwezi, some thing I was privileged to share with Ba Mudala. Madala may not be so educated, but he too wondered why MMD allowed Solwezi sink to that level!
Mudala is working on NWP. Madala’s concentration on on other areas is strategic. Support base! Universities are surely coming to NWP. Mark my word.