By Tovin Ngombe
Sinazongwe district Commissioner (DC) Laiven Apuleni has said some Southern Province Local Authorities were failing to deliver social services because of the poor financial management and low calibre of the elected councilors.
Apuleni said at the German Technical Support to Zambia (GTZ) sponsored exchange visit for local authorities in southern province to Sinazongwe that the success of any local authority lies in its ability to manage financial resources.
“It is evident that we still have a good number of local authorities that are limping because of mediocre financial and administratively management coupled with low calibre of the elected representatives (councilors).†Apuleni said.
He said performance of local Authorities lies in providing services to community and not using the provision of salaries to their workers as bases for good management
“In our eyes as stakeholders you are judged by your ability to deliver services and not to pay salaries,†the DC said.
He recommended Sinazongwe District Council for exhibiting remarkable and admirable financial management.
GTZ has also ranked Sinazongwe district among the top three council in the Southern Province that have innovative ideas of raising revenue and to providing services to the community.
GTZ Local Government Adviser Kaunda Mapoma said the other councils include kalomo and Mazabuka which were managing to implement their activities based on budgeting and documentation of their revenue data base.
Mapoma said these districts also provide services such grading of the roads, sweeping the streets, providing street lights, and Kalomo have even gone on commercial bases.
He said Sinazongwe district Council has was managing to operate well with the private sector in the grading of the roads; they publish budget, and receipts on how the money was being spent.
“The public are aware of how their money was being used, there is transparent in the use of resources at Sinazongwe District Council,†Mapoma said.
He said the exchange visit was meant for Southern Province councils to know how others were managing their finances well and how others were performing poorly to ensure that they all improve their delivery of social services.
