GOVERNMENT has approved a loan facility to buy motor vehicles for chiefs, President Mwanawasa announced in Mongu on Saturday.
In a speech read by Minister of Defence George Mpombo at the official opening of the Kuomboka ceremony, the President said the new deal administration had facilitated the loan to enable chiefs be mobile so that they can visit and monitor development programmes in their chiefdoms.
“I wish to take this opportunity to inform you that apart from the current guidance of culture and governance matters being addressed by the House of Chiefs, Government is actively addressing the welfare of our chiefs,” he said.
He said the Litunga and eight other traditional leaders in the province would be the first to benefit. These are: senior chiefs Amukena and Inyambo Yeta, chiefs Kandala Mutondo, Anang’anga Imwiko, Lukama, Litunga La-Mboela and Mulena Mukwae Mboanjikana.
The President said the initiative was being taken to improve the status and welfare of chiefs in the country.
The President also said the Ministry of Local Government and Housing would this year spend over K1.9 billion on road works in Western Province.
“My Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and that of Lands has released funds to support the provision of housing in Mongu, Senaga, Seshenke, Lukulu and Shangombo,” Dr Mwanawasa said.
And Government has blacklisted the contractor working on the Shangombo District Hospital rehabilitation project following the shoddy works undertaken and the delays in completing the work.
The President said it was regrettable that the contractor had not completed the works.
He assured the people that Government will not tolerate any shoddy works and incompetence.
He said action had been taken against the contractor and that K1.7 billion has already been released to the Ministry of Health to find another company.
The President said that a total of 59 projects costing K26 billion have been undertaken at a total cost of K4 billion and that about 40 Government projects were being funded under the poverty reduction programme.
And during the handover of 17 vehicles to the Ministry of Health in Mongu, Mr Mpombo said Government was committed to improving health care service provision in the country.
The President said Government’s gesture demonstrated the seriousness that the MMD attached to national development.
“It is also evident that our Fifth National Development Plan represents our stated and firm roadmap towards attainment of a healthier Zambia enjoying the status of a middle income country,” he said.
“Today’s handover of these vehicles is part of an on-going exercise as each of the 72 districts shall eventually receive these vehicles whose total value is estimated at K25 billion,” he said.
“The Copperbelt, Eastern, Central, North-Western and Northern provinces have already received their share.”
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Loan facilities should be for students and not chiefs if we are to build a vibrant and educated society.
I am ashamed by this government’s recklessness. Why not ivest into a first class UNZA, or UTH? Hasn’t someone in GRZ ever heard of medical tourism, or educational tourism?
Sad that we are blessed with such useless leaders as Levy and his mmd. Their incompetence knows no bounds or limits.
Zambian government’s priorities are wrong. No wonder we shall continue complaining about food prices and fuel going up every time because of wrong priorities. Where will the chiefs get money for buying fuel and repairing those vehicles? Fossil fuels are depleting in the world and soon many oil wells will close. Read the signs of the times are everywhere. Read Sunday Post editorial comment yesterday for more information.
I wonder what development these chiefs will bring apart from bewitching their subjects…..
Rural vote buying again?
What happens if a chief fails to pay back the loan?????
Clearly vote buying tactics.
The Govt. should better describe the facility created for chiefs as giftland rather than loan. It is unfortunate that the same Govt. has failed to provide loans or even advance of payments to its workers (Civil servants). All this gimmick is a strategy similar to the one employed by Mugabe (dishing out tractors, buses, cars) for a vote which never came. Unfortunately for Zambia, the priorities seem to be upside down. The leadership should be addressing the Millenium Development Goals through improved access to health and education facilities. Handouts to chiefs is a misplaced priority.
Vote buying . Let them dish out those loans and when it comes to voting we know who to vote. Give the chiefs and the next thing is complaining about none payment of the loans by the chiefs. The govt has plenty of money but it fails to pay the retirees and unza gratuities plus long service bonuses.
Ishi ndalama sha ma loan e yalya malaiti mulechita export.
Govt started loadshedding so it can raise money to sort ouf imfumu.
George Mpombo chipuba naiwe…? i can not wait for 2011. one of LPM’s favorie puppies….george mpombo you ar such a fool a bootlicker….? go to hell.
i hope the govt. will spend similar amounts in other provinces too. so that all chiefs are equal. tho on the other hand, i dont see any big sense in these loans. many graduates who would start some sort of self-employment aren’t given the chance for the loans. that just shows that its votes they want and not development.
Kanabesa will soon be pushing Escalade and Bana Mfumu will be wearing Prada. Abana bamfumu will be stepping out in Fubu Jeans and Rolex.
Sad to see the misdirection of public funds. How does one expect these Chiefs to repay loans when the majority of them have no meaningful source of income. They live in shacks in the villages with standards far worse than those ofcall-boys. It is embarrassing to see how “educated politicians” fail to prioritize development concerns. Zambia’s leadership ought to adopt a serious approach to development with specific goals and targets. We don’t want our country to perpetually wallow in backwardness, we want the resources to be appropriated to economic development with focus on education, health, industry and infrastructure. We must hurry now to try and raise the standard of living in Zambia.
These same Chiefs how are they expected to pay back the loans kanshi? Is it from their house of chiefs allowances? Please us be serious there are other memebers of the society that are in need of these loans. others probably don`t even need such big amounts they just need little figures e.g students at CBU, UNZA and other institutions. Also even corporative farmers can manage to pay back. Now ama chiefs won`t others just use these cars on prostitutes? God help Us
“Kamwabombeni, pakutupokololako kuli Sata!”
some things should be done quietly…now we all know how cheap the chiefs are !!
Just wonder how these ‘Loans’ will be repaid when chiefs do not generate any income and rely solely on government handouts. What a shame. Are these traditional institutions still viable in this day and age?
As Africans we must continue to attach ourselves to our traditional values, otherwise we shall but live in vain. The Traditonal Leaders require respect and incentives. I think all of you who are writing negative things about this initiative are misdirected and probably have never set a foot in the village. The Chiefs do a lot in maintaining law and order in far flung areas where the police can not deploy. They deserve these vehicles.
Ba Sata, yakakana! Chuchu aamba ukuteya iikali! Alateela bola ya mumulu! Work hard and put the ball on the ground! Otherwise, ama rural yaledensa again! Ama chiefs yakalaeba fye ati MMD yalitupelako ne myotoka! Arrest Chuchu for disguised “open” corruption.
dearest bloggers inform rightly;is it true that chiefs are migrating like nurses for geener pastures to the UK and america?