Government has handed over 150 second hand vehicles valued at K6.3 billion to traditional leaders in the country.
The 150 vehicles make up the first batch of the 286 vehicles to be procured for traditional leaders in the country.
The remaining 136 will be procured later this year.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Lusaka today, Local Government and Housing minister, Sylvia Masebo, said government decided to give motor vehicle loans to traditional leaders in a bid to ease their mobility in monitoring developmental projects in their respective chiefdoms.
Ms. Masebo stated that the vehicles were on loan and would remain government property until the entire loan amount has been redeemed.
The loan will attract a 5 per cent interest per annum.
She said maintenance and fuel costs shall be borne by the owners, adding that a recovery of 50 percent of the chiefs’ monthly subsidy would be made.
And Ms. Masebo has disclosed that cabinet was still considering the chief’s policy which will be approved by the end of the year.
She announced that government would carry out consultations with the traditional leaders in updating the villages Act.
She appealed to the traditional leaders to work with local authorities in issues of land development, saying some chiefs refuse to give land for government to undertake developmental projects such as construction of schools and clinics.
Ms. Masebo further bemoaned the increasing boundary and succession wrangles in some chiefdoms.
She said her ministry would study at family trees and boundaries in all chiefdoms to ensure that succession wrangles are reduced and consolidate positions of boundaries.
and speaking earlier, House of Chiefs Chairperson, Chief Mumena thanked government for the gesture saying the vehicles would enable traditional leaders contribute to the governance of the country through effectively serving the citizens.
I hope they will not be using these vehicles to sleep around with women and other people’s wives. Chief are notorious for this vice…stupid *****s!!!
Ba BigBen, we are getting tired of your negative comments. No wonder people are not commenting after you. How can you even dare to insult all chiefs? As the proverbs goes “pa nsaka tapabula chiwelewele..”
ba bigben grow up neimwe? when are you going to issue a developmetal comment?
Bigben is just envious because he is still paying mini bus fares while kanabesa is pushing 4×4 Escalade and Pajero. Our chiefs, or is it chieves, deserve the best and nothing less. After all they have been our true leaders long before utuma politicians came lying their way through.
I thank the govt for loaning the chiefs second hand vehicles, but I would have loved the govt to should have ordered new vehicles. Some of those second hand vehicles vehicles are in a worse condition than others. I hope that has been taken into consideration on the prices of the vehicles and interest. These vehicles which are in such a state are likely to depreciate faster than the others. Anyway, it is better than nothing. I wish them good luck and use them carefully and with proper maintenance. Please, ndakomba ba Mami not to be buying the cheap fuel from the roadsides which does not conform to the standard. Mulajaya myotokala yenu cakufwambana. Don’t go for cheap spares parts.
The government should have given the chiefs tractors, ploughs, seeds and some fertilizer
Where is chief Puta?
may be bigben 1 had a point, sometimes chiefs are on the forefront marrying more than one wife, they should have ordered those vihicles for the district health offices to reduce maternal death which are due to lack of transport from rural clinics to the bigger hospital, and could also be used in under five and family planning clinic in hard to reach areas, HIV AIDS programs etc.
is there any qualification for becaming a chief? some chiefs really are just symbolic like chief sikute of the tokaleya he is having serious mental problems he is not saving any purpose, so whats the purpose of wasting govt cush to give him a car?
Theres a hidden agenda behind this gesture, lets wait and see!!
How do they expect the chiefs to pay back the money? this is simply a political gimick? these so called loans shall be written off towards 2011? masebo should have earned millions in commision for these cars she purchased? iam sure the source is the same with the other cars she bought for the council? can somebody look into this matter?
Imwe, leave the mfumus alone, eh! Nalafulwa.
The cars should be grants not loans. Most chiefs don’t have income to be given loans. Like someone has said, they should have been given tractors and other farming tools plus the cars so that chiefdoms can become self reliant in future instead of depending on gov’t gifts and charity. Ideally, it should be the chiefs giving out loans to politicians not the other way round. It appears like this move is political, another type of corruption. This is MMD vote buying for 2011. Why can’t the gov’t just say we have some extra cash from the sale of copper so we are giving chiefs some cars for free not on loan?
Where are they going to drive these vehicles? Are these Off Road Trucks? Who takes care of repairs? Come on. The farming equip and tractors as said by #13 would have been the best idea. How many times are they going to give them such? The Levy govt thinks cars is development. The chiefs also should have demanded for something sensible, farm equipment. Anyway, we don’t know what they are planning. Hope these are not for 2011 elections. Farm equip would have helped millions in those rural areas. Think of it, when the all world is undergoing food crisis, you opt for camrys and hondas instead of Kubota, John Deers, and the like. Misplaced priorities.
this is a political move as # 10 has outlined holla something is bout to take place some of these whips might not even be used to monitor the so called developmental projects to me it would have been a better move if the whips were given to the HIV & AIDS SENSITIZATION and it would have been of appreciable to the people of the republic of zed……..
This does not make sense at all especially at a time when most if not all our health and education institutions lack means of transportation. Most of these chiefs like Mpezeni and Puta are a silly nuisance to society and one wonders why the government is keen on making nuisances mobile to spread out. Further, nearly all chiefs in Western province have means of transportation (Nalikwandas), the Easterners have “vinyau va libilo top one”, Luapulans have Kazembe carried high on on his royal hammock or on a strong subject’s shoulders. So why does this new deal administration want to change these good traditions?
I agree with Kalos2020. Who takes care of spares, fuels,etc. I hope this vewhicles will not stop moving only to reappear just before elections with promisses from Government to give them free spares, fuels – from the tax I pay.
The cars should be grants not loans. Most chiefs don’t have income to be given loans. Like someone has said, they should have been given tractors and other farming tools plus the cars so that chiefdoms can become self reliant in future instead of depending on gov’t gifts and charity. Ideally, it should be the chiefs giving out loans to politicians not the other way round. It appears like this move is political, another type of corruption. This is MMD vote buying for 2011. Why can’t the gov’t just say we have some extra cash from the sale of copper so we are giving chiefs some cars for free not on loan
Chiefs should never get any hand outs from the gov because thats like giving food to some one who has means to feed himself/selves.What gov should is to teach chiefs on how to attract investment(agriculture) to there areas i.e if a chief give up 5000ha of land to an investor that is able to put in atleast $250,000.instead of selling the land better to go in patnership with potential investor so that every chief will have some income monthly or annually.Chiefs luck creative people around them,Zambia’s economy success lies in the land that is only 30% occupied.
What is the value of those vehicles? Are they being loaned according to their values or each Chief has to pay the same amount?
When are the remaining 186 or so “secondhand” vehicles going to be dispatched to the well deserving Chiefs who have been left out in this initial gesture?
God move, but make sure the Chief pay-up for free things days are or shoul-be over.
If you have a few kwachas to spend, just go down to Zec! I am sure the vehicles are already up for grabs. Do all the chiefs know the cost of having a vehicle.
And where are they going to drive those vehicles?? There are no roads in Zambia. 99.9% Zambian roads are very dilapidated.Why not first repair all the roads?? This is a misplaced priorities mwe bantu!! In Zambia we do not know how priorities correctly. This country has alot of wealth but very poor and committed governance. Chiefs are now just patronizing Lusaka and the C/B looking for handouts from the party and its government.
Shame,shame Zambians. Please our govt should learn from the little educated Batswana govt on how to manage the country properly.Bundafye bya ma degrees……..iyeeee……..!!
what is zec you
Ha ha haaa! Elas…thinking beyond imagination counts in research !!!#1-4 mind less about my comments (no one need post after me) but look at issues from both sides of the coin.Who in Zambia doesn’t know how our so called chiefs behave,Like #8 has commented? They should show what they are worth instead of hiding under the honoured name. I agree they are others who have morals but majority have little or no morals at all. Someone tell me what is the distribution criteria of these vehicles? What is the repayment period (5% interest against 9-10% inflation rate!!)?
FOR ALL OF YOU AGAINST CHIEFS BEING GIVEN VEHICLES, I WOULD SAY CHIEFS DESERVE IN INFACT NEW VEHICLES FOR THE WORK THEY PERFORM. THEY WORK HARDER THAN grz MINISTERS AND ARE MORE ORGANIZED THAN THE CENTRAL GOVT.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE TIMING. I HOPE THIS IS NOT TO BRIBE THEM FOR BALLOTS. ALTHOUGH CHIEFS ARE MORE INTELLEGENT AND WISER THAN OUR PRESIDENTS AND MOST OF OUR MINISTERS.
thats nonsense peter, can you compare chief sikute with mwanawasa? are you dreaming? go back to sleep.
Covert corruption! For 2011?
#26, thanks for calling my contribution-nonsense. But, have u ever been to a village? Whenever, I visit home I don’t spend my holidays in Lusaka or CB. Those are just my transit points. I go to villages. If you do the same you will see what am talking about. How organized villagers can be.
is it a miscalculation or “PLUNDER prt2″…..what is the motive behind this ? i hope no hunger case will attract the so popular int’l community.a vehicle is good but is it beneficial in an area prone to hunger? zed watch out for such extravagance.
First priority was to build the infrastructure in the chiefdoms before those vehicles.2. Give them Farming tools like tractors, fertilizers, seeds and provide ready markets for those products.3. Like the first point govt shud ve invested in education and health so as to make the chiefs subjects happy as well. 4. Plse be rest assured that those vehicles will be parked within a year because of bad state of our roads in the rural areas. 5. Plse GOVT learn to consult a broad section of people before u implement certain ideas.
Wastage of resources.Give them agriculture subsidies instead.Very soon they will start queing up for money for repairs.
Or better still buy health facilities than tryn to buy off irrelevant chiefs.
what a political stunt. you cannot fool people all the time. People can see clearly that there is a hidden agenda going under our noses.
Why spend all those billions of dollars when invest in other things which will benefit the people such as solving some the health issues or creation of jobs.
What a mismanagement of government money who is charge?
I can bet you my last zim dollar, these cars will be parked and broken in a years time.
The money should have been used to maybe train and open up self sustaining enterprises for these chiefs. Which would benifit their pipo and maybe they could buy cars them selves. Big waiste of money. it is a politico gimick.
Yangu tata. We having been dodging and hinding from chiefs because balalomba sana cash for beer. Now the coming of a Canter ku chipango,means extra demand on us subjects: tu beer na fuel. Teach them interpreuaship.