Councils trained to create ward development committees

The Decentralisation Secretariat has completed training local authorities in all the districts across the country on the creation of Ward Development Committees.

Decentralisation Director Alfred Sakwiya told ZANIS in Lusaka that establishment of the Ward Development Committees was set to be completed 90 days after the elections of the councillors in a general election.

Mr. Sakwiya said WDCs are supposed to work with the councillors in the wards to implement projects at local levels.

He said the creation of the committees is progressing at different stages in various districts owing to resource constraints as the process is costly depending on the location of the wards.

He stated that the decentralisation secretariat has already trained all councils to ensure that they create the WDC by this month as directed by the Secretary to the Cabinet.

Meanwhile Chikankata District in Southern Province has already created 10 Ward Development Committees out of the total 12 wards in the district.

Chikankata District Council Secretary Damson Mukwato said his district is expected to establish the last 2 WDCs by Thursday next week to complete the process of establishing the local structures in the decentralisation process.

Mr. Mukwato said the local authority in the district is now working on training the elected officials and the process is expected to be completed by December this year which will mark the completion of the decentralisation process in Chikankata.

The District Council Secretary disclosed that the establishment of the WDCs has cost the district K50, 000 per ward.

The Secretary to Cabinet recently directed the Decentralisation secretariat and Provincial Permanent Secretaries to ensure that councils prioritise the process of creating WDCs

The WDCs are the sub structures prescribed in the Constitution and the Secretariat was directed to take measures to ensure that all Councils form WDCs not later than three months after the August general election.