Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu holds meeting with Zambia’s Mayors

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President Edgar Lungu meets Local Governmet Association of Zambia delegation at Statehouse

Members of the Local Government Association (LGA) led by their President Christopher Kang’ombe yesterday met President Edgar Lungu at State House to discuss matters affecting councils in the country.

The meeting discussed issues concerning funding to the councils for service delivery and unplanned settlement which has been a long standing matter and an alleged cause of waterborne diseases.

The LGA has proposed to the president that the equalization fund to the councils be adjusted upward from 5% to 10% of the income raised as income for the country.

LGA President Christopher Kangómbe noted that the 5% funding the councils receives as equalization grant is not enough to improve service delivery to the people hence, their proposal for an upward adjustment.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Kangómbe disclosed that the association has also proposed to the president that part of the cement levy that has been planned in the 2018 national budget be given to the local authority to upgrade unplanned settlements in various towns and cities.

He noted that unplanned settlement is partly responsible for the outbreak of cholera the country is battling with currently as such areas have no proper water reticulation system and water.

And the Local Government Association has asked the central government to relinquish the authority of collecting levies such as motor vehicle licensing and toll fees to the councils as provided for by the constitution.

Mr. Kangómbe noted that under article 147 of the constitution of Zambia, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the National Road Fund Agency are supposed to be agencies of the council and collect levies for the local authority.

He said all the 109 councils countrywide are complaining that they have been limited by resources to deliver services to the people because the central government has held on to the role of collecting some levies and taxes.

He said the meeting with the head of state was successful as the President showed commitment to supporting areas that will enhance revenue collection for the council.

The LGA President was hopeful that such engagements with the head of state will continue on a quarterly basis to review the various instructions the president has given.

And Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale said the meeting was important to allow the president understand the vision of the mayors and the local authority.

Mr. Mwale noted that the local government is currently on spotlight because of the outbreak of cholera in the country which is the poor management of the Public health and waste management that has not been well handled by the local authority.

He said it is also important to discuss the issue of unplanned settlements which has not seen the light of day since independence.

The meeting was attended by all the ten vice presidents of the local government association from the ten provinces.

Local Government Commission Chairperson Amos Musonda, Secretary to the Teasury Fredson Yamba and Local Government Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga were also in attendance.

President Edgar Lungu (R) shares a light moment with Lusaka Mayor Wilson Kalumba (L) and Local Government Association of Zambia president Christopher Kang'ombe who is also Kitwe Mayor (C) at State House on Friday, 12th January, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza, State House.
President Edgar Lungu (R) shares a light moment with Lusaka Mayor Wilson Kalumba (L) and Local Government Association of Zambia president Christopher Kang’ombe who is also Kitwe Mayor (C) at State House on Friday, 12th January, 2018. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza, State House.
 President Edgar Lungu tries on the jacket which was presented to him by Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang'ombe on behalf of Kitwe United Football Club, at State House on Friday, 12th January, 2017. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza,State House
President Edgar Lungu tries on the jacket which was presented to him by Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe on behalf of Kitwe United Football Club, at State House on Friday, 12th January, 2017. Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza,State House

20 COMMENTS

  1. Come yr 2020 and we’ll still have cholera and street vendors all over again.Very useless mayors and visionless national govt.

    • This proves the Ministry of Local government is not delivering, why wait for such meetings until now and even involving the President?
      The raising from 5% to 10% should have been fought by the Minister as part of the budget discussions, and not left to the president. Where are those people making noise against an MPs who say anything against the government, they should be talking about the quality of these ministers as well.

      In the midst of low caliber ministers, the president, seems to the only hard worker now.

    • Elo bwacha ati council’s are important did u consult them when purchasing the fire engines ??? They would have put priorities straight. Chilya mwanya shiki ati nomba meeting ??? Ala Ba Humbly Dumbly be serious don’t pay focus to institutions chilya kwaba crisis you are the President and should know better their importance even when everything is fine so that there is better planning and implementation. That is why your rival keeps referring to your governance style as chipantepante

    • Ba General kanene need I remind you that the PF has been running especially Lusaka city council well over the period they have been in government in fact right from around 2006 if I am not mistaken

    • Instead of bribing him with a jacket you guys should be discussing how since 1964 you ve failed to build public toilets

  2. Want easy money from toll gates so that they buy luxury vehicles and introduce all sorts allowances. Unplanned settlements are as a result of councils’ failures to perform. Just find other means to raise money.

  3. Nothing is ever enough now these morons need to learn how to maximize limited resources by prioritizing. Right now we don’t need an airline or the other useless infrastructure they have over borrowed for. Zero plans outlined here for vendors, trash collection, water and more. People wonder why we on auto pilot, no one including cadres know where we heading to.

  4. I have always wondered whether the PF as a party had any plans of how they will run the Zambian enterprise because everything seems to catch them unaware. Iam not impressed that the govt only starts seeking solutions when an act occurs. And what is the role of the local govt minister because now it is the president who is working on his behalf. Vincent is so empty. Let him just go and be part of a nyau dance troop in eastern province.

    • MWAKALE …. The PF Govt never had any plan, don’t have a plan and will never have a plan. They don’t know what to do and this cholera is just the beginning, there are more things to come .PF will destroy itself because they have allowed cadres to be ministers, ambassadors, controlling markets, violent, taking the law in their hands and a lot more. Just watch the way things will be unfolding because every challenge will expose them.

  5. @4 Mwakale. Good observation. My worry is that few organizations/institutions (if any) in Zed display any resemblance of planning. This includes UNZA/CBU which are supposedly think tanks-professional organizations. When our sponsors/donors pressurize us into making one, we hire a consultant and shelve the plan afterwards. No wonder we are ever in crisis mode, ever reacting to situations. Strategic thinking seems alien to us! Development never just comes by chance. It is planned.
    Coming to our political parties: Ask PF basic things like how are you taking stock of implementation of your manifesto? Your equally ask our opposition parties how exactly they plan to put their manifestos into action. They don’t have basic things like shadow cabinets or at least profiles of people they would…

    • PLANNING? Is taught as a practical and applicable life tool at these so called ‘think-tank’ or its theories + academics of cut and paste?
      I just hope that the opposition are learning the intrinsic and extrinsic failure of imported and/or cut+paste manifestos which political parties seem to be ignorantly parading and parroting before the innocent voting Zambian populace.
      Even if you parrot word for word in tongue-twisting formats, results will show once given the instruments of power within the shortest gestation period of full blown failure and failures; POVERTY sets in arising from endemic and cancerous CORRUPTION & PLUNDER of national resources; HUNGER; ANGER; DISEASE; unprecedented UNEMPLOYMENT, and EXPLOITATION of the poor [governed] by those entrusted with power [the governors] -…

    • ANALYST not only in strategic position….. but as a life tool across the entire fabric of society.
      If we cannot plan at household/personal level how for God’s sake can we hold someone else accountable for such a person to deliver what I have not set forth? Worse still how will I correctly chose someone to represent me in order for such a person to do what I WANT HIM/HER to do for me when I have no PLAN? This choice is a myth and mythical [imaginary]
      Ala ubwafya bwakula kuli ifwebene fwe bakasala, we are not proactive as the older generation used to be; they paid a lot of attention to Futuristic-planning without these fake and imported ‘civilization’ of modern day academics such as the ones at UNZA and CBU.
      A simple example is University of Lusaka, nothing for free, cost reflective…

  6. Excellent Photo. Super Ken was Excellent at Tribal Balancing. One Zambia one Nation. Tiyende Pamodzi. Colour was not an issue either. Black, White, Yellow, etch.etc.

  7. Sorry! Comment meant for other Photo featuring H.E. with Daniel Munkombwe & Mr. Ngalande. Using small devices instead of Laptops or larger Tablets has this form of Collateral Issues. You may even click on like or disliked accidentally. Twatotela, Twalumba Kaboto, Twasakwila Mwane.

    • Running a council just like running a home needs some measure of cash. Perhaps you should have added that council should tighten the security of their money generating ventures. I know that money collected at Shoprite parking just goes into people’s pockets.

  8. These mayors do not care. Example Luanysha mayor is busy building farms and businesses with money meant for these projects. These eople need to be held accountable because they do not do anything. The president needs to go to these towns and talk to the people to get 1st hand information from them on what is going on. Don’t just hold meetings with these mayors but get information from people first and address each mayor one by one based on information collected otherwise it will be cholera forever in Zambia. Mayors are being paid to grow their businesses. The same mayors are responsible for stealing plots for themselves. Lungu you need to look into this problem!

  9. The cholera outbreak issue in zambia today should not be used as a wapon to condem the ruiling govt though it is with some leaders in the govt.it is not the blame to be put on the President but to some govt official entrusted with the responsibility and duties of looking on health especially the council and more especially the Mayors.it is my appeal that the laziness of some of these mayors in the work they are entrusted by the govt official should not turnish the good work of the govt of today.

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