Government says it is committed to taking development to rural areas in Zambia in order to curb retrogressive urbanization.
Western province permanent secretary Sibanze Simuchoba says this is has been exhibited by the various developmental projects that government is implementing in newly created districts of western province.
In an interview with ZANIS, today, Mr. Sibanze said taking development to rural areas is very cardinal in trying to combat urbanization.
He said rapid urbanization coupled with poor planning, has a lot of adverse effects both on the places from which people leave to places where they go and settle.
Citing the current cholera outbreak in Lusaka as one example of the adverse effects of urbanization, the permanent secretary said the disease outbreak is as a result of rapid population increase coupled with slow and poor implementation of city plans.
“As government we are committed to taking development to all parts of the country because we do not want a situation where people are trooping to Lusaka just to see an electric bulb, and we are taking it to Sikongo.
“ We are going to push ZESCO to connect Sikongo to the national grid. So Rome was not built in one day, hence the people should just be patient and work with us and allow us to deliver.” said the new Western Province PS.
And Mr. Sibanze said works which had stalled in some districts in the province are expected to resume soon following governments’ allocation of K21 million towards projects in new districts of the region this year.
PS Sibanze has since urged people of Western Province to be patient and support government in its endeavors to bring development to the province.
Meanwhile Sikongo District Commissioner Bright Tombi, said he will not tolerate erring contractors that had exhibited shoddy works previously, before he assumed office as DC for Sikongo.
Mr. Tombi says he will not hesitate to facilitate termination of contracts and penalties on erring contractors once found wanting.
He said some contractors where tarnishing government image not only in Sikongo but other parts of the province despite government releasing huge amounts of money to ensure infrastructure development is realized.
