Community Development and Social Services Minister, Emerine Kabanshi has disclosed that government will soon introduce other social protection programmes which will help alleviate urban poverty. Ms. Kabanshi said just like in rural areas, there are a lot of impoverished people living in urban areas.
She said these impoverished people that live in urban areas also needed help to cushion their sufferings. She said this when she handed over four motor vehicles to the department of social welfare in Chililabombwe, Mufulira, Kalulushi and Masaiti districts in the Copperbelt province.
The minister also handed over 372 bicycles to Community Welfare Assistant Committees (CWACs) in the above named districts.
Ms. Kabanshi said the motor vehicles and bicycles are meant to streamline operations of the social welfare department in the implementation of various social protection programmes including the ones that will be introduced in the districts.
She said the various social protection programmes which government has rolled out to all parts of the country have improved the welfare of many families in Zambia.
Ms. Kabanshi said social protection programmes have the potential to help in the alleviation of gender based violence (GBV) which are currently increasing in the country.
The Minister, who is also Luapula Constituency Member of Parliament, said women were being battered by their husbands because most of them solely depend on their spouses for survival.
She added that if the women are empowered, they will be able to support themselves.
She said government will continue helping the poor and vulnerable people in the country to ensure that the poverty gap between the rich and poor is reduced.
And Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Emerine Kabanshi, says government will continue to implement social protection programmes in order to reduce poverty levels in the country.
Ms. Kabanshi said the number of social cash transfer scheme (SCTS) beneficiaries in Masaiti district is expected to increase to over 4,000 this year.
The scheme was piloted last year in Masaiti in the Copperbelt Province with over 3,000 recipients.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kabanshi has disclosed that government will this year increase the food security packs (FSP) from 300 to 750 as part of programmes to improve people’s welfare.
The minister said this when she handed over a Toyota Land Cruiser motor vehicle and 93 bicycles to the Social Welfare Department in Masaiti district yesterday.
Ms. Kabanshi has since called for continued collaboration between government and stakeholders in the implementation of social protection programmes in the district.
And Masaiti District Council Chairperson, Christine Chande, has commended government for providing a vehicle and bicycles to the social welfare department in the district saying this would ensure efficiency.
Ms. Chande said the vehicle would provide the much needed mobility for the officers to monitor activities in the district adding that the bicycles would also enable community members reach all places in the vast district.
She pointed out that the SCT programme was already bearing positive results with many beneficiaries engaging in business and agriculture.
She added that people have also been able to send their children to school after being put on the programme.
Meanwhile, Masaiti District Commissioner, Mike Musonda, has commended government for scaling up the social protection programmes in the district.
Speaking during a courtesy call paid on him at his office, Mr. Musonda cited the doubling of packs under the FSP programme and increasing beneficiaries under social cash transfer as among key steps in improving living standards of people in Masaiti district.
Mr. Musonda has since assured of teamwork of collaboration to ensure that all programmes meet their intended target of promoting decent living among the people.
Impoverished urban dwellers should go to the village and start farming. Go back to the land!!!
The government doesn’t want to encourage these people to go to rural areas and start farming. They will soon introduce a new tax so that workers/taxpayers can start carrying the burden of everyone who lives in shanty compounds. Where does the government intend to get the money for the same social protection from? Zambia would be a very productive country if all these people were in farming blocks producing food for the country but the government is busy encouraging laziness. What sort of capitalism is this? They should openly declare Zambia a Socialist State because they’re beginning to dilute their so called Capitalism. They should also stop asking us to pay TV levy and sale Daily mail, Times of Zambia, ZAMTEL, ZESCO and other parastatals so that they can become profitable and pay for…
Go back to the land please….leave mandevu alone
EXACTLY… GO BACK TO THE LAND
URBAN POVERTY BEING HIGHER THAN RURAL POVERTY… ZAMBIA IS NOW HIGHLY URNANISED DESPITE ECL AND HIS GOVERNMENT MAKING RURAL AREAS SO ATTRACTIVE… EXCELLENT ROAD NETWORK, FISP, FISH FARMING, HEALTH FACILITIES CLOSER TO PEOPLE.. ETC ETC
GET BACK TO THE LAND!!!!!!
ECL has not made the rural areas attractive, if he did they wouldn’t be running to urban areas. The rural areas have been abandoned with little to no development and besides people cannot eat bitumen. The cheap roads are deteriorating, because they were built in a hurry to dupe people, the clinics are a joke and they useless for major or serious illness, People end up running back to town for treatment.
I don’t mind being taxed an extra penny as long as it helps the needy. A healthy and wealthy population develops a nation, and in turn our future will be prosperous.
But if the money is diverted to fatten a few politicians and govt technocrats, then the taxation should be resisted by all means…
Meanwhile, land is lying idle ku Rufunsa.
No not everyone is capable of the rural life some are really weak that they cannot till the land .
Going to the villages is not the solution, the government should look after all it’s people, villagers also need to be looked after, that is why taxes are paid to government, in fact even housing must be made available for every citizen.
This is work of the
the work of any government in power , it is not only those in politics who should be looked after, reason why every one wants to be in government and that is why they fight nail and teeth to be in power so they could get the comfort of life.
Money spent on the poor is well spent, than being miss used by some selfish politicians . Every good government looks after it’s own people and provide employment to those who are able bodied people ; the disabled people also need to live from the government coffers .
I do realise that there are enough resources to help the poverty stricken citizens country wide , than buy those fire tenders at inflated prices when people are starving in compounds and villages .
This lady is one of the beautiful ones in cabinet followed Maggy then Dora, and Prof. Luo. But she is too black like charcoal hmm…its hard to see her in bedroom when their is load shedding