Government has expressed concern at the slow pace at which palaces for traditional leaders across the country are being constructed
Minister of Chiefs and Traditional affairs Lawrence Sichalwe has since promised that government will ensure that works are expedited so that traditional leaders are given decent accommodation.
Mr Sichalwe told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that government is concerned with the welfare of traditional leaders especially with accommodation, adding that most of them still live in deplorable houses.
The minister explained that this is why government will work hard to ensure that contractors engaged to carry out the works, speed up the process and ensure that the first phase of constructing 30 houses is concluded.
He explained that so far out of the 30 targeted in the first phase, 14 have been completed out of which three have already being handed over while 11 will be handed over once complete.
Mr Sichalwe noted that once the first phase is complete, the Ministry will embark on the second phase until all the traditional leaders in the country are provided with decent and habitable accommodation.
In 2015, government embarked on phase one of the construction of chiefs’ palaces countrywide at a cost of K1.2 million in order to provide decent accommodation to traditional leaders
Meanwhile Mr Sichalwe has disclosed that government is saddened with the loss of three chiefs in a space of a week.
He has therefore, appealed to royal establishments in the respective chiefdoms to conduct successions peacefully and properly in order to avoid succession disputes, which he said can affect the development of the areas.
Among the chiefs who have died include Chieftainess Choongo of the Tonga speaking people of Monze district in Southern province, Chief Mwenetate of the Nkoya people of Luampa district in Western, and Senior Chief Mwamba of the Bemba people of Kasama District in Northern Province.
I would get rid of this ministry and the religious Affairs one. Before you eat me alive accept that I accept and appreciate the role of traditional leaders and the church. I just dont think they deserve ministries because there are other forums on which they can be addressed. Traditional leaders in Zambia are selling land to buy car and booze, shouldn’t they build their own palaces
Slow pace when you have not paid the contractors which are you proxy companies …come 2021 you will pump in more funds
Let’s develop this! It is UNELECTABLE. It is retiring in 2021.