Southern Province Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa says government is committed to ensuring gender equality and women empowerment despite the abolition of the Ministry of Gender.
Mr Mweetwa reiterated government’s commitment to the attainment of 50 percent of women in decision making positions.
The Provincial Minister was speaking when a delegation led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representative Lionel Laurens, called on him at Provincial administration in Choma today.
He stated that President Hakainde Hichilema has already demonstrated his commitment to supporting women as evidenced from the appointment of the first female speaker.
“We would like to reiterate government’s commitment to gender equality and women empowerment beyond the structural existence of a ministry,” he said.
Mr Laurens said UNDP plans to support various parliamentary committees and Women’s caucus in promoting the implementation of legislation that protects women from all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
And Gender Division Assistant Director for Gender Rights and Protection, Nchimunya Nkombo said the collaboration between UNDP and government wings will ensure sustainability of projects in the fight against GBV.
Meanwhile, Mr Mweetwa says government is determined to rehabilitate economic feeder roads in an effort to provide the much needed social and economic services to the rural communities.
Speaking when he graced at a combined UPND victory celebration and chief Chikanta’s Lwiindi traditional ceremony at Chungu palace in Kalomo yesterday, Mr Mweetwa observed that good road infrastructure is cardinal for social economic development.
Mr Mweetwa was responding to both chief Chikanta and Dundumwezi parliamentarian, Edgar Sing’ombe who appealed to government for the rehabilitation of the deplorable Kalomo- Chikanta road.
And Mr Mweetwa said the new dawn government is geared to revamp agriculture and livestock services in an effort to foster agriculture production.
He has since urged all district agriculture coordinators to ensure all who registered under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) get equal numbers of bags of fertilizer.
Meanwhile, the Minister promised to work with traditional leaders to so as to foster rural development.
“We will work hand in hand with traditional leaders; they are vision carriers of development in their respective chiefdoms. That is the more reason why we want to increase the constituency development fund (CDF from the previous K1.6 million to 10.6 million by next year,” Mweetwa observed.
He called on CDF committees to consider doing bigger capital projects as opposed to sharing the CDF to each ward.
Chief Chikanta’s Lwiindi ceremony was attended by seven other chiefs and was celebrated under the theme ‘agric crops diversification and water harvesting is the way forward’
Bloggers my account has been cloned by some UK based impostor craving for attention using it to troll…I wont mention it as that is what it wants.. attention which it has not been getting lately so again it has resorted to slandering me. It will go to the extent of even responding to it comments using different alias.
It knows I love my country and it unity hence using that to slander me!
I won’t let it stop me from exercising my right to comment on events on the country I love.
Mr mweetwa you are doing a good job. Yet another competent tonga man working hard. Why did we Zambians take this long to elect tongas.
Tarino Orange (1)
You cannot fool people. No one has cloned you. You have just walked back realised bad comments you have posted and now want to find an excuse that someone other than you is not posting the comments. The problem with you guys and your mates think that you too clever, when you are not. You are just seeking attention in trying to avoid attention. You people are reducing the reputation of our party, UPND with your childish constant blogging which at times is very delusional and tribalist comments.
Tarino Orange
HH is trying to unite Zambia. But for you guys all what you know is division. You wonder why he is giving jobs to others and leaving Tonga’s who are hell bent to ride on tribal horses. Don’t become another WANZELU Blogger, real name Larry Mweetwa who HH had asked UPND to get him out of Lusakatimes in 2014 due to his constant satanic and negative comments that was destroying UPND. Just to remind you, you UPND is keeping an eye on bloggers who are bringing the party to disrepute. We want people who sell the Manifesto and add value to the party and not constant insults on Lusakatimes. More reason HH is saying the UPND Cadres must not become the new thugs in town.
But Kwena some of these ministers? No wonder they were deposited far away from Lusaka. In what capacity was this kangaroo talking abt gender equality ? Cos he sounded more like a minister of Justice or Home affair or Local government. Remember he is jst a provincial minister which means he can comment on matters like these in basic form and not to be detailed as tho he is the one implementing the program – country wide.
By the way, I’m Tonga, in full. And I can now see why HH is doing thing’s methodically & left out certain people. On issue of thieves still occupying office , I think he wants them even closer for deep evidence collection before he strikes. Trust me, he ll strike, cos all I know is that HH never sits on the same table with corruption or dishonesty. That ll never happen.
Am not sure I understand the agenda of this our minister… really wants to be information person… but therelizno
Geoffrey I don’t care what you think. So because I am Tonga, I should suffer or not get opportunities just for the sake of hh or upnd pricing that they are not tribal? You are a lost cause. You don’t know what we Tongas have gone through under the leadership of your incompetent leader lungu. So I will celebrate being tonga for as long as I can. If you have a problem then go cry to lungu
Geoffrey I don’t care what you think. So because I am Tonga, I should suffer or not get opportunities just for the sake of hh or upnd proving that they are not trlbal? You are a lost cause. You don’t know what we Tongas have gone through under the Ieadership of your incompetent Ieader Iungu. So I will celebrate being tonga for as long as I can. If you have a problem then go cry to Iungu
Let me guess Geoffrey is not Tonga but from the east. Your time is over… you are no longer specific just because you come from same area as your former lazy president
UPND need to align their party positions with government positions, you cannot have a provincial minister speaking at national level. This does not make sense. Kasanda should make these statements.
Women should not expect things on a silver platter. They are human just like men so they should work for positions just like men.
It is clear that Mweetwa has not read his job description. He is PR Officer for Southern Province and NOT the entire country.. I do understand though why he like national platform …Not much is happening in the provinces .. We all waiting for IMF and World loans…For now, UPND is still admiring its paint job…