Monday, November 11, 2024

US committed to supporting Zambia’s health, education sectors – Gonzales

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The United States government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Zambia in the areas of public health and education.

Speaking in Bweengwa when he graced the 2023 Lwanza Traditional Ceremony of the Lundwe People of Chief Hamusonde in Monze District, United States Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales said the pattern of engagement over the past two years is proof that the United States is investing in the future the Zambian people aspire to.

Mr. Gonzales said the recent announcement by the U.S. government to contribute over 13 billion kwacha to Zambia’s National HIV response and other investments that span over 20 years amounting over 125 billion kwacha have truly impacted on the lives of every Zambian.

“The U.S. government’s partnership with the Zambia government is poised for greatness, because we invest for the betterment of many lives in the country,” Ambassador Gonzales said.

He said, every three-kwacha spent in Zambia’s healthcare system is provided as a grant from the American people through strong collaboration that has existed and renewed in the past two years adding that the U.S. government will continue partnering with Zambia to improve the quality of health and education.

And, Chief Hamusonde has applauded the government and President Hakainde Hichilema for successfully sealing the deal on debt restructuring.

Chief Hamusonde who spoke through a representative, Senior Headman Mwanakampwe, Milner Mwanakampwe, said the achievement presents a window of opportunities for enhanced development.

” I am confident that our Chiefdom will further benefit from the results of this debt restructuring because as Cooperating Partners that had suspended support to our national budget have reportedly resumed their support,” he said.

He said the Chiefdom has developed a 5-year Strategic Plan which responds to the 8th National Development plan to provide the Chiefdom’s focus in developmental matters.

The traditional leader said his Chiefdom is faced with a lot of challenges that range from poor infrastructure, such as roads especially the Monze Niko Road and bridges that link various parts of the Chiefdom to provide access to health and education facilities.

He said the Chiefdom lacks processing industries for meat products considering that the cattle is the mainstay of the economy in the area.

“The industries for meat Products, milk and others are important in providing jobs for our people in the chiefdom, particularly the youths, given the abundance of these raw materials that our chiefdom is endowed with,” He said.

Meanwhile, Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting traditional ceremonies as they are an embodiment of cultural expressions as well as a platform to share beliefs and customs.

Mr. Mweetwa said the vision of Government is to transform traditional ceremonies into a strong tourism product that can be able to attract investment and compete favourable with other tourism products.

” We are living in modern times where cultural heritage is no longer a passive phenomenon but rather a viable product that is used to promote different businesses,” he said.

He said what each Chiefdom offers in terms of investment opportunities contributes to the National inventory in the area of culture tourism and Lwanza Traditional Ceremony remains paramount.

At the same function, Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba announced that his ministry will work extra hard to safeguard the wildlife that is in the Lonchnivor National Park which is domiciled in Chief Hamusonde’s Chiefdom in Bweengwa.

This is years Lwanza Traditional Ceremony saw a number of companies coming on board to support the successful hosting.

The Ceremony is celebrated annually in the month of August to showcase the animal wealth of the Lundwe People as well as paying Homage to the Ancestral Spirits which are believed to live in the Magically Created Lwanza River.

The Lwanza River was created by a magical man only identified as Himbaama to provide water for both animal and human needs which was a scarce commodity over 200 years ago.

14 COMMENTS

  1. This moron of an ambassador…USA has no future with a sleepy and corrupt Biden as the President….the White House now has become a drug den….crime and corruption is on the rise in the USA because of useless Democrats and makaka Joe Biden

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  2. We don’t want your money anymore. We have always known what you do with it. This is how you put our government officials in your pocket.

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  3. USA should not give any assistance to zambian government until they change the laws to respect lgbt. USA should not bow down to pressure for economic and geopolitical reasons. Zambia has one of the worse gay human rights records. I urge all tourists to avoid zambia because your lives are at risk here

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  4. USA is the most corrupt country in the world…the Judiciary is corrupt and very Political…the Senate is corrupt..the House of Representative is corrupt…..now they’re scared of Trump because they know he will expose them….and this Biden Ambassador Gonzales is just a useless Pompwe

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  5. A couple found engaged in same sex copulation were arrested and convicted by our courts of law. USA ambassador Footeswitch accused Edgar Lungu of homophobia and consequently was PId. Trump didn’t say anything. Enter Sleepy Joe and vengeance against Edgar Lungu was unleashed. Of course Lungu was corrupt, but had he allowed that couple to be released, his corruption was going to be swept under the carpet just like now.
    Wagner must be assured that gays are not banned in this country, just don’t parade it like a peacock.

  6. As long as you are not homophobic, the USA will give you anything regardless the levels of corruption or dictatorship.

    • Your reasoning is very flawed and simplistic. South africa has legalised homosexuality. But watch and see if America will support them given their support for Russia. Don’t spread emotional lies. America just wants knuckle heads like you to respect human rights you claim to respect

  7. Zambia must be committed to zambians education and health we are tired of foreign commitment because an engineer from their country builds a car ours replaces parts in a car….so that’s how far their help goes

  8. These are the corrupt Biden’s administration officials stealing our natural resources…as we speak our minerals are being smuggled out of KKIA

  9. Crime and sin is now legal in the USA under corrupt sleepy Biden….you can go into any store and grab anything and walk out without paying…and Police wont do anything and the USA under makaka Biden….you can be robed in broad day light and the Police won’t do anything

  10. Personally iam tired of criminals who are stealing our mineral resources under this puppet government.

  11. Americans have really robbed Africa mercilessly this is what African leaders are against them. Look at Libya today it’s a sorry site because of America. Countries have been destroyed mercilessly. America surely God will judge you because you have oppressed Africa for too long. Proverbs 17:5

  12. Sone bloggers must show more intelligence when commenting on the USA.America is not some shanty countries you are used to.Most very developed countires of the world want to be America Deja Foool,you can be a very tiny piece of sh**t in America;A nonentity

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