Government says it is inspired by the role traditional leaders have continued to play in sensitising their subjects on gender equality, human rights and child marriages.
And the government has encouraged Chief Mweniwisi of the Lambya people in Mafinga District, not to relent in his efforts of promoting the rights and welfare of women and girls.
Muchinga Permanent Secretary, Mathews Chilekwa, said this when he officiated at this year’s Bulambya Chikungu Traditional Ceremony of Chief Mweniwisi in Mafinga District.
Rev. Chilekwa also assured Chief Mweniwisi that President Hakainde Hichilema is determined to bring development to his chiefdom to benefit the people.
He said this is why the President ensured the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was increased and stands at K36.1 million, being channelled to building schools, providing education bursaries for pupils and skills development.
Rev. Chilekwa said every school has enough desks and no child sits on the floor, while teachers’ houses are being constructed using CDF.
He mentioned that health facilities and road crossing points are also being constructed in Mafinga.
Rev. Chilekwa stated that the construction of an all-weather road in the area has made the chiefdom accessible all year round and will contribute to increased agricultural production.
“The ring road from Muyombe-Isoka road via your palace to Nzoche is a testimony of President Hichilema and the government’s resolve to develop all parts of the country,” Rev Chilekwa said.
Rev. Chilekwa encouraged Chief Mweniwisi to take a keen interest in monitoring every CDF.
“Your royal highness, you are encouraged to take a keen interest in the development agenda of the new dawn government by monitoring every CDF project being done in your chiefdom so that quality and timely delivery is assured,” he said.
Rev. Chilekwa said the government recognises the importance of agriculture in national development.
He, therefore, assured Chief Mweniwisi and other traditional leaders present at the ceremony that the government will continue to support the growth of the agriculture sector, including increased support to small-scale farmers.
Rev. Chilekwa said this year the government, through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), increased the maize price from K330 to K340 for a 50kg bag of white maize, with payment also done immediately.
He said this should encourage more farmers to sell their crop to the FRA and many others to engage in maize production.
Rev. Chilekwa also assured the Bulambya Roya Establishment that the provincial administration will follow up on the delayed construction of the first-ever boarding school, whose works have stalled.
He further said the government will get back on track to complete the construction of Chief Mweniwisi’s palace, noting that the delay was due to a constrained resource envelope in the wake of the national response to the drought resulting from climate change.
Speaking earlier, through Bulambya Royal Establishment Chairperson, Alisala Mulambya, Chief Mwenewisi hailed the government for its good development projects implemented in his chiefdom.
He cited social cash transfer and cash-for-work as programmes that have benefited the chiefdom, in addition to many projects implemented using CDF.
The traditional leader however, urged the government to intervene in the construction of his palace, which was supposed to be completed in June but has stalled for the past three months.
He also called for the works of the World Bank-financed boarding secondary school to be expedited as it is an important project that will bring a progressive dimension to the education of people in the chiefdom.
This year, the Bulambya Chikungu ceremony was attended by Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba people in Chinsali, Chiefs Kafwimbi and Katyetye of Isoka, Chief Mwenichifungwe of Tendele in Mafinga, and Chief Wa-Bulambya of Malawi.