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“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
(Psalm 84:11, NIV)
He Withholds No Good Thing
What do you need from the Lord today? Do you need peace, provision, guidance? The Word of God promises that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk blamelessly before Him. Now you may be thinking, “Joel, I’m not perfect. How can I have a blameless walk?” The Good News is, when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you automatically have a new walk. The past is erased in God’s eyes. And sure, you may make mistakes, but 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When you repent of your sins and receive God’s forgiveness, you are cleansed, and your walk is blameless. You have to understand that God wants to pour His favor and honor on you. If you feel like there is anything in your life that you need to be cleansed from, go to the Father today and confess it to Him. Let Him make you new so that you can receive the good things He has in store for you! Let Him pour His blessing on you so that you can walk in victory all the days of your life!
A Prayer for Today
“Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and choosing to pour out Your favor and blessing on me today. Thank You for giving me a new beginning and making me blameless in Your eyes. Search my heart today and show me if there is anything that would keep me from You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Some of disappointed learners of Chongwe’s Mukamambo Girls Boarding School pupils waiting for transport back home after the school was abruptly shutGovernment Health Inspectors across the country swung into action and shut down a number of schools across the country after just one week after schools officially open last week.
In Chongwe, learners at Mukamambo Girls High School were ordered to leave the school within 24 Hours after health inspectors declared the institution unfit for human habitation.
The school has 531 girls in boarding and over 3,000 day scholars.
Inspectors from the Ministry of Health on Friday ordered the school management to inform parents and guardians of the boarders that learning cannot be allowed to continue as the poor state of infrastructure poses a danger to the health of the learners.
In December, one of the dormitories had its roof blown off after a heavy downpour and government through Lusaka Province Minister Japhen Mwakalombe promised to rehabilitate the damaged dormitory before schools reopen.
But when the school reopened on Sunday, January 21st 2018, the dormitory had not been rehabilitated forcing school authorities to put the girls in the four remaining dormitories thereby causing overcrowding.
When the inspectors toured the institution on Friday, they declared that the institution is unfit to house the learners further ordering that the school could be a fertile ground for Cholera.
The school management immediately informed the pupils and later phoned parents and guardians that they have to vacate the school premises by end of Saturday.
A check on Saturday afternoon found that the school’s kitchen and dining hall had been closed and the learners in boarding were only offered meals for Breakfast and no lunch was provided.
A number of girls were found stranded in and around the school premises while some visibly disappointed parents and guardians came to pick up their girls.
Some parents interviewed said it is shocking that government could fail to rehabilitate a dormitory when they knew very well that schools were to reopen in January.
“This is so unfair to our girls. These guys (administration) knew that the dorm needed rehabilitation and they had enough time to do it especially after the holidays were extended due to Cholera but they still failed to do a simple job and now we are getting affected. Why did they get the money we paid for the fees when they knew that the school was not ready?” queries a concerned parent.
But School Headmistress a Mrs Hara who refused to be interviewed referred all queries to the Ministry of Education.
“I am just a civil servant so I don’t know what is going on. All we have been told is that we are not reopening any time soon because all these roofs have to be replaced. The place is not safe for the girls. I was told that the Ministry is awaiting for Parliament to reopen so that that they could ratify the reopening of the school,” she said.
She who also advised some parents and guardians to consider transferring the girls to other schools revealed that the administration is also exploring possibilities of sending some of the learners to Silverest High School as a stop gap measure who will only return after the rehabilitation works are done.
Chongwe’s Mukamambo Girls Boarding School pupils waiting for transport back home after the school was abruptly shut
On Wednesday, David Kaunda Technical Secondary School was closed due to lack of water while Rufunsa Boarding School was also shut down on Friday after inspectors declared the school unfit for learning activity.
In Kawambwa, Kawambwa Boys Technical School in Luapula Province was shut down due to poor hygiene and sanitary conditions at the learning institute. A team of senior government officials arrived at this decision after it visited the school to verify health concerns raised by health Inspectors from the Council and Ministry of Health.
Both Acting District Administrative Officer, Steven Musonda and Council Chairperson, Kalumba Chifumbe confirmed the closure of the learning institution .
Mr. Musonda said that a team of Public Health Inspectors that inspected the sanitary condition at the school have advised not to reopen the school until the set benchmarks are met by the school authorities.
And Kawambwa town Council Chairperson Kalumba Chifumbe has described the poor hygiene and sanitation conditions at the School as unacceptable.
He said that the poor sanitation situation at the learning institution has been an outstanding problem as far back as 2016 and wondered why the school authority has done nothing to address it.
The dormitory whose roof was blown off in December has remained unattended to forcing the girls to sleep in over crowded remaining dormitories
In Mwansabombwe, a Team of Mwansabombwe District Health inspectors declared that four schools in the area will remain closed due to the unhygienic conditions they were found in.
The Health Inspectors who went round the district to check on schools found the four schools lacked sanitation, among other health concerns.
Mwansabombwe District Health Inspector Brian Chanda said in an interview that the affected schools have been ordered to remain closed to ensure that there is no cholera outbreak as the schools lack proper sanitation.
The affected schools area Kapale Boarding Secondary and Chinyanta Secondary Schools while others are Kabumbu Primary and Seesa Primary Schools, respectively.
The Inspectors have given the schools administration a two weeks grace period to address the their sanitation problems or risk being closed indefinitely.
Mukamambo Girls Boarding School was closed on Friday after health inspectors declared it unfit for human habitation
In Mwinilunga, Kanyihampa Day Secondary School in Mwinilunga district of Northwestern Province has been closed down by Public Health Inspectors due to poor sanitary conditions.
District Education Board Secretary Michael Masumba says the learning institution which runs from early childhood to grade 11 shares the same infrastructure following the upgrading of the school by government last year.
Mr Masumba said in an interview that the Health Inspectors closed the school which is located within the central Business district citing poor sanitary conditions not conducive for the learners adding that the school only has 5 water borne toilets and 5 pit latrines to cater for over 2 500 pupils.
The situation resulted into filthy school surroundings as a result of open defecation by the pupils due to inadequate toilets and lack of hand washing facilities outside the latrines are some of the other reasons why the learning institution has been shut down.
Mr Masumba has since appealed to all the Head Teachers in the district to ensure that their schools provide a clean and safe learning environment by meeting the required standards of hygiene to avoid the outbreak of any water borne diseases.
One of the dormitories at Mukamambo Girls High School declared unfit for habitation
In Kaputa district, Health Inspectors in closed Kaputa Primary School due to poor sanitary conditions. The health inspectors who visited the school have cited inadequate latrines as the reason for closing the school as the institution only has 13 pit latrines to cater for over 2 000 pupils out of which only 6 were in a good condition.
Kaputa Primary is the main school in Kaputa district accommodating children from the Boma and the surrounding villages.
In Solwezi, District Commissioner Rosemary Kamalonga has disclosed that 9 schools in the area have discontinued classes due to poor sanitation.
This was after a combined team of inspectors from the office of the District Education Board Secretary, District Health and the Solwezi Municipal Council went round to check on the sanitation levels at the schools.
Ms Kamalonga said some of the schools have no running water while others the ablutions blocks were poorly managed.
The DC said following the outbreak of Cholera in the country no school with poor sanitary condition will be allowed to conduct lessons as it poses a risk to both the pupils and the teachers.
Ms Kamalonga stated that the schools will only be allowed to resume classes after sanitation standards are improved.
She added that the inspection exercise will be extended to all schools in the district.
Zambia’s 2018 CHAN dream turned into a nightmare on Saturday night when Sudan eliminated them from the tournament in Morocco.
Sudan beat Zambia 1-0 in Marrakech to send Chipolopolo out at the quarterfinal stage for a second successive outing.
Guinea did the same at Rwanda 2016 in Zambia’s second CHAN tournament appearance.
Meanwhile, the spotlight on lethargic Zambia fell on Nkana central defender John Mwengani.
Mwengani was making his tournament debut as coach Wedson Nyirenda shuffled his backline after right back Simon Silwimba missed the match to serve a one match suspension following two cards he accrued in the group stages.
Mwengani partnered Ziyo Tembo while the latter’s regular partner Adrian Chama was shifted into Silwimba’s position.
However, Mwengani who had enjoyed an outstanding 2017 season at Nkana after joining from Forest Rangers instead endured a Zambia debut he will never forget.
It was through him that Sudan scored the game’s lone goal in the 32nd minute when he was turned in-side-out by Maki Saifeldin before leaving the defender in his wake.
Mwengani’s day almost turned from bad to worse in the 49th minute when he nearly conceded an own-goal.
Fortunately the football gods spared him another embarrassment and decided to guide the ball out for a corner- and two minutes later- he was replaced by Jack Chirwa.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s best chance of the game came in the 54th minute through Lazarus Kambole.
But Kambole hesitated to deal with a fine layoff from Ernest Mbewe in front of an inviting goal as Zambia stuttered to the finish line in disjointed fashion to bow out of CHAN.
Zambia striker Justin Shonga on Saturday finally broke his South African PSL goal drought for his club Orlando Pirates.
Shonga scored the opening goal in Pirates 2-0 away win over bottom placed Platinum Stars.
He could have left with a brace effort just before the break but his shot came off the post.
The goal ended Shonga’s five month drought from eight matches he has played for Pirates since he joined them from Nkwazi in August on a three-year deal.
Finance Minister Felix Mutati has said that government will this year slow down on borrowing to allow for the private public partnership model to address various economic challenges in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the council of ministers on the committee of the public private partnerships after touring the US$1.4 billion Kingsland ZAF project, Mr. Mutati said that government is working on strengthening the public private partnership model to encourage more investment in the country.
Mr. Mutati stated that government will ensure that the focus on enhancing other innovations for economic development through other financial models other than debt.
He has since encouraged Zambians to show interest in purchasing some of the houses and infrastructure that will be put up by at Kingsland.
The Kingsland 1.4 billion United States dollars mixed use project is being undertaken by the Zambian Air Force and Sun Share Group under a PPP model in Lusaka’s twin palm area covering 1,100 hectares.
The project will comprise a five star hotel, 3, 000 high class villas or residential apartments , a shopping mall, private school, police station, hospital, children’s play ground, glass bridge for tourism purposes and a rose street for wedding photos and occasional photos.
Speaking earlier Zambia Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Eric Chimense disclosed that the project has so far employed 400 workers and is expected to be completed in the next two to three years.
Lieutenant General Chimense said that the project will help ZAF officers and other members of the public to own affordable houses and will also help enhancing the tourism sector and further strengthen PPPs in the country.
Vice President Inonge Wina says she looks forward to participating in the 30th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit.
The Vice President observes that the Africa Union has continued to promote its programmes such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, Peace and Security including issues on gender.
Mrs. Wina, was speaking last night in an interview with ZANIS when she arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at Bole International airport at about 20:50 hours, local time.
The summit is scheduled to take place from 28th to 29th January, 2018.
“You are aware that his Excellency the President delegated this responsibility to me as Vice president to attend this summit and we look forward to Zambia’s participation in this summit”, she added.
The Vice President who took recognition of the African Union member states’ commitment to fight corruption said this was a positive step in the right direction as the continent would be able to achieve its developmental goals.
She explained that corruption has the capacity to erode the gains that most African countries have achieved over the past years.
Mrs Wina further added that in order for African countries to transform the continent, there is need to fight corruption both at national and international level.
She noted that corruption is a cancer that affects and destroys the fabrics of society.
This year’s theme is dubbed “Winning to Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.”
And when asked on Zambia’s experiences and challenges pertaining to the fight against corruption, the Vice President explained that the country has put in place measures through the creation of structural institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, ACC, Drug Enforcement Commission, DEC, and the Public Accounts Committee whose aim is to ensure that the problem of corruption is curbed.
On Zambia’s representation at the United Nations Security Council, the Vice President noted that although the continent had not been given a place yet, the demand to have representation by the African Union has continued.
She observed that Africa forms a large part of the membership of the United Nations and therefore, if the continent is not represented, the situation will continue to create an imbalance.
Africa is determined to ensure that the representation is effected as soon as possible so that the African voice can be heard at the Security Council.
Meanwhile, the Vice President met with Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta at Bole International Airport shortly after the East African leader’s arrival.
The two leaders shared a light moment as Zambia’s foreign affairs minister Joseph Malanji looked on.
In October 2017, Mr Kenyatta was declared winner of the repeated Presidential elections in Kenya after winning the second polls of which he received 7.5 million votes.
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has urged the African Union(AU) member states to consider investing in resilient health systems in order to ensure increased health coverage among its citizenry.
Speaking during a Malaria forum at the AU buildings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Chilufya noted that investing in efficient and effective health systems lessens the burden of Malaria in Africa.
ZANIS reports that the Minister explained that malaria remains Africa’s high mortality and high morbidity emergency, adding that time to control the disease is now.
Dr. Chilufya observed that political will is a necessitate in addressing the challenges of malaria in Africa.
The minister cited increased funding and strong partnerships to leverage resources in preventing malaria in Africa as another essential factor for purposes of attaining health development.
“We need to accelerate resources, invest in vector control measures for effective operations. We need strengthened surveillance and ensure community engagement”, He urged.
During his presentation on Zambia’s response on malaria, Dr. Chilufya cited President Edgar Lungu’s commitment towards health development in particular the launch of a national elimination campaign malaria programme as a result of political will.
He said Zambia has doubled its resources towards the malaria elimination in the last one year and recrafted the health service delivery.
The purpose of such an adjustment is to improve the community health engagement.
“We have increased interventions in the fight against malaria to 100 per cent,” he said.
He cited Southern province in Zambia as one such example which is on the verge of eliminating malaria.
And African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat reiterated that political will remains an essential ingredient in achieving the fight against malaria in Africa.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services Emerine Kabanshi
Government will soon launch a social protection programme aimed at removing street kids from the streets by empowering their parents and guardians.
The new social protection programme will target street kids in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces where streetism is rife.
Community Development and Social Services Minister Emerine Kabanshi said the programme is designed to alleviate poverty in the families so that children do not go on the streets to beg.
Mrs. Kabanshi said the programme will be launched in Mufulira on the Copperbelt as a pilot project and later be rolled out to all parts of the country where streetism is endemic.
The Minister was speaking when she paid a courtesy call on Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo II in Chongwe District after officiating a Decentralization workshop for her Ministry staff.
Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport recently discovered that most of the street kids begging on the streets have families but have been forced on the roads due to poverty.
The traditional leader said government should work with traditional leaderships in the country to address challenges that affect people.
She said traditional leaders are a better link between the people and the government hence the need to utilize them to reach the people on various programmes.
POLICE have dismissed claims by embattled Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili that one of the victims who got injured during a fracas that ensued near Lusaka Division has died.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said police have consulted with both UTH management as well as parents of 22 year old Sibeso Kufekisa, and noted that he was alive and discharged from UTH on Wednesday.
Officer Katongo warned the over zealous politician who is currently facing charges of forgery, giving false information and altering documentation to be truthful and avoid misleading the public with his constant false alarms.
Officer Katongo also appealed to all politicians to desist from misleading the public.
Over 60 percent of pupils in grade one to grade four are unable to read and write in Kitwe district, Copperbelt Province Education Officer (PEO) Felix Ngoma has disclosed.
Mr. Ngoma said there was therefore urgent need to uplift literate levels in schools because the lower primary level is the foundation of education that has great impact on the performance of the pupils at secondary school level.
He said the provincial office has since devised a strategic plan to address illiteracy levels in schools.
He said the strategy is aimed at ensuring that grade one pupils know how to read and write properly before they go into grade two.
Mr. Ngoma, who was speaking at the teachers’ stakeholders meeting, stated that the programme will be extended to grade two classes.
He explained that the programme will involve training of grade one and two teachers so that they apply the teaching strategy that has been devised to ensure that pupils in the first grade know how to read before they go into grade two.
And Mr. Ngoma has disclosed that the provincial education office has set performance standards that teachers should observe to ensure that all schools begin to register a 100 per cent pass rate by the year 2021.
He said among the interventions put to achieve this include the requirement for teachers to conduct tests every month, the requirement for head teachers and their deputies to have classes, re-training of grade one teachers as well as training teachers in leadership and management skills among others.
And Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Binwell Mpundu, who also attended the teachers’ stakeholders meeting, said his office will be conducting tours to schools to monitor teachers’ performance so that the general performance of pupils is improved in the district.
Mr. Mpundu also pledged to sponsor pupils with outstanding performance in selected schools in order to motivate them to work extra hard.
And speaking earlier, Kitwe District Education Officer (DEO) Allan Kaoma said his office has put improvement of literacy levels a priority.
Mr. Kaoma said the importance of literacy cannot be over-emphasized as it greatly contributes to the social and economic development of a country.
He pledged that by the end of the current term, 90 per cent of pupils in grade one will be able to read after the implementation of the newly devised strategy to improve literacy levels.
Meanwhile Parklands, Chibote and St. Francis Secondary Schools have won awards for outstanding results in the 2017 examinations.
Ndola City Council Public Relations Manager Tilyenji Mwanza
The Ndola City Council has appealed to street vendors to adhere to its directives not to trade from the central business district in order to keep the city clean and prevent outbreaks diseases such as cholera.
Council Public Relations Manager Tilyenji Mwanza said the local authority was aware that some street vendors have developed a habit of going back to the streets between 16:00 and 17:00 hours.
Ms. Mwanza said the council, in conjunction with Zambia National Service and the Zambia police, have started apprehending street vendors who sell their merchandise on the streets around that time.
She added that the mandate of the council was to ensure that all street vendors who were removed from the streets are given trading spaces at designated markets.
She has since advised traders to trade from designated areas in order to prevent the outbreak of water borne diseases such as cholera.
Ms. Mwanza said this would make it easy for the local authority to collect garbage and clean the market surroundings.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mwanza has advised Ndola residents to report council officers are allegedly involved in giving out vending spaces in town to the local authority or nearest police station.
And Christopher Chileshe, a trader at Gabon Masala market, has called on the local authority to put up stringent measures that would deter vendors from slowly going back to the streets.
Lusaka Mayor His Worship Wilson Kalumba
Lusaka Mayor Wilson Kalumba says the Lusaka City Council (LCC) and Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) is working on a project under which garbage fees will be collected through buying airtime credits from mobile network service providers in Lusaka.
In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka this week , the mayor stated that the project is in process though still waiting for authority from the Business Regulatory Agency (BRA) in order to start running.
Mr. Kalumba noted that individuals will be required to pay a K10 per month regardless of how many simcards an individual has in order to sustain the project.
He added that Lusaka is the first target before the long term project of cleaning and picking garbage spreads to other parts of the country.
The mayor further stated that the project will however, involve people disposing garbage in designated places.
And The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has disclosed that its project of installing solar panels for street lighting has progressed.
LCC Public Relations Officer George Sichimba said solar panels have been installed in some parts of Lusaka city adding that the installation programme is ongoing in selected areas.
Mr. Sichimba told ZANIS in Lusaka this week that putting up solar panels will help save 50 percent of the K60, 000 paid to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) for electricity units annually.
He said the installation of solar panels is categorized in two parts namely L400 phase two which is under the Road Development Agency (RDA).
Mr. Sichimba added that the installation of solar panels will not only be an advantage to the council but will also reduce the pressure on national electricity grid.
Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo says Zambia’s commitment and participation towards the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns by 2020 is bearing fruit despite challenges surrounding the process.
Mr. Kampyongo observed that although Zambia is grappling with the issues of displaced persons from other countries, it is determined to ensure that peace and security prevails at all cost.
The Minister disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday.
He explained that Zambia remains committed by demonstrating its desire through the use of the slot that it has on peace and security including its membership on the Southern African Development Community Troika (SADC) on Politics, Peace and Security.
“We see how we can fully participate in achieving this goal”, he emphasised.
Mr. Kampyongo pointed out that the hotspots within the Great Lakes Region remain a concern in terms of conflicts considering that arms, among other weaponry tools are not managed and regulated.
According to the Home Affairs Minister, with such developments in place, it is therefore, crucial to ensure that member states are encouraged to take stock of the arms by controlling the situation.
On the free movement of people, Mr. Kampyongo reiterated that Zambia supports the spirit of people moving freely across the continent.
He, quickly, however, contended that the practice should not be done at the expense of internal sovereignty security that countries are striving so hard to promote.
“It is important that we do not lose sight since there are issues of terrorism and criminal activities, and that is Zambia’s participation on the Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns is critical”, he noted.
He added that opening the borders to other countries demands that stringent measures are taken into account and adhered to for the safety of the citizenry and peace and security in the region thereby taking root.
And commenting on this year’s theme for the 30th ordinary session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government Summit dubbed, “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation,” Mr. Kampyongo observed that when corruption takes root, peace and security of member states is also compromised.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kampyongo has commended President Edgar Lungu for his unwavering leadership demonstrated towards addressing the refugee situation in the country.
The Home Affairs Minister stated that President Lungu has been at the core to ensure peace prevails in the region.
He added that the current influx of refugees from the DRC which stands at over 14, 000, is overwhelming in terms of Government’s provision of social services to the displaced including the citizenry.
Mr. Kampyongo noted that Zambia’s peace and security should be embraced by everyone for sustainable economic growth and development.
He has thanked the various local and international institutions that are supporting Government in providing for the displaced persons in Zambia as the development requires concerted efforts.
“We are grateful to the various institutions such as the UN agencies, Red cross, among other stakeholders for the hand they have extended to Government,” he applauded.
And according to the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, in his 2018 New Year message to Africa, restated that the African Union remains committed to working with Member States to deliver on the ambitious Agenda 2063 flagship project of Silencing the Guns by 2020.
FILE: The PF MPs based on the Copperbelt during a news conference at Protea Hotel in Ndola
Patriotic Front Members of Parliament on the Copperbelt have called for the arrest of Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili for defamation of the President.
Speaking on behalf of the other MPs at a press briefing held in Kitwe yesterday, Mufulira Central Member of Parliament Evans Chibanda said Mr. Kambwili should not continue insulting President Edgar Lungu and making statements that amounted to defamation of the President.
Dr. Chibanda has urged law enforcement agencies to protect the office of the president by professionally executing their duties based on their evaluations of media statements made by politicians.
He stated that it was high time they put an end to Mr. Kambwili’s unwarranted attacks on the head of state.
Dr. Chibanda has challenged the Roan Member of Parliament to bring up imperial evidence on the corruption allegations that he is levelling against President Lungu.
He stated that Mr. Kambwili was trying to destroy the image of the President instead of explaining to the people how he was going to change the lives of Zambians with his political party.
From (right) Central province Minister Sydney Mushanga, Kabwe DC Dominic Mulenga and Kabwe mayor Prince Chileshe flagging of this year’s independence celebrations in Kabwe
Kabwe Mayor Prince Chileshe has said President Edgar Lungu wants decentralisation to be fully actualised and implemented because it will help government provide projects that will be appreciated to people.
Mr. Chileshe said decentralisation means giving power to the people to drive the implementation of projects and the government agenda.
ZANIS in Kabwe reports that Mr. Chileshe said this when he officially handed over 36 bicycles to Ward Development Committees (WDCs) in 27 wards of Kabwe Central and Bwacha constituencies yesterday.
He said the WDCs are not political entities but agents of development adding that whatever they would be doing should be in line with the seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) and the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
He has since called for team work and discipline at various levels of the governance structures in order to command respect among the member of the public.
Mr. Chileshe further advised the WDCs to engage the local authority on best practices to improve service delivery in the municipality.
He also encouraged the structures to identify fundable projects in the area of water and sanitation, security, health and education sectors for possible funding from the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
And Mr. Chileshe has said there was need to orient all the Ward Development Committees (WDCs) to harmonise the working relationship with councillors.
He observed that the working relationship between WDCs and councillors was in some instances strained thus retrogressive to development.
He explained that WDCs are there to help implement government projects and programmes saying it would be folly for these structures and the councillors to be at loggerheads.
Mr. Chileshe was however optimistic that orientations will address the friction between the two parties thereby creating a conducive environment for development.
Speaking earlier, Kabwe Town Clerk (TC), Ronald Daka, said the embedding of the decentralisation policy in the national constitution has paved way for the actualization of decentralisation.
Mr. Daka said devolved governance presents the country with a unique opportunity to foster people driven sustainable development.
He said although the council was expected to do a lot, it cannot achieve much without engaging the people of Kabwe.
“I believe that once we and the people of Kabwe start moving together, we will achieve a lot in terms of development,” he said.
Mr. Daka said Ward Development Committees are the best tools of development and improving living standards of people.
“If we empower the WDCs, we will be making a lot of strides in stirring development and improving the living standards of the people,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Chalilalila Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairperson, Leonard Tembo, said the donation of bicycles will help his governance structure to address the problems of land audit and illegal land allocations.
Mr. Tembo has since pledged partnership with the local authority in implementing the developmental projects in the municipality.
Today’s Scripture
