Mushindamo District Council Director of works, Ricky Siamatu has disclosed that the district has a deficit of nine thousand school desks out of the eleven thousand that were allocated for procurement under the 2023 Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Responding to North-Western Province Permanent Secretary , Grandson Katambi who wanted to know the progress in desks procurement, Mr Siamatu said the CDF committee only managed to get two thousand this far.

“The CDF committee has only bought about 2000 desks for 2023, we have about a nine thousand deficit according to the statistics from DEBS,” Mr Siamata said.

The situation has displeased the Permanent Secretary, Col. Katambi who told them to learn from their colleagues who have strategized to ensure that no child sits on the floor by December 2023.

Col. Katambi (Rtd) said presidential directives should be treated with the importance they deserve and not just as mere pronouncement.

“Let us differentiate between Presidential directives and our own programmes, school desks come under Presidential directive,” Col. Katambi said.

Meanwhile, Provincial Local Government Officer, Adrian Zulu said the CDF Committee in Mushindamo is concentrating on trying to procure earth moving equipment in 2023.

Mr Zulu,however, said the committee has plans to divert some extra funds from bursaries to desks procurement.

He further clarified that the number of desks mentioned does not include those desks that have been planned for rehabilitation by the DEBS office.

Chongwe District Commissioner, Evans Lupiya has called for inclusiveness in the agriculture sector to promote economic transformation in the country.

Dr. Lupiya said inclusive economic transformation can be actualised through investment in sustainable agriculture practices and supporting small scale farmers to improve their productivity as well as enable them to easily access markets for their produce.

He said agricultural practices such as value addition will provide support to women and youths who are also key in the sector.

 Dr. Lupiya was speaking when he officially opened the District Agriculture show at Chongwe High school held under the theme ‘Inclusive economic transformation’.

He stated that farmers can also play a critical role in promoting inclusive economic transformation by forming cooperatives and groups.

Dr. Lupiya states that government is implementing measures to ensure that the sector remains inclusive and sustainable to alleviate poverty and develop the economy of the country.

He urged farmers in the district to continue embracing climate smart agricultural practices to counter the effects of climate change on their farming activities.

Dr. Lupiya stated that practices such as Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and irrigation respectively have the potential to not only grow the country’s economy but also improve their livelihood.

He further called for a multi-sectoral approach involving various stakeholders such as the private sector, civil society organisations and farmers themselves to promote inclusive economic transformation in the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, Chongwe District Show society Chairperson, Alice Musingilo appealed to government and other relevant stakeholders in the area to help the society to find land where the District Agriculture show can be hosted.

Ms. Musingilo stated that Chongwe Secondary School where the show is hosted every year is not conducive for the event as it inconveniences both pupils and the farmers.

She also called on government to consider increasing the number of beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) as Chongwe is predominantly a farming area with a lot of small scale farmers.

“As you are all aware, Chongwe is predominantly a farming area with a huge number of small scale farmers. The district has 50,000 registered farmers but only 18,000 of them are beneficiaries of FISP,” he said.

“We are therefore appealing to government to come to our aid by increasing the number of FISP beneficiaries in our district,” Ms. Musingilo stated.

Ms. Musingilo further called on the Ministry of Agriculture to consider re-demarcating agriculture camps in the area as most of them are too vast for agriculture camp extension officers to manage.

A 15 year old boy of Ngangula area in Sesheke District, has committed suicide by electrocuting himself at a 66 kilovolt ZESCO pylon.

Oscar Wakumelo committed suicide by climbing the 66 kilovolt ZESCO pylon which is transmitting power from Livingstone to Mongu.

His body has since been retrieved from the pylon and deposited at Yeta district hospital mortuary.

Oscar was in grade eight at Nakatindi secondary school and the reasons for his actions remain unknown.

Meanwhile, Sesheke District Commissioner, Alex Namenda has received the death of the young man with great shock.

The visibly saddened DC has since wished the bereaved family God’s comfort and strength.

President Hakainde Hichilema has assured private companies that government will provide the necessary support for them to thrive.

President Hichilema was speaking in reference to a waste management company operating in Ghana that also has its presence in Zambia but has had difficulties in implementing its vision in the previous governments.

He said government is ready to work and not just talk about transforming the economy and improving the welfare of people.

The Head of State wondered why Accra’s biggest recycling company which set base in Zambia several years ago has not accomplished the work as compared to the plant in Ghana.

President Hichilema was speaking when he visited Ghana’s leading waste management company where he was taken on a conducted tour of the plant for purposes of helping him understand the model which they are using to turn waste into cash.

Mr Hichilema learnt that among the challenges faced by the company was lack of political will from government and civic leaders.

He said a lot of leaders in Africa have resolved to lift each other to address the economic challenges that exist, adding that government is determined to enhance private sector partnership.

“So you don’t have to persuade us for support, our doors are open wider now and government will work with you to support this initiative,” he told the Executive Chairman of Zoomilion Waste Management Company.

And Zoomilion Executive Chairman, Joseph Agyapong said Africa faces a challenge in waste management because very few people budget for it.

Dr Agyapong said the company has set up a model that has enabled about 10 thousand people in Accra in the informal sector who are working on collecting waste which is then sold to the company.

He stated that the model can also work well in Zambia as almost 1.3 tonnes of waste is generated in a short period of time in Lusaka alone.

“Mr President, to manage waste, governments need to put it as a priority and this is one of the reasons why most African countries are struggling with waste because of lack of political will,” he said.

Dr Agyapong said the Ghanaian government has shown commitment in managing waste by supporting the company to commission over 48 recycling plants with 16 more expected to be commissioned this year.

And in clarification, Minister of Tourism, Rodney Sikumba explained that government did not designate a specific land field in densely populated areas which could have added a challenge to the operations of  Zoomilion.

“We have not started sorting the waste but something is being done to turn waste into cash,” he said.

Zoomilion is a leading waste management company that has set recycling plants in Lusaka, Kabwe and Ndola.

Chongwe Municipal Council has demolished some structures which were illegally constructed along Palabana junction by some members of the community in Palabana ward.

Chongwe Municipal Council Acting Public Relations Manager, Cecilia Musonda says the demolished structures were constructed on road reserves which is a violation of the law.

In a statement made available , Ms Musonda said the action by the local authority was undertaken after several engagements with the owners of the structures who were using them for trading purposes.

She added that the demolition of the structures in Palabana is a warning to members of the public to desist from illegally constructing structures without planning permission from the council.

“This should, therefore, send a warning to the members of the  public that are in the habit of putting up structures without the planning permission or consultation from the Local Authority as stipulated in the Urban and Regional Planning Act no. 3 of 2015 and The Public Health Act CAP 295 of the Laws of Zambia,” she said.

Ms Musonda further encouraged members of the public to consult the council’s planning department to seek building permission and submit their building plans or any intentions to undertake construction works to avoid facing penalties and demolitions.

Meanwhile, Njolwe Ward Councilor, Given Mwenya has called on Chongwe Municipal Council and other relevant government authorities to educate people in the area on the difference between state and traditional land.

Ms. Mwenya explained that most residents in the area are not aware of the boundaries which divide land owned by the Busoli royal establishment and the state which has resulted in most of them constructing structures illegally on state land.

She said the owners of the illegal structures which have been demolished by the local authority were on a number of occasions warned to stop construction on the road reserve but refused to adhere to the warnings.

“The council notified these people to stop constructing the structures on the road reserve and I also did my part as their councilor to sensitise them on the illegality they were committing but they refused to heed the warnings. They would respond to us saying they were given the land by the previous Patriotic Front government adding that the council should source another piece of land for road reserves from the new dawn government,” Ms. Mwenya explained.

Ms. Mwenya,however,expressed concern over the construction of a house on land that is reserved for the construction of a market shelter for the community by a named resident in the area.

She wondered why the council did not demolish the house despite knowing that the structure is constructed on land that is reserved for a market.

Ms. Mwenya further added that she is yet to engage the council to discuss the reasons behind its reluctance to demolish the said house.

Special Assistant and Advisor to the President for Economic, Investment and Development Affairs, Jito Kayumba has handed over five customised wheelchairs valued at over K25, 000 to children living with disabilities at Disacare Wheelchairs Centre.

Speaking during the handover ceremony today in Lusaka, Mr Kayumba says the locally made wheelchairs will assist with the mobility of children living with cerebral palsy.

Mr Kayumba noted the need to include people living with disabilities in various economic activities so that they contribute to national development.

“Making provision for the children to move easily will help them to participate in various social activities which in turn contribute to economic development of the country,” he said.

And Disacare Wheelchair Centre Board Chairperson, Lucy Kasanga appealed to government to help change the face of the centre by turning it into an entrepreneurship training centre for people living with disabilities.

Ms Kasanga said the centre has capacity to provide training to other people especially those living with disabilities to make customized wheelchairs for people with disabilities.

“Our plan is to see locally made motorized wheelchairs and more locally produced wheelchairs made by our own people. More support from the government and various stakeholders is welcome,” she said.

Speaking at the same event Human Rights Commissioner, Christine Chama expressed gratitude for the donation as it will help children living with Cerebral Palsy to participate in daily activities.

Ms Chama also urged the general public to include people living with disabilities in all social activities as they are part of society.