Government has made significant progress in electrifying chiefs palaces in the country.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Water Development, Peter Mumba says many palaces in the country have since been electrified with either solar power or conventional electricity from the national grid.

Mr. Mumba told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that palaces which are not on the national grid have been provided with solar power while those on the national grid have been electrified under the auspices of Rural Electrification Authority.

He has however urged the chiefs in the country whose palaces have not been electrified to be patient as government is doing everything possible to electrify all chiefs’ palaces in the country.

Mr. Mumba said the electrification of chief palaces and the rural electrification project that government is implementing are aimed at taking development to all parts of the country.

He said the move will open up the rural areas but added that it has however been hampered by inadequate resources.

Mr. Mumba further said government has set other priorities which include electrification of clinics and schools.

He said some chiefs in the country have opted to electrify need areas such as clinics, hospitals and schools before they can have their palaces electrified.

ZANIS

The K30 billion Manyonyo Irrigation Scheme being constructed by a Chinese contractor in Mazabuka has stalled due to alleged political interference and refusal by a church organisation to relocate to another area to pave way for the construction of a main dam.

And Manyonyo Water Users Association (MAWAUSA) has called on government to move in quickly and resolve the wrangle that has slowed down progress on the government-sponsored project before the contractor pulls out.

MAWAUSA Chairperson, Boniface Lundah, told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that the Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Chikankata Member of parliament, Munji Habeenzu, was behind the problems in Manyonyo.

He alleged that Mr Habeenzu has unconstitutionally dissolved his legally elected committee and replaced it with suspected UPND cadres on tribal lines.

Mr Lundah accused Mr Habeenzu of waging war against non-Tonga speaking people by inciting the settlement committee to rise against his committee.

He explained that the church leadership has refused to shift from the area designated for the construction of the dam claiming they can only do so after being compensated.

But Mr Habeenzu dismissed the claims of tribalism and political interference describing them as mere lies.

Mr Habeenzu said as area member of parliament he had the right to dissolve a committee in the event that the community is not happy with its operations.

He accused the Lundah-led committee of allegedly personalising the project.

Mr Habeenzu also denied claims by Mr Lundah that the newly constituted committee was composed of UPND cadres.

Mr Habeenzu said the committee was chosen by the community itself who demanded the removal of the Lundah-led executive.

And Mazabuka District Project Manager in the Ministry of Agriculture, Alex Nonde, also confirmed the stalling of the project.

Mr Nonde, who attributed the problem to weather pattern and wrangles amongst the community, said his office is concerned with the wrangles and has since sought the intervention of the District Commissioner, Tyson Hamaambo.

He explained that the community, which is suppose to help in surveying farm boundaries for the construction of field canals, cannot do so because they are embroiled in wrangles.

The dissolved committee has since refused to surrender office documents claiming it cannot succumb to a politically installed illegal committee.

The committee has also soughty the intervention of Registra of Society to arbitrate in the dissolution of the committee.

ZANIS

Government has released K690 million for the rehabilitation of feeder roads in Northwestern province.

Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary, Eustern Mambwe said the K690 million that has been released was part of the K2 billion meant for the rehabilitation of feeder roads in the province.

Dr. Mambwe disclosed this when he addressed Provincial Heads of government department in Solwezi today.

He said the rehabilitation works on the roads commenced last month in Solwezi and would continue until all targeted feeder roads were done but stressed that this would be done within the stipulated period of three and half months.

Dr. Mambwe said the works would be done in three groups, with Group A, which would led by Solwezi District Commissioner, covering Solwezi district.

He said Group B, which would cover Kasempa, Mufumbwe, Zambezi and Chavuma districts would be led by Kasempa and Chavuma District Commissioners respectively while Group C that would cover Kabompo and Mwinilunga would be led by Mwinilunga District Commissioner.

Dr. Mambwe said contractors in this project would start by rehabilitating roads that lead to chiefs’ palaces before other feeder roads would be worked on.

ZANIS

Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) says inadequate funding has slowed down its rural television expansion project.

ZNBC Acting Director General Juliana Mwila says the corporation is in need of funds to enable it complete the rural expansion project which it has embarked on in its bid to cover the whole country.

Mrs. Mwila said this when she led a ZNBC delegation that appeared before the parliamentary committee on information and broadcasting which was chaired by Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka in Lusaka yesterday.

She said adequate funding will also help enhance the operations of the national broadcaster in its quest to disseminate information to the nation.

Mrs. Mwila also said that there is need to replace the old analogue equipment at mass media complex with the modern digital equipment.

She said there is need for the corporation to move in tandem with modern trends in order to operate efficiently.

Mrs. Mwila however, said government through the ministry of information and broadcasting has assured the corporation of funding to further improve its operations and coverage.

And the ZNBC Acting Director has dismissed suggestions from quarters of society that the national broadcaster is biased in its coverage.

Mrs. Mwila said ZNBC has continued to endeavor in ensuring that all stakeholders and political players are given adequate coverage.

She also explained that it is within the corporations mandate to ensure that government policies and programmes are given enough air time to ensure that they are effectively explained to the nation.

Mrs. Mwila added that it is also important that the head of state is given adequate air time to enable him explain government decision, policies and programmes.

ZANIS