Africa-Press – Zambia. A Civic leader in Nakonde District of Muchinga Province has expressed delight with President Hakainde Hichilema’s pronouncement to improve their remunerations.
Patriotic Front (PF) Ikumbi ward Councilor, in Nakonde Constituency, Gift Nachizya Musukwa has lamented that it has not been easy to service her ward at grassroots owing to inadequate materials and financial resources.
Ms Nachizya has told ZANIS in an interview that Ikumbi ward is one of the largest wards with about 70,000 inhabitants and that she has encountered a lot of hurdles canvassing the ward due to limited resources.
“You Know we receive a lot of problems from the people on a daily basis, but I get 3,000 Kwacha, what can I do? I’m a very happy person and I commend President Hichilema on this score,” Mrs Nachizya stated,”
Mrs Nachizya stressed that governments should also consider providing vehicle loans to councilors for easy movement in wards. In Northwestern Province, Samuteba ward councillor, Jane Keyala says it has not been easy working with a 3,000 Kwacha.
She said she is particularly happy that the pronouncement has come from the Head of state himself saying this gives her confidence that it will be actualised in reasonable time.
She told ZANIS in an interview that councillors are usually overwhelmed with requests for both financial and material assistance by community members.
“It is a challenge for us to attend to various needs of the people in our wards as we have no means to reach out to them” she said.
The civic leader explained that once the presidential pronouncement to improve their conditions of service is actualised, it will motivate them to work hard and enable them to extend a helping hand to residents in their wards.
Meanwhile Ms. Keyala has proposed that the government considers providing some form of transport such as motorbikes to councillors with vast wards to help them with mobility.
“Some of our wards are vast and it is difficult to respond to calls from the people so the government can even give us motorbikes for transport” she said.
On Friday September 8th, 2023 during his address to parliament, President Hakainde Hichilema announced that the government is working to improve the remuneration of councillors across the country.
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