President Hakainde Hichilema has by far exceeded the expectations of the Zambian people by actualizing the decentralisation policy, UPND chairperson for Local Government Newton Samakayi has said.
This he said, was evidenced through the increase of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and by allowing the grassroots to plot their own development agenda through local committees which will manage and administer the resources.
He said it was clear that the President was walking the talk and therefore he was upbeat that the decision to take resources from a centralized point in Lusaka and to directly channel it to the masses countrywide was historical.
Addressing the Press today, Mr. Samakayi charged that previous administrations had failed to take real power to the grassroots noting that President Hichilema had in a short period of time shown that he was not just making empty pronouncements but actualising pre- election promises.
Mr. Samakayi added that Mr. Hichilema’s New Deal administration is the first to actualize and implement a true and working decentralisation policy.
Mr. Samakayi said the recent allocation of K25.7 million to the local councils as Constituency Development Fund-CDF-was commendable and encouraging.
“Out of the K25.7 million CDF allocated to each constituency, K5 million will be channelled towards youth empowerment while another K5 million will be channelled towards bursaries for the grassroots.
“I am warning local councils not to use capacity as an excuse for decentralisation, arguing that the issue of lack of capacity for local councils to decentralise development should not derail development,” he said.
Mr. Samakayi who is also UPND Mwinilunga Member of Parliament also chairs the Party Local Government, Housing and Committee.
And Mr. Samakayi has also encouraged whistleblowers to report any suspicious dealings on the disbursement of resources meant for the local people.
He has since called on Ward Development Committees (WDC) to safe guard funds meant for the development of wards, warning that those found involved in pilferage and malpractices in the disbursement of resources would be dealt with.
