Sat, 03 Jun 2017 12:32:22 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
PROPOSALS to divide Chilubi constituency in Northern Province into two will bring services closer to the people, says a Patriotic Front councillor in Lusaka who originally comes from that area, Mr Teddy Mwaba.
Mr Mwaba, who is Justin Kabwe ward councillor in Mandevu, explained that Chilubi, where he hails from, was too big to be run effectively under one constituency and that local people faced difficulties accessing amenities because of the huge expanse of water they have to traverse. Mr. Mwaba told the Daily Nation in an interview that as someone hailing from the main land of Shitimali, it took 18 hours from his home area to paddle to the district offices to seek the services of the police and a week before receiving a response.
He indicated that even service delivery on the part of the Member of Parliament remained a challenge because the constituency was vast.
The civic leader has applauded President Lungu for considering to divide Chilubi constituency into two.
“I salute President Lungu for considering to divide Chilubi constituency into two. I come from the main land Shitimali, where it takes 18 hours paddling to the district offices just to seek services of the police and it takes another week to receive response,” he said.
Mr. Mwaba said some distances on the mainland would take the whole day to walk and cited areas such as Shitimali (Chifwenge ward) to Mubili or Mofu because of the pathetic state of roads in the constituency. He urged the Head of State to consider introducing a district on the mainland and that it should be centrally located at Malabi or at the junction of Matipa/ Luena roads so that Mofu and Mubili on the north-east and south-east while Chaba, Kabesha Kawasa, Mulengamumpangwe, on the south and Kafweleketa, and Kashimoto could all benefit.
Mr. Mwaba said there was a secondary school at Malabi while Chaba had a modern clinic and suggested that the island could remain with Muchinshi where the district was located, Kawena, Kapampa, Mbabala, Kashitu Kabende and St. Marys respectively.
He thanked President Lungu for having not forgotten about Chilubi constituency just like his predecessor Michael Sata.
