-Mazimawe appeals for grid power

Chief  Madzimawe of the Ngoni people in Chipata has appealed to the government to connect Kasenengwa Secondary School to the national electricity grid.

Chief Madzimawe said the school was spending more than KR 20,000-00 per week to procure diesel for the generator set which currently provides power to the learning institution.

He was speaking when Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Bert Mushala, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Chipata today.

The traditional leader also said Kasenengwa Rural Health Centre had extra structures which if power was connected to the health institution it would decongest Chipata General Hospital and Kapata Referral Clinic.

And Chief Madzimawe said traditional leaders were happy with the environment government has put for chiefs to operate from.

He said government officers should be going to traditional leaders to complain to when developmental projects were not being implemented properly in chiefdoms.

Chief Madzimawe said traditional leaders have capacity and power to implement development projects through the Ministry of Chiefs and traditional affairs that had been created for them.

‘’ The Ministry is another engine to accelerate rural development and it is my wish that we will work well with government and I want to thank the President for giving chiefs the Ministry,’’ he said.

And Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Bert Mushala said government wanted to reduce the gap of economic development between the urban and rural areas.

Mr. Mushala said both traditional leaders and government served the same people adding that there was need for traditional leaders to support government in uplifting the living standards of people.

Mr. Mushala was at Madzimawe Rural Health Centre where he officiated at the launch of a  USAID funded Mawa and Thrive projects aimed at integrating the Nutrition Assessment, Counselling and Support (NACS) into treatment, care and support of People Living with HIV and Orphans and Vulnerable Children ( OVCs).