Luangwa council put to task for importing labour

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—The Luangwa District Council management has been put to task to explain how they use the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and why they hire contractors and buy some locally available materials from outside the district at the expense of local contractors and local materials.

 

Luangwa District Council Councillors, who included the area Member of Parliament, Patrick Ngoma who is also Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, demanded clarification on the issues during the full council meeting held at the Civic Centre chamber yesterday.

 

The civic leaders also wanted an explanation as to why the 2013 CDF funded projects have delayed to complete and why they were awarding contracts to contractors from outside the district when there were people within the district who could do the projects.

 

Member of Parliament for Feira Constituency, Patrick Ngoma, said it was unfair that CDF projects were being given to people from outside the district when there were people within who could work on the same projects.

 

Mr Ngoma also wondered why council management were buying blocks and sand from Lusaka when there was available sand in the area and people could be employed to mould the blocks and have money in their pockets.

 

And Mphuka Ward councillor, Joseph Mphuka, and Mankhokwe councillor, Leo Mpande, wondered why the 2013 CDF projects were delaying to finish when the projects were contractor-based.

 

Councillor Mpande said it was unfortunate that the 2013 CDF projects have delayed to finish when they were supposed to be now using the 2014 CDF for new projects.

 

The council management was at pains to give convincing answers to the queries from councillors and attributed the delay to tender procedures in Lusaka.

 

Council Secretary, Given Muleya, said management had to follow tender procedures to award contracts to contractors and this takes time.

 

The Area Member of Parliament, Patrick Ngoma, said it was sad that people from outside the district were benefitting from the Constituency Development Funds which are supposed to benefit the locals who would also use the money locally.

 

Mr Ngoma called on the council management to opt for Community Based funded projects which will benefit the people in terms of infrastructural development and also have money in their pockets.

 

He said the idea of hiring labour from outside the district should come to a stop as this was hindering the purpose of the local people having money in their pockets.

 

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