Chief Munyumbwe calls for maintenance of feeder roads

Chief Munyumbwe calls for maintenance of feeder roads
By Lemmy Likando in Siavonga
Monday October 15, 2007 [04:00]

CHIEF Munyumbwe of Gwembe district in Southern Province has called for the immediate maintenance of feeder roads in his chiefdom. And chief Munyumbwe has also appealed to the government to urgently send farming inputs to farmers in the area so that they can adequately prepare themselves for this year’s farming season. In an interview in Siavonga, chief Munyumbwe bemoaned the existing poor road network in his area.

He said the current state of most feeder roads in his chiefdom was an embarrassment and a source of worry. Chief Munyumbwe revealed that the majority of roads that branched off from the main Gwembe – Chipepo road had been badly damaged. He named some of the affected roads as the Munyumbwe – Bondo road, Chamwe, Limbo as well as the road leading to Siatwinda.

He observed that while it was the responsibility of local authorities to carry out maintenance of feeder roads in their various districts, councils were financially incapacitated, hence the need for the government to extend its helping hand to the institutions for development to take place.

Chief Munyumbwe further noted that with the onset of the rainy season, the damaged roads would completely become impassable thereby affecting the delivery of farming inputs to farmers.

“ I am appealing to government to look into the issue of most feeder roads in my chiefdom which are currently in a poor state. I am worried because the farming season is starting soon and how will my people receive farming inputs if these roads become completely impassable?” chief Munyumbwe asked.

Meanwhile, chief Munyumbwe revealed that lack of an abattoir in his chiefdom where villagers could sell their livestock at reasonable prices had resulted in villagers being swindled out of their money as well as being exploited by some unscrupulous cattle buyers.