Maravi

Chief Chisunka questions govt's development achievement

Chief Chisunka questions govt's development achievement
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 02 May 2011, 04:03 CAT

THE people in Luapula Province are not seeing the developmental achievements President Rupiah Banda’s government claims to be delivering, says chief Chisunka.

And chief Chisunka has said the people of Luapula have no members of parliament to speak for them and blamed the recent disturbances in Mansa to high unemployment and lack of development.

In an interview, chief Chisunka said people were just hearing about the development but had not seen it.

"When they bring development people should be employed. Right now there is nothing. It is just some private investors who are operating what we may term as illegal mines. Let them government put up one mining plant here in Luapula. There are many precious metals like Manganese but people are not processing anything because of lack of electricity,” chief Chisunka said.

He challenged those in government to point at any developmental achievement in Luapula as they were claiming.

"What can they point to for them to claim that they are bringing development in the country? What development are they talking about? We are talking about the development where our people will be employed,” chief Chisunka said. “I count people here in Mansa, they don’t have anywhere they can find jobs. So what development is happening here? Nothing! Yes, they are building schools, but where will our children be employed even when they get the education?”

Chief Chisunka said one just needed to look at the huge queues when the government announced the recruitment of police officers to understand the dire unemployment levels in the area.

“I want my subjects to get employed, not just saying ‘we are delivering development’. We are not seeing the development…even those who are constructing the roads are Chinese. They are the ones working. What are our people benefiting?” chief Chisunka asked. “That is why people are complaining to me that ‘we don’t have people to speak for us. We don’t have jobs, we don’t have anywhere to go yet they are claiming that they have brought development’. The people are asking ‘what development’? I have also failed to point at any.”

And chief Chisunka has said the recent spate of violence in Mansa could have been caused by the anger in people’s hearts over the high unemployment levels. He said people had nowhere to go since Mansa Batteries, Kawambwa Tea Scheme and the Munushi Banana project were closed.

“Many are just loitering or gallivanting. They used to rely on catching fish from the rivers and lakes we have in the province, but the fish stocks are depleted. So all the people are just doing is gallivanting so that is what may be causing anger. They don’t have people to speak for them. The MPs we are sending to Parliament are not speaking for the people,” chief Chisunka said. “We have PHD holders, but they have been reduced to being engaged in “ifiliba” (hunting using traps) in villages because of lack of jobs.”

He said Luapula had more water resources than those on the Copperbelt but the latter’s resources were more developed.

“But they have even failed to develop just one falls to attract investors. The investors I have talked to say they can’t invest in things like mines because electricity is inadequate here,” chief Chisunka said. “Nakulabaleka abantu nomba kuti batampe ukulacita ifintu ifyalubana kumulandu wakubula inchito I will just let my subjects do as they wish because of lack of jobs.”

Chief Chisunka said Dr Kenneth Kaunda tried because there was no province in the country which did not have an industry during his time. He said he went to Chipata last year where he witnessed new private projects like opening of Spar Shopping Centre and the Protea Hotel commissioned by President Rupiah Banda.

"But what do our MPs do in Parliament? Why can’t they speak for us so that those things could be brought to us also…let me warn my subjects, the time we are getting into is very crucial, if we don’t choose our representatives properly we shall remain behind,” said chief Chisunka. “We want people who have a heart for our people. We want people to speak for us. In Mansa people don’t have people to speak for them. How does development get to other areas when they sit in the same Parliament?"
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Labels: CHIEF CHISUNKA, DEVELOPMENT, RUPIAH BANDA, UNEMPLOYMENT

posted by MrK @ 11:55 AM