Maravi

Kansembe urges more vigilance on Angola, DRC borders
By David Chongo in Solwezi
Sat 10 Aug. 2013, 14:01 CAT

HOME affairs deputy minister Alfridah Kansembe says North-Western Province's long border line presents security agencies with peculiar challenges regarding vices such as human trafficking and illegal trading.

Addressing a special provincial development coordinating committee meeting graced by information and broadcasting deputy minister Mwansa Kapeya at Solwezi Lodge on Thursday, Kansembe said state security should step up scrutiny of traffic in the area.

Kansembe, who officially opened a newly constructed border post at Kipushi in Solwezi and also at Kamapanda in Mwinilunga on Wedneaday, said it was vital to keep a close eye on illegal activities on the borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola as a way of minimising imprisonment cases which she said were swelling the capacity of prison facilities.

Kansembe added that in mitigating the absence of security personnel in some areas, the government would construct over 12,000 staff houses as accommodation was a critical prerequisite.

She said the government would also heighten mobile registration in rural areas like Solwezi East where chiefs Chikola and Munsaka near Kipushi complained about many of their subjects lacking national registration cards.

And officially opening the meeting, Kapeya said the government was developing a national planning and budgeting policy toward legislation that would strengthen coordination of national development planning and budgeting processes.

Kapeya said this was aimed at prudently using public resources to focus on key programmes of poverty reduction and wealth creation.

"It is our conviction that the policy as well as the legal framework will outline guidelines that should provide focus and direction on national development priorities and enhance harmonization of development programmes…in tandem with the decentralisation policy," Kapeya said.

And North Western permanent secretary Augustine Seyuba called for stronger monitoring and evaluation to ensure maximum effect, saying the provincial administration will emphasize on-the-spot checks than relying on reports.

Labels: ALFRIDAH KANSEMBE, BORDERS, DRC

posted by MrK @ 2:46 PM