Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Fumba Chama, has commended Luanshya Municipal Council for implementing community-driven projects under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Mr Chama said the council has demonstrated that implementation challenges could be overcome through effective leadership and collaboration among government institutions.
Speaking after touring selected CDF projects in Luanshya District, he cited the ongoing rehabilitation of sewer lines in Roan constituency as an example of the fund responding to community needs.
“What we’ve seen here is exactly that CDF is supposed to achieve development that is conceptualised by the local people, prioritised by the local people and then funded by the local people,” he said.
Mr Chama said the sewer problems could have gone unnoticed at national level without community involvement in identifying development priorities, adding that the intervention reflected President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision of placing communities at the centre of development.
However, he expressed concern that some completed health facilities remained non-operational because of staffing and accommodation challenges.
Mr Chama urged district authorities to plan for staff accommodation and other operational requirements alongside the construction of health facilities.
“I’ve spoken to the TC, I’ve spoken to the DC and challenged them to sit with the people that are working on these projects and let’s have houses for the staff that should be working there,” he said.
He said communities should not be denied healthcare services because accommodation for health workers had not been provided.
Meanwhile, Kafubu Water and Sanitation Company Manager Felix Nsonde disclosed that 350 metres of damaged sewer pipes had been replaced and more than one kilometre of blocked sewer lines cleared under the CDF-supported sanitation works.
He said the intervention had relieved communities where sewage previously flooded residential surroundings.
The manager said vandalism of manhole covers remained a major challenge, as debris entering the sewer system during the rainy season caused repeated blockages.
He added that the company was raising manholes and installing protective covers to prevent further blockages.
Mr Chama praised the council’s collaboration with Kafubu Water and Sanitation Company, describing it as a practical demonstration of the One Government approach.
He said the Cabinet Office was conducting monitoring visits across the country to assess the actual impact of CDF projects on communities beyond reports submitted by implementing institutions.
“This trip to Luanshya was basically to be eyewitnesses of what CDF is doing,” he said.
Mr Chama said the monitoring exercise had revealed both successes and challenges, adding that the Government would continue reviewing areas requiring improvement to ensure the fund delivered its intended benefits.
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