Kazungula Govt officials cling to Livingstone

By NATION REPORTER KAZUNGULA residents are irked by continued stay of government workers in Livingstone district instead of moving to Kazungula where they are supposed to be based.

Since the establishment of Kazungula District more than 15 years ago, government officers such as the district commissioner, council secretary, district community development officer, district agriculture coordinating officer and other officers from various government departments have been living in Livingstone and opt to commute on daily basis to go and discharge their duties in Kazungula.

But this has not gone well with Kazungula residents who are calling on all ministries that have representations in the district to compel their officers to move to Kazungula Boma permanently. In an interview with the Daily Nation on Sunday, some of the irked residents have accused government officers of delaying the development of Kazungula District.

A resident, Mate Malamo of Makalanguzu compound demanded a quick decision by government to ensure all officers that are still stationed in Livingstone to move to Kazungula.

“Kazungula district has been a district for many years but to date, it is still one of the least developed districts in Southern Province…Chikankata was declared a district in 2011 but when you go there today, you will find a lot of development better than our district,” said Mr. Malamo.

“You see in 2012 when late President Michael Sata relocated the provincial capital from Livingstone to Choma, some workers were not willing to move but they were made to move because of how tough government specially the provincial administration became,” he said. Mr. Malamo insisted that going by that, there is no reason why government workers should continue to stay in Livingstone instead of Kazungula where they are working from.

“We are calling on government especially the Ministry of Community Development and the Ministry of Local Government to tell their officers to move to Kazungula…how will our district develop if the

people that are responsible of spearheading development are only in the district for few hour daily? Some of them don’t even report for work they just stay in Livingstone...this is unacceptable,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the provincial Minister Edify Hamukale over the residents’ demand proved futile as his phone was not reachable.

And according to the information obtained by the Daily Nation at Kazungula Border, only security wings, the Zambia Revenue Authority and a few selected officers from the district administration live in Kazungula while the rest still live in Livingstone.