Lufwanyama people cry for road
By NATION REPORTER Lufwanyama district is not given due attention in priority developmental projects, the Shibuchinga Royal Establishment has complained.
A member of the royal establishment, Victor Kalesha said the neglected road network in the district needed urgent attention to supplement other infrastructure development projects such as schools, hospitals and many others.
Mr. Kalesha, who is also Emerald Association of Zambia president, said he had noted and taken people's complaints and that one of the major worry was the neglected Kalengwa road which he said had not been given attention for a very long time.
“In as much as we appreciate the massive development going on across the country in all spheres of development, it is important to echo out that Lufwanyama district is not given due attention in priority developmental projects. It is obvious that some people will point out certain developments that have taken place in Lufwanyama such as schools, hospitals, police station and recently a dam, but unfortunately these will be less appreciated without a proper road network
“One thing which is notable is non-priotisation of what people need at one particular time. If the people of Lufwanyama were asked between a dam and the road in terms of priority, am sure they could have chosen the road. Currently people of Lufwanyama mainly depend on farming but the main road becomes almost inaccessible during the rainy season. On behalf of the people of Lufwanyama I would like to request government that as the road infrastructure development is going on across the country it should also spread to Lufwanyama as well,” Mr. Kalesha said.
He said he had no doubt that President Lungu did not know anything about the suffering of the people of Lufwanyama in terms of road network and farming inputs.
“During the rain season, some areas are completely cut off and would not see a car until after the rain season and this is 53 years after independence. It is in this regard that I urge and request President Edgar Lungu to instruct Honorable Chitotela to come and inspect the road from Lufwanyama Boma to Kasempa.
“With the keen interest that the President has to taken development to every part of the country without leaving anyone behind, I feel he will take this call seriously and act urgently to regain the confidence of the people of Lufwanyama and part of NorthWestern province,” he said.
He said the road network challenge in the area had been compounded by the fact that the Lufwanyama district council had no capacity to even grade the road because they had no single piece of equipment, not even a grader and that their allocation was a drop in the ocean in terms of meeting the demands of Lufwanyama's terrain.