15 YEARS IN: KAPATA TOUTS AT CHALLENGES, SUCCESSES

…as she looks at her performance since 2006 as MP

Drug abuse and high cases of defilements are rampant in the constituency which go unreported and when reported they are withdrawn from the courts because relatives involved are regarded as bread winners.

MANDEVU Constituency Member of Parliament, Jean Kapata looked back in an interview with the Daily

Nation at some of the issues she has faced during her three terms - the biggest challenges and successes since being elected 15 years ago.

The undisputed queen of Mandevu has held the seat from 2006, taking over from Patricia Nawa who held it under the Forum for Democracy and Development ticket.

She won the seat after contesting the 2006 general election under the Patriotic

Front (PF) ticket with a landslide margin.

Since then, Ms Kapata who is also Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has commandingly held the Mandevu seat and hardly gives the impression of someone about to exit the stage.

Ms Kapata worked as a theatre nurse prior to being elected to represent the people of Mandevu constituency. She was re-elected in 2011 and 2016.

She served as deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. In 2014, Ms Kapata was appointed by late President Michael Sata as Minister for Tourism and Arts.

For all her commanding stance, she however still deals with voices of dissent over the challenge of delivering social services in her densely populated constituency with issues of poor road network, security, sanitation and health which are still a challenge, like in most constituencies in Zambia.

Mandevu Constituency is unique as it boasts of a huge population touching base with some of the most crowded townships.

Uniquely so because of the pattern of classes of people living there; some from low density populated areas, (planned), medium populated areas (planned) and highdensity populated areas (unplanned).

Reflecting on her life as a parliamentarian, Ms Kapata said, “it has really been an honour for me to represent and serve the people of my constituency. Even before I became cabinet Minister, my constituents were the ones who entrusted me with the responsibility to represent them. Therefore, today I say thank you to all the residents of Mandevu constituency for continuing to energise and motivate me to serve as your representative.

It is because of their support that I am able to celebrate this milestone.”

Meanwhile, Ms Kapata said like in any other constituency, Mandevu was faced with challenges, but has also scored several successes during her tour of duty more especially under the PF regime. She said the successes scored since becoming an MP are massive.

Challenges

Ms Kapata noted the vastness of the constituency, poor road network, erratic water supply, poor sanitation as some of the challenges her constituency was faced with.

Ms Kapata said drug abuse and high cases of defilements were rampant in the constituency which go unreported and when reported they are withdrawn from the courts because relatives involved are regarded as bread winners.

She was however quick to mention the measures put in place to resolve the challenges faced in the constituency.

She explained that with regards to the vastness of the constituency which makes the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) not to be enough to resolve some challenges, Government has proposed delimitation of the constituency and the creation of more wards so that more funds could be allocated to the area.

She also said Government has continued increase CDF allocation every year.

There has also been an introduction of efficient and effective revenue collection.

To tackle Gender-Based

Violence, Ms Kapata said opening of GBV one-stop centres in the wards has been done.

Successes

As for her successes, She pointed to the reconstruction of the looted Ng`ombe Police Post during 2006 tripartite general elections, connection of water construction of three water borne toilets and renovation of Chazanga Police Posts, and purchase of curtains and rails for partitioning of Maternity Ward at the Chipata Health Centre to enhance privacy.

Ms Kapata also boasts of having spearheaded the legalisation of compounds such as Mazyopa, Kasisi, Kabanana West, Chazanga, Kabanana North and Gabon compound.

She also said it was under her time as MP that Police posts such as Ng’ombe, Lesoleil, Kasisi, Chipwalu Police, Garden, Marrapodi and Mandevu Police Post have been constructed.

Ms Kapata said she also facilitated the construction of Chaisa Youth Skills Centre, Kabanana Day Secondary School, Mandevu Primary School, St.Francis and

Clare Secondary School and Mejocama Primary and Secondary School

She said she has managed to build bridges such as Kasisi/Chamba Valley Crossing, New Ngombe/

Kasisi, Chudleigh/Ngombe, Garden site lll Marrapodi, and Chaisa/Marrapodi Foot Bridge among others. She said water reticulation has been improved at Kabanana West through Chipata Water Trust.

“I have also facilitated for a water reserve tank for Kabanana Fumbelo area. With the Muslim Social and Welfare Trust, we drilled boreholes in Mazyopa, Garden, Kabanana, etc,” she said.

She said she has contributed money (K850 each) for teaching aid materials to St Elizabeth Community School, Widowers Community School, Flying Angels Community Schools, and Children Liberty Community School.

Others are Tache Community School, Moucca Community School, Nelson Mandela Community School, and Sunbird Community School.

She said she has also contributed using CDF towards the construction of a wall fence and rehabilitation of Chaisa stadium at a cost of K32, 000, bought land for construction of

New Kabanana High School at K130, 000.00, construction of water borne toilets at Olympia market at K88, 000, and construction of six bridges at K1, 600, 000.

Also we have contributed towards the water connection, renovation of police cells and offices at Chipwalu Police post at K28, 000, bought a building for Chaisa Youth Multi-skills Training Centre at K150, 000, and connection of water at

Kabanana Police Posts at K5, 000, she said.

“Electrification of Mandevu Police post at K12, 300.

Bought a building for garbage collection at K450, 000. Contribution of purchasing of books at Roma Girls Secondary School at K10, 000, Women and Youth empowerment through donations of salaula bales.

“Construction of Olympia market vegetable shelter – Mulungushi Ward at K282,

000, renovation of a mini-civic centre and procurement of block machine for youth empowerment in Ngwerere,” she said.

Ms Kapata also said she