By NANCY SIAME
KAWAMBWA District is fast growing as a number of developmental activities are currently under way in the district located in the Luapula province of Zambia.
The district was famous for the only tea plantation in the country which has now become a white elephant.
Slowly the district has started gaining back its lost glory with the recent launch of the K87.2 Zambia Forestry and Forest plantations (ZAFFICO) plantation, which is expected to create over 4,000 jobs of which 250 will be permanent while the rest will be seasonal jobs.
During the launch Minister of Finance and National Planning Alexander Chikwanda tasked ZAFFICO to establish a new tea plantation with an ambitious out-grower component saying government will find resources for it.
Mr Chikwanda said government does not want to hear any excuses from the company because it will provide all the necessary resources required for an out-grower scheme.
“Let us not hear a proliferation of stories about lack of funds because these are always easy to mobilise for bankable projects,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said all that is needed is to lift restrictions on thinking and reordering of priorities.
From the statement of the Minister, it is clear that government is committed to ensuring that it extends development to the rural parts of the country as opposed to concentrating on developing urban areas.
This balanced approach to development is meant to improve the living standards of rural dwellers who in most cases feel socially excluded.
Senior Chief Mushota of the Chishinga speaking people in Kawambwa said he is thankful to government for taking development to his chiefdom and thus creating job opportunities for the locals.
Chief Mushota urged government to consider taking more development to his area as there were massive tracts of idle land.
“Most young people in my area have been jobless for a long time following the collapse of Kawambwa Tea but with this, we are hopeful of a better Kawambwa,” Chief Mushota said.
Kawambwa District Commissioner Ivo Mpasa said ZAFFICO will expand its plantations by 2016 and this will create more job opportunities for the local people.
Mr Mpasa said he is very happy that government has not neglected the district when it comes to development.
He said he is very impressed with the current developmental activities taking place in his district.
“We are so thankful because government has not forgotten about us despite the fact that we are so far away, it just shows that this government is for everyone,” He said.
Mr Mpasa said Lunzuwe power authority has shown interest to develop two power stations at Lumangwe and Kabwelume waterfalls.
He said the project, which is expected to start this year, will cost US$600 million.
Mr Mpasa said the project will take approximately two years before it is fully operational.
He said the two hydro-power stations once developed will reduce the current load shedding that the district is experiencing.
Mr Mpasa said the two power stations will also supply electricity to Luapula, Northern and Copperbelt provinces.
“Once this project has been completed, this load shedding that we so much experience will be a thing of the past,” Mr Mpasa said.
He said the road sector has not been left out as government released K258 million last year for the Kawambwa –Mushota- Lwingu roads and so far works are progressing well.
Mr Mpasa said UNIK, a Chinese company has been engaged on the two-year project.
He said another road development project targeting 20.5km of township roads, will soon be commissioned.
“The tender procedure has already been done and what we are just waiting for is to select a contractor so that the works can start,” he said.
Mr Mpasa said the people of Kawambwa were thankful to the PF government for fulfilling its campaign promises.
He said young people have been employed in the many developing projects taking place in the district.
Furthermore, Mr Mpasa said an investor has been identified to develop 110,000 hectares of land at Lwena farm block.
He said the investor will be producing sugar and ethanol on land stretching over 10,000 Hectares of land. Over 12,000 people will be engaged to work on the project.
“The investor has already been identified but the details are still at provincial level,” he said.
He said 100 Ha of that land will be allocated to sugar out-growers who will be supplying sugarcane to the main investor.
Mr Mpasa said government has also given Chishinga breeding centre 84 heads of cattle to empower the local people.
He said the centre will also train local people in cattle rearing.
“As you are aware, the people of this place have no experience in cattle rearing but we want to change that,” he said.
The DC also commended government for sending farming inputs in time good time.
He said all the inputs were received early enough and were distributed in the first week of December.
“We are very certain that we will have a bumper harvest this year because the inputs were received in good time and this area is blessed with good rains,” he said.
The people of Kawambwa are happy with the developments that are taking place in their district.
Geoffrey Mwewa of Paraffin area said it is unbelievable to see Kawambwa come alive in the economic sense.
Mr Mwewa was happy that job opportunities have been created for youths who for a long time were crying for employment.
He urged government to initiate more development projects in needy areas.
“Anyone can see that there is tremendous development
in this district and all we can do is commend government for this progress that we are seeing,” Mr Mwewa said.
From the foregoing, it seems that Kawambwa is destined for an economic boom.
Apart from the projects that have been initiated, there are a lot more developmental projects in the pipeline.
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Kawambwa undergoing unprecedented development
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