. Mulenga

By ANDREW PHIRI?  –
LOCAL Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) President Mulenga Sata has bemoaned the numerous challenges faced by local government systems that have been weakened by some unsupportive Government policies made over years.
Mr Sata was, however, quick to commend Government for the upward trend in budgetary allocations to the local government, a move he hoped would be maintained for many years to come.?He said this during his presentation at the LGAZ 58th annual conference at Chrismar Hotel in Livingstone on Monday.
Mr Sata said the challenges were not insurmountable and could be addressed with a united local government.
He said the challenges confronting the local government systems were serious adding that they could not be overcome over a short period of time.
“I know that these challenges are not insurmountable, because together, as we gather today I see a united local government family with unity of purpose over political considerations and discord, which gives me hope that we will make a positive difference,” Mr Sata said.
Mr Sata appealed to his colleagues in the LGAZ to bring to an immediate end petty grievances and work as a united front if they were to overcome the challenges of local governance.
“The time has come for us to reaffirm our enduring spirit and the only disaster that we should teach ourselves to fear is that which alienates the human spirit from the love of God,” Mr Sata said.
The LGAZ President said the Local Government had noted with satisfaction that alongside tackling the challenges the country was faced with, Government had strengthened the local government through decentralisation.
Mr Sata was grateful for Government’s commitment to the Decentralisation Policy implementation as a measure to strengthen local authorities.
Mr Sata said to date, major problems of local government finance were still to be resolved, but was hopeful that there would soon be a satisfactory financial formula for local government to be devised.
Speaking at the same event, former Ndola Mayor Julius Sakala, said despite all the challenges faced by local government, it was safe to say that over the last 50 years, not all hope was lost.
Speaking during the launch of the book entitled “50 Years of Local Government in Zambia, Treasure The Past, reflecting on the Present, Shaping the Future,” Dr Sakala said re-strengthening of the local government systems in Zambia appeared to have started in 1996 when the system was first time constitutionalised.
“My emphasis which I pointed out was that the 1996 constitution specifically provided that there shall be such a system of local government in Zambia as may be prescribed by an act of parliament.
“Part Viii, article 109 of the constitution of Zambia spells out that such a system shall be based on democratically elected councils on the basis of universal adult suffrage,” Dr Sakala, said.