BY BRIAN HATYOKA  –
NEWLY-ELECTED Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) president Samuel Munthali has pledged to promote enhanced service delivery in local authorities during his term of office.
Mr Munthali, who is Ndola Mayor, said enhancing service delivery was top priority in his vision.
He has since called for regular or sustained support and funding from the central Government to local authorities to boost service delivery.
Mr Munthali was speaking in Livingstone on Friday in an interview after being elected new LGAZ president to replace Mulenga Sata who has been appointed as State House deputy minister.
This was during the just ended 59th annual conference of the LGAZ and the 12th General Assembly of the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders’ Initiative for Community Action on HIV/AIDS at the local level meeting held at Chrismar Hotel in Livingstone from July 27 to July 31, 2015.
During the LGAZ presidential elections, Munthali got 51 votes, while Choma Mayor Jackson Makwamba came second with 22 votes and Kitwe Mayor Kelvin Sinyangwe came third with 20 votes.
“Without local authorities, it would be very difficult for services to be delivered to the communities and my duty will be to drive the service delivery agenda in councils.
“However, we need regular funding from the central Government to enable develop the communities and the country at large,” Mr Munthali said.
He said the welfare of councillors, service delivery and council staff welfare were some of the challenges affecting local authorities.
“Though we appreciate the K700 allowance that each councillor will be getting, we feel councillors need a salary like other workers because they have been working as volunteers for a long time,” he said.
Mr Munthali said he had a lot of work to do as his predecessor Mr Sata did not have enough time in office to do most tasks.