. MOOYA

By KAIKO NAMUSA –
MOOMBA United Party for National Development (UPND) Member of Parliament, Vitalis Mooya, is among the oldest serving MPs in Parliament today.
Born September 21, 1949 in Monze District, Mr Mooya, a former director of planning in the Ministry of Works and Supply, unveils his achievements during his 12-year period as Moomba area MP.
Mr Mooya thanks the Lord for his marriage spanning 40 years and has seen him being blessed with seven children – four boys and three girls.
Mr Mooya was educated at Monze Primary School and did senior secondary education at Saint Edmunds in Mazabuka and Canicius in Monze’s Chikuni area from 1964 to 1968.
Just after independence, job opportunities were at their peak and upon completion of his secondary education, Mr Mooya joined the Ministry of Works as a learner technician and enrolled for studies in civil engineering at the University of Zambia and was also sponsored to study in the United Kingdom by the British Council.
He retired after a 31-year long service in the public sector.
After retirement in 2000, Mr Mooya found himself gambling with odds of joining politics or enjoying his retirement package for other ventures.
“When I retired, I wanted to go into private practice, as I am a registered engineer. I hesitated to join politics and at the time politics was really dirty, it is good that it is now a beautiful game, we can differ in the House but we mingle and laugh outside.
“I feared joining politics because I was going to lose my pension had I lost. However, the political battle finished my pension,” Mr Mooya reflects.
In his third term as MP for Moomba, Mr Mooya is happy with some of the achievements he has achieved.
Being a professional engineer, the parliamentarian is particular about planning of structures in his area such as buildings and others he has supervised.
He has managed to bring developmental changes in the areas of health, education and road infrastructure among the people of Moomba, which is East of Monze.
He said the past three years had been of great significance to Moomba Constituency which has a population of about 35,000 to 40,000 people.
Mr Mooya is happy that the population in his area is of a manageable size coupled with his vast experience as being once the chief engineer in charge of infrastructure in the Ministry of Works and Supply.
PROJECTS
Rural Electrification
Among the projects that will bring meaningful change to the people of Moomba is the rural electrification project being spearheaded by the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), which has seen an allocation of K18 million for the project that will cater for Monze and Njola areas.
Mr Mooya is happy with the pace of the project so far but the end result, once completed, is what brings a pleasantry smile to the man beaming with the ambitions of joining the farming community once he retires from politics.
He said the connection of schools, health centres and houses to power would trigger growth for various industries and create job
opportunities as well as help reduce poverty levels.
Construction of a secondary school
The other project is the construction of Kaumba Secondary School, a project that will cost K41 million and the MP is elated that this project is in the construction phase.
“I am particularly happy with this project, it failed under the MMD for 10 years, I lobbied but nothing was forthcoming. I am happy with the Minister of Education, John Phiri. I have been knocking on his doors lobbying and I have managed to get his attention and the people are happy. This is good,” he says.
Milk collection centre
A milk collection centre is also earmarked for establishment in Kaumba area. This is located 15 kilometres off Monze on the Chavuma Road.
An amount of K380,000 has been allocated for the project and it is of top priority to Mr Mooya and the people of Moomba.
The project will beef up opportunities to launch a milk processing plant in an area where cattle rearing is a tradition and source of pride for many Tonga-speaking people of Southern Province.
“The beauty of this project is that we can have an industry to process milk and other dairy products which bring economic benefits to the people and surrounding areas and the country,” he says.
He hopes that in two months time the project will be under way as it is still in its infancy.
Other major project recorded is the grading of the Monze-Chavuma 15-kilometre stretch which Mr Mooya says has brought economic viability in terms of transportation of farm produce and people.
Many other developmental projects are also underway with the financial assistance of the Constituency Development Funds (CDF), which he says is little to stir the much-desired development but that an increase is cardinal.
Mr Mooya is quick to state that increasing CDF will also have to go with the introduction of strict measures to ensure it is used for the intended purposes as well as building the capacity of councils in managing the finances to avoid misuse.
In a report for the Monze District Council regarding Moomba CDF committee, 74 projects covering various sectors have been lined up for implementation against a budget of K5,600.
One area of concern for the parliamentarian has been the distribution of relief maize to constituencies in Monze, which are Bweengwa, Monze Central and Moomba, a matter that has since reached the Office of the Vice-President in a letter dated February 21, 2014 and is currently being addressed.
Mr Moomba is a happy MP, as he reflects on his achievements and expresses gratitude to the people of his area for the support.
“Come 2016, if the people want me out, who am I to say no, I will kneel and bow my head and say thanks and leave. If they want to give me another mandate, I will gladly accept but in the meantime I want to concentrate on developing the area,” he says.