Governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by its vice-president for the Southern Region Kondwani Nankhumwa on Sunday held a meeting with Ndirande Township market and borehole committees.
During the meeting, vendors requested for business loans. The vendors told Nankhumwa that their businesses are struggling due to lack of sufficient capital.
The market committees also asked for an extension of the Malata and Cement Subsidy programme to include them, saying they are living under leaking roofs because the money they raise from their businesses is not enough.
On their part, the borehole committees asked Nankhumwa, who is also Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, to consider drilling more boreholes in the area as people benefit from the money realised through water sales.
In his response to the committees, the minister said the issues raised will be taken on board for consideration and that he will be meeting with the committees’ leadership to discuss the way forward.
Nankhumwa, however, said as one way of making sure that there is free water for people in the area, the borehole committees will have to stop selling the water and will instead be given K400 000 monthly to pay committee members and maintenance.
“It will be like a pilot phase that will start in December and it will run for a period of six months to see how it goes. Each committee will be given K400 000 to be provided by DPP. But this does not mean that the borehole committees have been dissolved. They will still manage the boreholes to make sure there is sanity,” said Nankhumwa.
On his part, group village head Somanje, on behalf of all committees that attended the meeting, pledged that his area will work with government to make sure that development projects in the area go smoothly.
He said together with his subordinates, he will push government to address challenges that both the committees and other people in the area continue to face.
Also present at the meeting was DPP regional governor for the South Charles Mchacha. n
