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President Hakainde Hichilema expressed his pleasure to meet with Mayors and Town Council Chairmen from across the country at the Presidential Palace. These elected representatives, as part of the Government, have the supreme responsibility to promote development in their respective areas and prudently manage public resources.
President Hichilema stressed that achieving these goals requires the sacred virtue of teamwork at all levels – between central and local governments, and within the communities they serve. He highlighted the opportunities presented by the restructuring of the country’s debt, the revival of the mining sector and the enhancement of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which will be further increased by 2025.
“We expect significant economic development in local councils with the conclusion of the debt restructuring process, the revival of the mining sector and the strengthening of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which will be further increased in 2025,” President Hichilema said, urging officials to ensure that development benefits every citizen and avoid bureaucratic delays and discrimination.
In response to the challenges posed by the drought, President Hichilema announced that he had instructed the Minister of Finance to increase the CDF allocation in the 2025 national budget. The move is aimed at accelerating development across the country.
President Hichilema also reiterated his commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, asking the President of Parliament and Mayors to lead the fight against corruption in their respective municipalities. He stressed that “this government will fight corruption, past, present and future” and urged civic leaders to improve services, which was a key reason why people voted for the Unity Government.
President Hichilema also addressed the issue of illegal land occupation, warning that the Government would not tolerate impunity and lawlessness in land administration and urged local authorities to address the issue head on.
Vincent Lilanda, Chairman of the Zambia Local Government Association, spoke on behalf of 63 civil leaders and highly praised the influence of CDF. Lilanda said: “CDF has changed the way development results are delivered to the people.”
The meeting and President Hichilema’s directive underlined the Government’s commitment to strengthening services, promoting accountability and ensuring that development benefits every corner of Zambia.
The statement was made to the media by State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka.
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