Bivan Saluseki
28 February 2003
Lusaka — THERE should be equity in the allocation of Zambia's resources, Nalolo UPND member of parliament Inonge Wina said yesterday.
Contributing to estimates of expenditure for the Ministry of Works and Supply, Wina wondered why government had neglected Western Province which she said was the poorest in Zambia. She said she had not seen any government project to address the situation.
Wina said pontoons in the area were very old.
"So what is going on? Where are the resources going?" she asked and referring to the Manda Hill foot bridge, said: "The MMD prefers to build bridges where there is no water. Surely this is not a serious government. You can't forget about so many people living in one part of the country and yet they have done so much."
Wina said as long as infrastructure was not developed in the area, poverty would not be eradicated.
Roan UNIP member of parliament Cameron Pwele said members of parliament should be frank for the country to develop.
Pwele said roads on the Copperbelt were in bad shape. He said leaders should not fear to visit constituencies to see the suffering people.
"We are not leaders to go to ceremonial places and dance. To go and cut tapes only, no," he said.
Works and supply minister Ludwig Sondashi said Western and Luapula provinces had benefited more in allocation of funds for road rehabilitation.
Sondashi said Mongu-Kalabo road was the most expensive with a kilometre costing US $500,000.
He said Western Province had not been neglected as stated by Wina.
Sondashi said the problem in Zambia was that money had not been looked after well in the past.
He also told the House that the sell of government houses to civil servants had brought misery.
Sondashi said that currently, it was difficult to even transfer civil servants.
He said as long as he remained works and supply minister, no government house would be sold.
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