By Mubanga Mubanga
Good Governance expert Gift Nyambe says the people of Western Province should ask themselves whether their loyalty to President Hakainde Hichilema has matched the development the Province has been receiving.
President Hichilema, while addressing a public rally in Mitete, reminded the people of Mitete that they never used to get employment under the PF government.
But speaking with Daily Revelation, Nyambe said the people of Western Province needed to be rewarded with development for the trust they have shown in President Hichilema. She said the trust they have shown in President Hichilema should not be taken for granted.
“Last week, while campaigning in Mitete, President Hakainde Hichilema urged women to campaign for him even while they are bathing and cooking. Listening to those remarks, I reflected on the level of confidence he has in the people of Western Province. As a young person from this province, one question came to mind: Has our loyalty been matched with the level of development we deserve?” Nyambe asked.
“Mr. President, Western Province has stood with you for many years. Long before you became President, the people of this province believed in your vision, defended your leadership through difficult political times, and consistently entrusted you with their vote. That trust should never be taken for granted. It should be rewarded with transformative development.”
Nyambe said even though the government had implemented important national programmes such as free education and expanded social protection which Western Province had benefited from, the province deserved province specific development.
“However, Western Province deserves more than national programmes that every province receives. It deserves bold, province-specific investments that respond to its unique development challenges,” Nyambe stated.
“Despite its enormous natural resources, tourism potential, fisheries, livestock, fertile land, and strategic location, the province remains one of the poorest in the country as 78% of its population live below the national poverty line.”
Nyambe said road connectivity was one of the province’s greatest barriers to development. She stressed that the province needed quality roads that could connect districts and link the province to the rest of the country.
“The Mongu Lusaka Road has taken far too long to reach completion, while the Sesheke Livingstone Road continues to present significant challenges for travellers, businesses, and investors,” Nyambe stated.
“These roads are more than transport corridors as they are economic lifelines that determine access to markets, tourism, healthcare, education, and investment.”
Nyambe said the appeal of the people of Western Province was that infrastructure development in the province should be treated with the same urgency just like other provinces in the country.
“For those arguing, let me remind you, when I look at the pace at which the Ndola–Lusaka Dual Carriageway has progressed, I see what the government can achieve when it treats infrastructure as a national priority,” Nyambe stated.
“We appreciate that works have begun on the Mongu–Lusaka Road, but our appeal is simple: let Western Province receive that same sense of urgency. The pace of implementation must reflect the strategic importance of the province and the needs of its people.”
Nyambe reminded the electorates to demand accountability from everyone who was was contesting elective public office this year. She stressed that every aspirant needed to present a social development contract outlining what they would deliver, and how citizens will hold them accountable.
“Use this time to ask the what, how and why questions,” said Nyambe.
