Pacenet laments Luchenza Municipality’s slackened growth
The Pan African Civic Educators Network (Pacenet) has expressed concern over failure by government to develop Luchenza Municipal Council (LMC) years after elevating the township to the level of the municipality.
Pacenet executive director, Steven Duwa, said apart from the maize silos constructed during the Bingu wa Mutharika administration, the municipality does not have any development structure worth pointing at.
Duwa made the observation Tuesday when he officially opened a two-day training workshop for community-based educators and leaders of community-based organisations (CBOs) drawn from Luchenza.
Pacenet organised the meeting with funding from the Tilitonse Fund under a project which aims at addressing low levels of citizen participation in the planning, implementation and monitoring of local developmental projects at community level in Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Machinga and Luchenza.
He said it was depressing to note that the municipality still struggles to provide quality services to [its residents] in line with its new status.
“At times, I turn to wonder how funds meant to develop LMC are being used. Why should the municipality continue to register slackened growth when government is funding it each and every financial year?” he asked.
Duwa was, however, quick to apportion the blame on the CBOs for failing to play an oversight role in the implementation of all development projects allocated to the municipality.
“I am, therefore, challenging you today to start tracking development projects being implemented in your areas. That’s the only way LMC can grow. Don’t undermine yourselves; yours is a critical role in the consolidation of good governance and promotion of transparent and accountable leadership in the country,” he emphasised.
