Reported by: The Agency
Date: 18th July, 2025.
Lusaka, Zambia.
Katete District has become a vivid testament to President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision of taking development directly to the people, as the New Dawn Government deepens the decentralisation of resources through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
This week, 40 community projects funded under the CDF were officially commissioned in Katete, signifying a practical shift in how development is delivered, moving power and resources away from central offices in Lusaka into the hands of local communities.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, at Katete Council Motel, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary (Technical Services) Nicholas Phiri emphasised that these projects, spanning infrastructure, health and education facilities, are a clear reflection of the President’s commitment to ensuring Zambians see tangible change in their communities.
“The President has placed the Constituency Development Fund at the centre of the country’s development agenda because it speaks to equity and grassroots empowerment. Every Zambian, regardless of location, must see the fruits of development and that is exactly what we are witnessing in Katete,” Mr Phiri said.
The ceremony also featured the graduation of 125 young people from Milanzi and Mkaika constituencies who completed skills training funded under the CDF. The graduates specialised in areas such as tailoring, entrepreneurship, agriculture with a focus on poultry and horticulture and ICT. This approach aligns with President Hichilema’s vision of building self-reliant communities through skills transfer and youth empowerment, reducing dependency while stimulating local economies.
Mr Phiri further cautioned local authorities against delaying the implementation of CDF projects, stating that the New Dawn Government had ensured equal allocation across constituencies to enable each area to chart its own path to development. He noted that communities are now closely monitoring how their leaders utilise the CDF to improve lives and leaders who fail to deliver risk being rejected by their voters.
“CDF is no longer a theoretical allocation on paper; it is a tool to transform lives and create local jobs. Constituencies that fail to implement projects will not only be letting down the President’s vision but also the very people who elected them,” Mr Phiri warned.
The New Dawn Government has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to local development, seeing the CDF not as a mere fund, but as a vehicle for dignity, ownership and accountability in governance. The commissioning of these 40 projects in Katete underlines that commitment and sets the stage for expanded, people-centred development under President Hichilema’s leadership.
(Stay tuned for Part Two as we take you to Kanjeza Day Secondary School and other series of CDF projects commissioned in Katete under President Hichilema’s vision for local development)
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Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development-Zambia
Katete Town Council
Presidential Delivery Unit Zambia
Jabulani Skills Training Center
The Agency
