Reported by: The Agency Media.
Date: 27th April, 2025.
Ndola, Copperbelt Province, Zambia.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Gift S. Sialubalo, MP, has called on the Ndola City Council to expedite the commissioning of completed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects, emphasizing that communities must immediately begin to benefit from government investments.
During a monitoring tour of CDF projects across Ndola Central, Kabushi, Bwana Mkubwa, and Chifubu constituencies, Hon. Sialubalo praised the Council’s effective use of the CDF, which has reached 57% utilization as of 2024. He lauded the quality, scale, and impact of the projects, positioning them as a direct success of the government’s decentralization policy aimed at empowering local communities.
“Development is not complete until projects are fully commissioned and serving the people they were intended for,” Hon. Sialubalo said. “I urge the Ndola City Council to prioritize the commissioning of completed infrastructure so that our citizens can immediately benefit from the services.”
The Minister underscored that decentralization is more than fund distribution—it demands inclusive governance, transparency, and active citizen engagement. He stressed that the Constituency Development Fund remains the Ministry’s key tool for grassroots development, service delivery, and economic empowerment.
Hon. Sialubalo toured a range of completed and ongoing infrastructure projects, including schools, health centres, and roads, reaffirming the government’s commitment to strengthening local authorities through enhanced funding, technical support, and accountability measures.
He further announced that the Ministry would intensify its oversight of completed projects to ensure they are commissioned without undue delays, making project commissioning a performance metric for councils moving forward.
The Minister also called upon local communities to safeguard newly built infrastructure and collaborate closely with local leaders to sustain development achievements.
The Agency.