Ndola’s Bwana Mkubwa independent Member of Parliament Warren Chisha Mwambazi has praised the New Dawn Government for actualising the usage of the increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Cheques worth about K1.2 Million were on Tuesday morning handed over to various skills training colleges for 279 students under Ndola’s Bwana Mkubwa bursary component of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Speaking during the cheques handover to skills training colleges in Fatima, Ndola, Mr. Mwambazi said President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government is walking the talk.
He said the people of Bwana Mkubwa Constituency are excited over the actualization of CDF utilisation in relation to skills development especially among youths.
Mr. Mwambazi said like President Hichilema has said in the past the government has taken money from Lusaka to all corners of the nation.
“Inform the President, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema that we are very grateful as Bwana Mkubwa Constituency to be one of the beneficiaries to launch this programme of handing over cheques to skills training college’s students under bursary component of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Let me also on behalf of Bwana Mkubwa, thank you most sincerely Copperbelt Minister (Elisha Matambo) for your support in so many things. Let me also thank the Ndola City Council for ensuring that this programme today is fruitful. Honourable Minister as Bwana Mkubwa Constituency we are very grateful because this much talked about CDF today everybody is a witness we can see our brothers and sisters, our children going to school under the New Dawn government for free education. Tiyeni tubatoteleko ba President (let us clap for the President),” said.
Mr. Mwambazi underscored skills development in enhancing benefits from CDF.
“These policies Honourable Minister (Matambo) are policies which are going to work for the people of Zambia because if you look at the skills gap between the people at universities and the skills training institutions. There is a huge gap but we are very grateful to this government that today we are trying to bridge this gap and ensure that we equalise. If you look Honourable Minister today we are importing these skills from Zimbabwe, plumbers from Zimbabwe, bricklayers from Zimbabwe but now this is going to be a thing of the past because as Zambians we are going to own the skills base.Efyo cilepilibula ba Minister fyakweba ati nga twayamba ukupanga ama sukulu under CDF we will pick from the same people. The money remains in the constituency. Contractors are going to come from Bwana Mkubwa, skills, plumbers; bricklayers are going to come from Bwana Mkubwa. Taciweme ico? Ubu ubuteko, the way the President said that we are taking money to the people is through CDF and it has started today. So, Minister, we are grateful for this gesture and also the local authority that this is now a true thing which has happened on this day,” he said.
Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo officiated at the handover ceremony in Fatima with a call to benefiting students to take their training seriously.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Minister Eliash Matambo said today’s actual handover of cheques to skills training colleges among them NORTEC is a sign that the increase of CDF by the UPND Government is real.
Mr. Matambo urged students benefiting from government bursaries to take their skills training seriously.
“The best equaliser in life is education. Your background does not matter as long as you are given an equal chance of being educated, you will be better than those coming from well to do families. In short I am telling you students to work hard after getting these government bursaries. It will be a disaster for you to go to school and fail to achieve what you are going for. This is a springboard or the root to success which God has deposited in you,” Mr. Matambo said.