The municipal manager of Musina, Mr Nathi Tshiwanammbi, said the new approach to local government must be developmental and should aim to overcome the poor planning of the past.
He was addressing representatives of stakeholders and community members who filled the Madimbo Community Hall during the Musina Municipality's integrated development plan (IDP) meeting last week.
Tshiwanammbi said the IDP meetings gave communities the chance to participate in identifying their most important needs. "The IDP process encourages all stakeholders who reside and conduct business within our municipal area to participate in the preparation and implementation of the development plan. It is beneficial for the municipality and its citizens, because it is a super plan that gives an overall framework for development in a particular area. This engagement with the communities help us to plan future developments in our areas, because it involves the entire municipality and its citizens in finding the best solutions to achieve good long-term development."
He said although the municipality wanted all community members to access basic services, the IDP considered the existing conditions, challenges and available resources. "We are doing our best to make sure that uninterrupted basic services are delivered to our people. We should take note that we don't have sufficient funds, manpower and working tools to cater for everybody at once."
Tshiwanammbi said the inclusion of traditional leaders in the council of the municipality was assisting the municipality to plan and deliver services accordingly in rural areas. "We have inherited more than 50 villages from the disestablished Mutale Municipality, and it would have been very difficult for us to provide services to them without the involvement of the traditional leaders."