By CHALI MULENGA
Independent Kazungula Town Council chairperson candidate Osward Siansundi has pledged to use his experience in local government to spearhead development and improve service delivery in the district if elected.
Mr Siansundi said his priority would be to provide leadership, unite residents and ensure development projects funded through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) benefit communities across the district.
"My wishes for the people of Kazungula are that we move to another level of development. The position of council chairperson is about providing leadership, bringing hope to the people, bringing peace and bringing everyone together so that we achieve our common goals," he said.
Mr Siansundi said he would work closely with the district's Members of Parliament, councillors, traditional leaders and council management to ensure development projects are successfully implemented.
"What I intend to achieve together with my colleagues, the MPs for Kazungula North and Kazungula South, the councillors and our traditional leaders, is to propel Kazungula to another level. We only have five years ahead of us and we must use this opportunity to implement projects in every ward," he said.
Mr Siansundi said the council needed to broaden its revenue base to meet operational costs and support its growing workforce following the implementation of the decentralisation policy.
"The council chairperson's position is very paramount and critical to the development of the local authority. One of my priorities will be to assist the council explore many measures of raising revenue so that we meet the operational demands of the local authority," he said.
He noted that the restructuring of local authorities and the transfer of additional functions from central government had increased the workload and expenditure requirements of councils.
"The wage bill has gone up because the number of staff has increased. What we need now is to increase locally generated revenue so that we are able to meet those obligations while continuing to provide services to the people," Mr Siansundi said.
He said the decentralisation policy had made local authorities key drivers of development.
"Government has brought money closer to the people because it has realised that local authorities are agents of development. Resources that were previously controlled at central government level are now being managed locally and we need leadership that can ensure those resources are utilised effectively," he said.
Mr Siansundi said Kazungula was expected to receive about K80 million in CDF allocations this year through its two constituencies and called for prudent management of the funds.
"To execute such resources, you need someone who is able to provide direction and leadership and ensure we achieve government's development agenda," he said.
On infrastructure, Mr Siansundi said many residents allocated plots by the council had failed to develop them because roads leading to the areas had not been opened.
"As council, we have allocated plots to people but some beneficiaries have not been able to access them because there are no roads. I will engage council management and councillors so that roads leading to these plots are opened and people are able to develop their properties," he said.
He also pledged to improve roads within the Central Business District (CBD).
"The CBD is the face of the council. If roads are not good and infrastructure is not maintained, then it means we have not done our job. We need to improve roads and make the town attractive for residents and investors," Mr Siansundi said.
He further cited the road linking Kabuya and Simango as one of the roads requiring urgent attention.
"There is a road from Kabuya to Simango which was allocated resources but has not been worked on. We have machinery available and we need to ensure such projects are implemented," he said.
Mr Siansundi said teamwork would be key to achieving development goals.
"Only by working together can we achieve the goals we want for Kazungula. Development is not a one-man show; it requires cooperation among all stakeholders," he said.
Addressing concerns over his suitability for the position, Mr Siansundi said he was a native of Kazungula and had served as councillor for Kanchele Ward for 10 years.
"I am a local resident of Kazungula. I have been a ward councillor for 10 years in Kanchele Ward and I come from Siansundi Village under Chief Mukuni's area. I understand the challenges our people face because I have lived among them," he said.
Mr Siansundi urged voters to elect leaders with strong local roots and knowledge of the district.
"The people of Kazungula should not make the mistake of bringing someone from outside. Leadership must be entrusted to people who understand the local challenges and aspirations of the community," he said.
His campaign symbol is a borehole, which he said represents the importance of water to both human and animal life.
"I chose a borehole because water is life. Water is important for human consumption, livestock and development. It symbolises the kind of service I want to provide to the people of Kazungula," Mr Siansundi said.
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