UPND Katombora MP – Derick Livune

By BRIAN HATYOKA –

THE Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have launched a project on the fight against corruption in chiefdoms in Kazungula District in Southern Province.

More than 1,000 people would be reached this year while the project is also expected to enhance significant behaviour change and increase transparency in the targeted communities of Kazungula.

FODEP Livingstone chairperson Gideon Musonda said the goal of the project was to increase understanding and participation of the local community in the anti-corruption fight to influence behaviour change and reduce corruption.

Mr Musonda noted that chiefdoms and other rural communities were affected by corruption, especially on matters of land allocation and, hence, the project was targeting rural communities.

He was speaking in Kazungula District on Wednesday during the launch of the anti -corruption project in Senior Chief Sekute’s chiefdom in Southern Province.

He said corruption was a large and multifaceted problem which posed
challenges to social-economic development.
“The destructive effects of corruption call for a holistic approach inthe fight by improving systems and also by encouraging each other to
be honest and law-abiding in our attitude,” he said.

Senior Chief Sekute urged the Government, chiefdoms, councils and law
enforcement agencies to work together to fight corruption.

He noted that there was so much corruption on matters of land allocation where people were purporting that they had been given land from the chief or the council when such claims were not true.

“Sometimes an investor will come to me with documents for me to sign when I have no idea on how he acquired a piece of land in question and this creates unnecessary wrangles in the chiefdom,” he said.

Kazungula Council chairperson Elias Siamibila said corruption deterred development and economic aspiration of the country as only few individuals were able to acquire wealth dubiously.

Mr Siamibila said many developmental projects earmarked for Kazungula such as a permanent bridge and 4,000 housing units were under threat from the scourge of corruption.

United Party for National Development Katombora Member of Parliament Derick Livune thanked FODEP and ACC for launching the project in his constituency.