LUNGU

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA-
KALABO District Commissioner (DC) Masela Sekeseke has complained of the increasing number of school dropouts.
Ms Sekeseke said she was  also concerned with the high number of pupils absconding from school in the district, opting for fishing activities.
Ms Sekeseke said most children in the district are forced to abscond from school because their parents relocate to the plains for fishing.
She said other children  dropped out of school when they reach Grade 4 or 5 to venture full time in fishing activities.
“People in the district live nomadic lives, around this time, most of them relocate in the plains for fishing and they take the children along with them. This results in them learning only for one term while others decide to completely stop school when they reach grade four or five to concentrate in fishing,” Ms Sekeseke said.
She said this when Defence Minister Edgar Lungu paid a courtesy call on her in Kalabo District at  the weekend.
The minister also inspected government projects in the area.
Ms Sekeseke was concerned that the high drop out rates and lack of interest in school could  affect the enrollment for the trade’s institute that Government was constructing in the district.
Mr Lungu promised to engage Education minister to see how best the issue of absconding and school drop outs could be dealt with.
She also told the minister that  hunger was rife in the area as there was no maize except for  cassava meal which most people did not eat.
Meanwhile, Sikongo District commissioner Munaleka Mufaya has complained of lack of accommodation in the area.
The only accommodation available was the police camp which was in a dilapidated state, with houses unfit for human occupation.
The police camp has 41 houses but only 9 of them are occupied.
The officers and their families moved in the  9 units after undertaking minor rehabilitation  works using their own resources.
The area also has  an electricity problem as the contractor who was given the tender had abandoned the project.