IT is gratifying to note that Government and the farming community in Sinazongwe have resolved the misunderstanding that stopped the completion and operationalisation of the irrigation schemes in the area.
However, it is sad that the opposition political parties decided to deny the community of a project that could have raised their living standards by enticing them to rise against the scheme.
We are saddened to learn that opposition political parties that want to rule the country and improve people’s living standards could sink so low and object to a project that should benefit 98 households.
For argument’s sake, every household has an average of six members, meaning that more than 588 persons have been made to suffer because of a few individuals.
Opposition political players took advantage of the leadership vacuum when Senior Chief Sinazongwe was ill and enticed the community to rise against the scheme.
Worse, as Senior Chief Sinazongwe stated, it is shameful for a Government official to frustrate his own programme because people are in Government serve the people and not individuals.
The provincial and district officials should be alive to the fact that they represent the central Government and ensure that development projects are implemented.
Civil servants should not behave like opposition leaders but must do the needful by supporting projects aimed at alleviating poverty among vulnerable communities.
Provincial and district administrators have severally been reminded to remain non-partisan because their action affects the development process in one way or another.
They should be proactive and ensure that they are on top of things in their respective jurisdictions unlike waiting for the President or any other Government leadership to visit the area.
It had to take Agriculture Deputy Minister Maxas Ng’onga to travel to the area and convince the community that Sinazongwe Irrigation Scheme was meant to benefit the locals and not South Africans as claimed by opposition leaders during the their campaigns.
The misunderstanding and misinformation around the Sinazongwe Irrigation Scheme should act as an eye opener to the central Government because there could be other projects meant to benefit the people but are being frustrated by a few individuals.
There is urgent need to kick start the project and, in this vein, it is encouraging to hear that Chief Sinazongwe has vowed that he would not allow his subject to suffer because of selfish individuals.
The traditional leader’s call to support and work with the Government of the day in order to fight hunger, especially in his drought-prone area is the way to go.