Lusaka Province Minister, Sheal Mulyata has called on Community Welfare Assistance Committees (CWACs) to serve the community with honesty and integrity as the government is committed to ensuring that its programmes reach the intended targets.
ZANIS reports that Ms. Mulyata made the call during CWAC elections in Rufunsa District saying that CWACs play an important role in the implementation of social protection programmes such as the social cash transfer programmes the government has been implementing.
“The New Dawn Administration under the capable and caring Leadership of the Republican President, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema has continued to support social protection programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer in order to alleviate poverty levels in the country”, said Ms. Mulyata.
She encouraged community members to elect capable and committed representatives who will make a positive impact on the lives of the vulnerable households in society.
“It is sad and unfortunate that some CWAC members have been in the habit of putting people on social protection programmes who are not eligible. Government social protection programmes such as the Social Cash Transfer are meant to benefit vulnerable households and not your girl friends and relatives”, lamented the Minister.
Speaking during the same meetings, Rufunsa Town Council Chairperson, Kennedy Mailoni also called on the community members to elect credible representatives to sit on the CWACs as these play an important role in the identification of people and households to benefit on the social protection programmes government is implementing through the local authority.
Mr. Mailoni said that the Local Authority depends on CWACs and Ward Development Committees (WDCs) when it comes to households to benefit from the government’s social protection programmes such as Cash for Work.
“ The Government through the Council is implementing programmes such as the Cash for Work in an effort to alleviate poverty at household level and the CWACs play a very important role in identifying beneficiaries”, Said Mr. Mailoni.
He said that it is important that community members participate in choosing people they trust who will represent them effectively.
And Rufunsa District Assistant Social Welfare Officer, Janet Nkausu said that the department’s intention of having the community structures was to make it easy for the meaningful assistance in identifying vulnerable persons in communities to benefit from the social protection programmes.
