Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata has urged Community Welfare Assistance Committees (CWACs) to focus on serving the interests of the people without looking at their political affiliation.
Ms. Mulyata called on CWACs to concentrate on people who genuinely qualify for Social Cash Transfer (SCT) without focusing on which party one belongs to.
Speaking in a speech read on her behalf by Lusaka Province Acting Permanent Secretary Alex Mapushi, during CWACs elections for Chilanga district, the Minister urged the CWACS to serve the people with honesty and impartiality.
Ms. Mulyata said the aspiring members of the CWAC must be willing to selflessly work for the people without expecting anything in return.
“The aspirants must be non-partisan and willing to work for the people as volunteers for three years. This work is for a noble cause and I therefore, urge the aspirants to be a people that will give themselves to selflessly work for the people they have chosen to work for,” he said.
And Chilanga District Commissioner David Sheleni disclosed that the district currently has 8,842 beneficiaries under the Social Cash Transfer programme.
Mr. Sheleni gave a breakdown of the figure, stating that the number comprises 2, 075 males and 6, 767 females.
He said among the beneficiaries 1,169 are Persons Living with Disabilities.
The District Commissioner further disclosed that 7,012 beneficiaries receive Social Cash Transfer Funds electronically.
“The district, through the diligent efforts of the Department of Social Welfare, has successfully migrated 7,012 beneficiaries to the electronic payment system with only 1,830 remaining on the traditional manual payment system,” Mr Sheleni said.
Meanwhile, Chilanga District Social Welfare Officer Emelda Nkhoma urged community members to fully support the new office bearers once elected.
The elections have been necessitated by the expiry of the three-year tenure of office of previous office bearers.
