$8 BILLION IN AID, BUT KANYAMA STILL SUFFERS
…SP Raises Alarm in Makeni Villa Tour
Lusaka… Sunday April 6, 2025
A recent community tour conducted in Makeni Villa Ward 14 of Kanyama Constituency has shed light on what Socialist Party (SP) officials have described as a deepening crisis of poverty, neglect, and failed governance.
The tour, held on April 4th under the leadership of Brighton Bilumba, the SP Chairperson for Kanyama Constituency, aimed to assess living conditions on the ground and to engage with the local community.
According to a report compiled by Rodrick Chirwa, the party’s Kanyama Constituency Information and Publicity Secretary, the findings were nothing short of disturbing.
Mr Chirwa stated that the visit revealed deplorable infrastructure, including completely degraded road networks and broken drainage systems, which he said have resulted in annual flooding and a surge in disease.
He further noted that classrooms in the area were overcrowded, with over 150 pupils squeezed into a single room, seated on the floor, and forced to share one textbook among four learners.
Referencing a recent statement by U.S. Ambassador Mike Gonzales, who lamented that Zambia had received more than $8 billion in aid yet remained deeply impoverished, Chirwa questioned where this money had gone.
He disclosed that the people of Kanyama had seen no benefit from such aid and suggested that it was being absorbed by foreign consultants, NGO executives, and political elites rather than reaching the grassroots.
He added that elderly citizens, children, and people with disabilities were queuing for up to five hours just to buy Zambia National Service (ZNS) mealie meal, a situation he described as an assault on human dignity.
Mr Chirwa criticized the ruling UPND for failing to uphold the oath of justice and public service it had pledged to the Zambian people.
“It is disgraceful that instead of investing in empowering local farmers, the government continues to import grain and brand it as food security,” he stated.
He argued that the nation’s agricultural potential remains untapped while communities suffer from hunger and dependency.
Mr Chirwa also emphasized the Socialist Party’s vision under Dr. Fred M’membe, portraying it as a radical but necessary alternative for Zambia’s future.
According to Chirwa, Dr. M’membe’s approach prioritizes self-reliance, equitable access to education, and redirection of public resources toward uplifting the common citizen.
He maintained that the current development model in Zambia had failed, citing both the government and donor institutions for perpetuating a system that offers control instead of compassion.
“The people of Kanyama and Makeni Villa deserve answers, dignity, and change,” Chirwa said, calling for urgent reforms and greater accountability from both national leaders and international partners.