GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES CASH FOR WORK PROGRAM TO MITIGATE DROUGHT EFFECTS
21st August, 2024
Government has introduced a Cash for Work (CFW) program to provide temporary financial relief to vulnerable individuals affected by the 2023/2024 drought. The program aims to empower individuals with cash to buy food items in exchange for their labour.
The CFW program will be implemented in 123 constituencies across 87 districts, targeting households not covered by existing social cash transfer programs. The program will provide short-term income-generating opportunities, stimulate economic activity at the local level, and contribute to community infrastructure maintenance.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will oversee the program’s implementation, using local government structures and labor-based methodologies. The program will run until December 2024 and is expected to improve access to food, maintain community assets, and stimulate economic activity.
Local authorities will identify works and beneficiaries, utilizing existing community structures and ensuring transparency, accountability, and cost-effectiveness. Engineers will determine the value of works and standardize payments to beneficiaries.
The CFW program is part of the government’s intervention to provide temporal financial relief and support vulnerable communities affected by the drought and economic challenges.
A virtual meeting with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development was held on 21st August, 2024 in the Council Chamber to sensitize Council
Follow-up meetings will be conducted on the same.
NAKONDE TOWN COUNCIL
These are programs that have been tried and have the worked?
Donors have given you money and you have bought maize from Tanzania. Was it your money to make people work for it. As we speak the maize is being sold at ZMK320/bag. What is happening to that money? Where is it going?
For those people that love labels. We are critical in an objective manner. DMMU explain to Zambia. Who is also paying out the funds that you are giving as social cash transfer in the districts?(Civil Servants or Cadres?). What criterion are you using? Cause if they are Cadres how will you hold them accountable if the funds are being paid to themselves using people’s NRC?
Similarly the CDF funds that as being disbursed as scholarships. There is a scam where kids are placed on listed their names are shortlisted as qualifying yet the ones being awarded we never on the list. If the documents that are being created are audited. Why is this not being reflected as a flaw in the system?
Clearly there is either collusion to make the system not reflect this anomally or audits are not being done.
We in the 21st Century. We want to get women line them us to pretend they are working while just causing congestion sweeping the streets when we this kind of work should be done in the wee hours of the morning before the rest of the city wakes up and gets busy.
Investment into trucks that sweep the streets is a better utilisation of local government resources, an efficent application of effort and investment. Why do we want to stick to the same old tired ways when Zambians can have a better bang for their money? This is how people who want such schemes steal from the system. This is how women are abused. Sexual favours for work. Lets stop disrespecting people and dole out the money. Have donors imposed conditions on how funds need to be disbursed? If not lets find ways to identify those that need help and give them the help they need without abusive and demeaning conditions