The business community in Mansa District has made similar proposals to those made by stakeholders from the community on the utilisation of the K8.4 million 2025 Zambia Devolution Support Program (ZDSP) for Mansa District.
Making submissions during a ZDSP business stakeholders engagement meeting held at Central Inn on Monday,July 14, 2025, the participants submitted that a bulldozer should be purchased from the 2025 ZDSP funds to help with solid waste management,create new roads and work on existing ones in the district.
The participants later proposed the construction of a Skills center and working on feeder roads using the 2026 ZDSP funding.
One of the participants, Dr. Paul Mbulo, however, submitted that instead of constructing new public toilets using 2025 funds as proposed by stakeholders from the community in a meeting which was held on Friday last week, the funds should instead be channeled towards rehabilitation of the existing public toilets in the district.
Dr. Mbulo, who is also Luapula Province Chamber of Commerce Vice President, noted that the construction of a skills center from the 2026 funding should be carefully planned.
The meeting, which was facilitated by Mansa Municipal Council Director Finance Maybin Kabaso, was opened by Director Human Resource and Administration, Peter Sati, who represented Town Clerk Dr. Josephine Mwanza.
Deputy Mayor Besa Kalumba, who represented the Mayor, His Worship Njikho Musuku, had earlier told participants that their voices are valid as they are equal partners in development.
The ZDSP is a government-led program with $210 million financial support from the World Bank. It was launched in 2023 and restructured in 2024 in response to the drought, and is set to run until 2028, targeting 116 local authorities across Zambia.
The meeting drew participants from various organizations,including Young Phiroz, Puma Fueling Station, Plan International, and market chairpersons as well as traders from markets across the district.
