COUNCILOR OF THE WEEK: TARCISIOUS NDOLESHA – WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HIS COMMUNITY

NOEL IYOMBWA writes                                             

HE is one of the youngest civic leaders in Zambia and a young energetic legal professional who is yet to obtain his practicing licence in October this year.

The Sun newspaper recently caught up with him

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

My names are Tarcisious Ndolesha.I was born 33 years ago and I am the area councilor for Silwizya Ward 13 under Lusaka Central constituency on the Patriotic Front party ticket.

I was elected into office in 2016. I am a legal professional and I am a chairman and chief executive officer for NK Project and Services Limited which was incorporated in accordance with the laws of Zambia eight years ago.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A COUNCILLOR?

My desire to work for the betterment of my community is what led me to become a councilor.

WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE YOU SCORED SINCE YOU WERE VOTED INTO OFFICE?

As a ward, we have achieved a lot of things in the community.

 We have undertaken various citizens’ empowerment programes that seek to have sustainable economic impact on our youths and women.

We have trained about 115 youths in our community in different economic survival skills such as carpentry, welding, plumbing who have since been placed in various institutions.

In Chiyangeyange area we have been encouraging the youths to go to the training centres. 

We have empowered women in our ward and their lives have been changed and we are targeting to empower 50 per cent of women and youths in our community.

Apart from that, we recruit street kids in our ward into Zambia National Service0 (ZNS) for skills training to prepare them for a normal community reintegration.

We also have a policy outline that ensures that major community projects are 20 percent sub-contracted to legally and technically qualified companies of Silwizya ward 13 bonafide residents.

As area councilor with the help of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in cooperation with our traders we have worked to improve on the poor drainage systems around the markets.

We have improved the general environmental outlook of our markets in Northmead and Thornpark areas.

Through the council, we work with Citimop, the company that provides garbage collection services in our community.

We have procured a tractor which will be used in the collection of garbage in Luangwa Township of Garden compound.

This will enable the compound to be free of piles of trash; the tractor will be specifically for Silwizya Ward 13 garbage collections.

The first ever vegetable shelter has been constructed at Northmead market.  Our mothers and gentlemen who sell vegetables and fruits are able to trade in a well structured hygienic environment.

In line with President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s vision to keep Zambia clean,  green and healthy we have undertaken weekly detailed markets cleaning exercises by traders as follows Tuesday’s  – opening of the Northmead market is delayed to allow for morning cleaning.

This scheduled cleaning exercise has helped us in ensuring a cholera free market place.

Thornpark market status was changed from a cooperative operated to council operated market to ensure high standards of hygiene were adhered to.

We have sourced and secured 7.5 kilometers of roads to be worked on, which caters for all the roads in Silwizya ward including the church farm road in Chilulu of Garden’s compound.

Avic International has already moved in our ward and is on site and currently working on Makishi Road, the company has already worked on the Zesco Thornpark Road.

The works as earlier stated will also benefit local ward citizens in the form of 20 percent sub-contracting empowerment.

May I take this opportunity to thank local businessmen for tarring the side road at Bwinjimfumu bus stop into Mwembeshi Road. I will not name them as I did not seek permission to do that.

I would like to urge other local businessmen to emulate this gesture, by undertaking several sound social corporate community projects. 

Drainages in most parts of our ward have been worked on; however there is another area that requires further improvements.

Improvements in the drainage systems will assist in mitigating breeding grounds for mosquitoes – this will further reduce malaria cases.

In order to ensure our neighborhoods are safe and secure, our local police have intensified night patrols on foot and motorized. 

Under my leadership, neighborhood watches groups have been formed to provide another layer of security. 

The success of the neighborhood watch groups is dependent on citizen’s participation.

May I also encourage all our residents to put up security lights outside their premises?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOUR WARD IS FACING?

One of the major challenges faced by my ward is failure by some residents to subscribe and pay for garbage collection services.

Another challenge is the issue of street kids, these kids run away from ZNS skills training camps and return to the streets.

Underage drinking and illegal bar operations is also another challenge in my area.

To ensure compliance we carry out on spot checks on bars in collaboration with Zambia Police and council police officers.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS?

We are putting up a community hall at Thornpark Primary School and 90 per cent of the works have been done. 

We are also putting up new police stations in Northmead and Thorn Park respectively.

We are targeting to empower 50 per cent of woman and youths in our community.

We have plans to procure street lights to all roads in our community.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS?

For now I can say my concentration is working for my people who elected me.

I feel we have a lot to do on the ground and my hope and prayer is to make the ward one of the most shinning areras in Lusaka.

I am optimistic that together with my community, we shall one day and make Silwizya ward 13 a place for all.