ActionAid Train Zambians to Hold Officials Accountable

ActionAid Zambia has completed the training of 150 community members in order to better educate citizens on the importance of holding public officials accountable should they fail to meet the expectations of their mandate.

Those trained, now referred to as Reflection Action Cycle Ambassadors, are hoped to both informally monitor public officials on poor service delivery and to mentor those around them in the community to engage. 

ActionAid Zambia’s Agriculture and Livelihood Project Officer, Nyambe Mwiyambango, emphasised in an interview on Tuesday that ActionAid wish not just to improve people’s use of public services but wished to develop community expectations of accountability and good governance. 

Mwiyambango emphasised Zambians must become “their own agents of change.” Noting the challenges of governing large countries such as Zambia, he emphasised that development officials often “don’t know the challenges that particular community is facing.”

This is not just a matter of citizens holding officials to account for instances corruption or mismanagement but rather an initiative to foster greater dialogue between community and government in order to meet particular challenges.

Walubita Mulako, one of the participants from Nasilimwe area in Kambai Ward, said ActionAid had “enlightened” the participants on how challenging poor service delivery and opening regular dialogue can move the issue from beyond just complaining towards resolution.

The New Dawn government has introduced a number of measures to improve service delivery and reduce abuses of power from public officials. Indeed, today a “No Bribes But Fines Campaign” was introduced to encourage motorists to pay fines rather than attempt to bribe traffic officers when pulled-over.

However, shortages and delayed delivery on medical supplies and farming inputs have continued to be a problem, according to one programme participant. President Hichilema has repeatedly assured farmers that the pledged farming inputs are on the way and is pushing for the increased domestic manufacture of medicines in order to make the Zambian health system more self reliant.