Itezhi-tezhi - A Diamond In the Rough

This small and quiet town in the Kasankwa Hills overlooking the stunning Itezhi-tezhi Lake and neighbouring the Kafue National Park hosts the new partnership between Itezhi-tezhi District Council, Danida and MS-Zambia.

By Jesper Elias Lauridsen, Development Worker, Itezhi-tezhi District Council

When I arrived in Itezhi-tezhi for the first time I was breath taken by its beautiful scenery.

Already when you leave the Lusaka-Mongu main road and drive 115 kilometres south along the Kafue National Park you start appreciating the area as kudus, impalas and zebras briskly jump across the gravel road.

As you reach Itezhi-tezhi and ascend towards up-hill town you are treated with the view over the magnificent manmade Itezhi-tezhi Lake and the Kafue River which continues from the other side of the dam.

This idyllic town in the North Western part of Southern Province is where I am transferring to as DW with the overall aim of consolidating a democratic system and governance structures at local level so that available resources are utilised for poverty reduction in an efficient and transparent manner.

Tripatite agreement

The tripartite agreement between Danida, Itezhi-tezhi District Council and MS-Zambia consists of partnership objectives that are in line with the decentralisation sub-component of Danida’s thematic programme for good governance and democratisation in Zambia and the MS-Zambia policy paper 2002-2006.

In line with all MS-Zambia partnerships within the ‘democracy and governance at local level’ component I will be engaged in: advising management and councillors on decentralised governance; capacity building of council staff and councillors; lobby and advocacy work for the implementation of the National Decentralisation Policy; and advising on resource mobilisation and financial management systems.

Building bridges

However, the DW placement is innovative in the sense that it builds bridges between and supports the Danida Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Project Secretariat, Itezhi-tezhi District Council and all CBNRM stakeholders in the district. Accordingly, one specific role of the DW will be to facilitate the harmonisation and streamlining of sub-district structures such as Area Development Committees, Community Resource Boards, and Joint Forest Management Committees in line with the provisions of the decentralisation policy.

High expectations

Clearly, the community members have high expectations to the levels of development with the arrival of Danida and MS-Zambia in Itezhi-tezhi.

To many it is incomprehensible how this diamond in the rough so far has failed to develop despite the prevalence of plentiful natural resources, abundant wildlife, hot springs and many other tourist attractions. However, now there is an optimistic spirit in Itezhi-tezhi district that positive changes will occur as a result of the joint efforts of the Danida CBNRM project, line ministries, district council, sub-district structures, community members, ZAWA and all other CBNRM stakeholders.