Politics undermining Zambia’s decentralisation agenda – Expert

“This program has worked very well on paper because you see money spent, reports written, and workshops held, but on the basis of our day-today operations and the daily experiences of the people, you don’t see a big difference between the centralized system that was left by the UNIP government and what is happening today,” she said.

Musamba rejected financial constraints as the main reason for the slow implementation of decentralization, noting the country has resources but lacks sufficient political commitment to transfer authority from the center.

“Financial resources cannot be an excuse. Since 2002, when we introduced this program to be part and parcel of what was called the reform process for this country, we cannot be excusing ourselves for failing to decentralize if we’re very serious about its importance,” she said.

She said decentralization requires the transfer of real decision-making powers, responsibilities, and financial resources from the central government to provincial, district, and lower levels. According to Musamba, political elites have been reluctant to support the process because decentralization would reduce the amount of power and authority concentrated at the center.

“There was the issue of interest and power relations and the fear of losing constant control,” she said. Musamba said the continued centralization of government functions was also contributing to the migration of people to Lusaka because citizens move towards areas where government services, employment, and economic opportunities are concentrated.

Article by Karen Ngulube