A CHORUS of gratitude echoed through the historically isolated ares of Mushindamo as Senior Chief M’ujimanzovu and the Mulonga Royal Establishment welcomed the arrival of 4G network, symbolising a new era of connection and opportunity.
For years, communication was a frustrating dance, limited to fleeting windows in the early morning as people failed to make consistent communication after 08:00 hours.
Businesses sputtered, education felt incomplete, and healthcare lacked crucial links.
But now, under the watchful gaze of the new tower underway in M’ujimanzovu, a digital seed has been sown, promising to blossom into a vibrant tapestry of progress.
“Data communication has always been a challenge due to connectivity issues, so with this move your Government has taken,” Chief M’ujimanzovu said. “We are really grateful that you are willing to move this far to connect us as your people to the rest of Zambia and indeed outside Zambia.”
The chief of the Kaonde speaking people, testified to the transformative power of technology in his pursuit of education, in the past and now, that power would touch the lives of countless others.
And the Mulonga Royal Establishment of the Lamba Speaking people echoed the senior chief’s sentiment, after the MTN Tower in his territory of Lwamala was upgraded from 2G to 4G.
“Technology has come here to stay, we must be part of the system to move the country forward,” Ezekiel Mulonga said on behalf of the Establishment.
But connectivity is just one piece of the puzzle.
Chief M’ujimanzovu wisely turned his gaze to the dusty roads and the distant promise of clean water, highlighting the critical need for infrastructure investment.
The senior chief revealed that a lot villagers opted to stay near drinking water points which are farther away from from the central village making it hard for pupils to attend schools due to distance.
“What we would desire to see is that we improve in the provision of clean drinking water. So that people can come and see the in villages for the children to have access to education,” added senior chief M’ujimanzovu.
He however noted that the recent hike in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) offered a glimmer of hope, a potential key to unlocking these vital improvements.
Technology and Science Minister Felix Mutati, present to witness the dawning of this new era in connectivity, assured the gathering of the government’s unwavering commitment to bridging the digital divide.
“No citizen should be left behind,” he declared, announcing a plan to erect 19 news networks and upgrade 41 towers across the province, with Mushindamo district, once the least connected, receiving the “seed of connectivity” first.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba February 5, 2024
