Barnabas Zulu spells out his vision for Mpulungu Ward 26

By Staff Reporter

Aspiring Mpulungu Ward 26 councillor Barnabas Zulu says the change he seeks to bring to the ward is anchored on honesty, continuity and community consultation, rather than empty promises.

Mr Zulu said his vision was shaped by an “interesting and honest conversation” he recently had with a friend who questioned what kind of change he truly wanted to bring and whether his promises were realistic.

“My friend asked me a very honest question: what sort of change would you want to bring to Mpulungu Ward 26, and are your promises realistic?” Mr Zulu said.

He said unlike many politicians who resort to “flowery language”, he chose to respond truthfully by pointing to his manifesto, which he said is already in the public domain.

“Of course, I have made promises, and these are well documented in my manifesto which is already in the public domain. I can’t enter into a political race without explaining what I am going to do if elected. That is courtesy to the people of our area,” he said.

Mr. Zulu stressed that his leadership approach would not disregard the work done by the current leadership but would instead begin with a review of ongoing and completed projects.

“If elected, the first thing we will do is to review all the projects that have been done by the current leadership led by Councillor Chileshe Mwango under the office of the Patriotic Front (PF) Mandevu Member of Parliament, Mr. Christopher Shakafuswa,” he said.

Zulu clarified that such a review would not be meant to victimise anyone.

“This review is not a witch-hunt. It is about checking progress and understanding where we can start from. We are not the type of politicians who stand on the inauguration stage and make huge pronouncements without understanding the task ahead,” Mr Zulu said.

He said projects found to be ongoing or already completed would be continued and strengthened.

“If we discover that some projects have already been covered or are still being covered, it is a matter of continuity. We won’t destroy what we did not start. We would rather enhance it,” he said.

Mr Zulu cited the water project in Mai Chola area as one of the progressive initiatives that must be expanded.

“The current leadership has been pushing a water project with new solar-powered water reticulation tanks in Mai Chgola. This is a progressive project that must be enhanced so that every household can access clean water and proper sanitation,” he said.

However, he said there was need to decentralise water infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing community.

“We need to decentralise boreholes in every zone so that all areas are catered for. Our community is expanding, and access to water must expand with it,” Mr Zulu said.

On infrastructure, Mr Zulu said the paving project underway in Mandevu Constituency, including Mpulungu Ward 26, should continue regardless of political leadership.

“We are aware of the paving project that has started and is covering all parts of Mandevu Constituency, including our ward. This project needs continuity regardless of who takes over,” he said.

He described paving as a long-term solution to poor roads.

“Paving is the only solution for our roads. With pavers, we make them ourselves and they last long. But we need to ensure that as many roads as possible are covered,” he said.

Mr Zulu said while he would protect and continue existing projects, his leadership would also introduce new initiatives aligned to his vision, guided by the people.

“Aside from continuing existing projects, we will introduce new ones that fit into our vision. But what is key is that the community must be asked what they think are the projects that can lift their livelihoods,” he said.

Mr Zulu is aspiring to contest as councillor for Mpulungu Ward 26 in Mandevu Constituency.