Chitipa, January 4: District Commissioner for Ileje District, in Tanzania, Rosemary Staki Senyamule  has said Ileje and  Chitipa Districts can easily attain socioeconomic growth if the two districts engage in  joint planning and implementation of development programmes  which intend to address similar challenges impinging on the people of the two sides.

She made the remarks Wednesday during New Year’s cerebrations held at Chitipa Secondary School Hall at Chitipa Boma.

 

Senyamule said the need to execute development projects jointly cannot be over emphasized because she observed that multiple challenges that frustrate socioeconomic growth of  Ileje and Chitipa Districts are the same.

Ileje District, situated to the South East of Tanzania, is separated from Chitipa District by Songwe River, which also serves as an international boundary between Tanzania and Malawi.
Similar cultures and traditions, intermarriages and illegal and legal cross border trade are some of key issues that bond people of the two districts.

Absence of viable and sustainable markets and poor road network to link the two districts to economically established districts and towns are to a larger extent blamed for underdevelopment in the two districts.

Senyamule then coaxed planers in infrastructure development projects from the two districts to go to the drawing board to plan for the construction of Mpemba-Isongole (Ileje side) and Mbirima –Chitipa Road, to link the two districts to Tanzara Railway Line and a high way to towns of Mbeya in Tanzania and Lusaka in Zambia and beyond.

“Once this road is constructed, Ileje and Chitipa Districts will open up and this will help to boost the economic growth of the two border and isolated districts,” said the focused lady DC.

She said the road project can easily be financed by World Bank, IMF and other donors affiliated to the development of African countries, through the Regional Window.

Said Senyamule, “Resources from Regional Window are used to support projects jointly implemented by two countries as long as it is evident the projects intend to serve the interests of people of the two countries.”

Her counterpart, Chitipa District Commissioner, Grace Zione Chirwa hailed the cordial relationship flourishing between the two districts which she said has to be promoted for the continued benefit of people of the two sides.

Chirwa said people of the two districts are one, going by their cultures and traditions and other aspects of life adding that no element have the potential to put them apart.

“Let me urge the people of the two districts to continue living together as people from one family. Let us not be betrayed by international boundary imposed to us by colonial maters for their administrative and political purposes,” said Chirwa.

Chirwa was, however, non committal to suggestions by Senyamule to engage technocrats of the two districts to start planning for the construction of the road which runs from Mpemba to Chitipa because the council hands are tied up on the matter.

She said decisions and plans to implement high class infrastructure projects rests in the hands of National Road Authority (NRA) which takes orders from central government.

“Much as we appreciate the urgent need to have the road constructed due to the benefits Chitipa District will enjoy, as a council, we have no mandate on implementation of high class infrastructure projects such this road we all admire  to be done,” said Chirwa.

She, however, made a strong assurance that the proposal with be channeled to relevant authority for a possible action and feedback will be served.

Before the New Year’s cerebration, high profile officials from the two districts held meetings with district executive committees and members from the business community to evaluate previous year’s performance and how to find mechanism of surmounting the bottlenecks that negatively affected service delivery.

During these meetings, Chairperson for Ileje District Council, Mohammad Mwala challenged that unless the two districts relax laws in check points, members from business community will have mediocre contribution towards the growth of the economy.

Mwala observed that at times traders opt to evade check points where they can pay taxes due to harsh conditions they have to endure from personnel manning check points.

He said it was the responsibility of  the two district  to  create conducive environment for the operation of various types of business for their  economic growth.

Mwala also trashed the need for people of the two sides to always arm themselves with travelling documents such as passports or border passes when commuting between the two districts. 

“A requirement for people to use passports and border passes within Ileje and Chitipa Districts and harassment in check points make the preaching that people of the two districts are one a total mockery,” said Mwala, drawing applause from the jubilant crowd.

 Earlier, Presidential Advisor on youth affairs, Nick Aladini Masebo asked people of the two districts to take advantage of their cordial relationship to promote develop in their respective areas.
Masebo, a former MP for Chitipa North Constituency, situated right at the boundary with Tanzania, observed that much as people of the two districts are committed to work and business, most of the areas are seriously underdeveloped.

He cited Mbirima area, on Chitipa side, which he said has completely lagged behind in development compared to Isongole Trading center just a stone’s throw across Songwe River.

He then appealed to councilors and MP for Chitipa North to collaborate with the council to identify development projects to be implemented at Mbirima to facelift the area so that it is at par with Isongole.

Beside poor road network and lack of portable water, one of the most important facility the area lacks is a market infrastructure which has for decades forced small holder farmers to survive on the mercy of unscrupulous traders who rip them off, capitalizing on their desperation for quick money.

New Year’s cerebrations are annual events cerebrated on rotational basis. In 2013, the cerebrations were held in Ileje District.

Besides the purpose of farther cementing relationship between the people of two districts, the event, also provides platform to take stock of how the two districts have performed in the year under review.