The Mashi Traditional Authority has called on the government to address persistent challenges facing the community, particularly access to potable water and electricity.

Mfumu Joseph Tembwe III Mayuni  made the call at the 29th Tulikonge Cultural Festival, held in Choi Village in the Kongola Constituency.

Mfumu III Mayuni stressed that electricity is essential not only for households but also for development and industrialisation, particularly as Kongola advances towards village council status.

His speech was read on his behalf by his personal assistant, Challo Chainda.

"Electricity remains a luxury for many households. In the information age, and given the government's efforts to expand network coverage, electricity should be a basic service that enables people to power mobile phones and radios. The establishment of businesses also depends heavily on electricity for manufacturing."

Mfumu III Mayuni added that although the government has provided boreholes in some areas, frequent breakdowns and inadequate maintenance have affected their reliability.

In response, Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Gaudentia Krohne said that only 37.9% of rural households have access to electricity. She said the government had allocated N$250 million from the Treasury and a further N$10 million through the National Energy Fund for the 2026/2027 electrification programme.

"For many years, the Rural Electrification Programme focused first on schools, clinics, water points and other public institutions. This approach enabled one connection to benefit many people. The next stage is to move more directly into households. For the current financial year, the government has allocated N$10 million for service connections in four conservancies in the Zambezi Region. Of this amount, N$2.5 million is allocated to the Mashi component."

Meanwhile, Zambezi Regional Governor Dorothy Kabula urged the community to embrace development and safeguard infrastructure.