Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Zambia

MCDSS PARTICIPATES IN WONDERFUL GROUP MARATHON

In line with its commitment to promoting a healthy, productive, and motivated workforce, members of staff from the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services today participated in the Wonderful Group Marathon.

The MCDSS team was led by Assistant Director for Human Resources, Mr. Zacheus Mwanza, who joined fellow staff members in the event held under the theme: "For the Girl Child. For the Woman. For Zambia."

The marathon sought to promote physical wellness, social responsibility, and support for causes that uplift women and girls across the country.

Speaking after the event, Mr. Mwanza expressed appreciation to Wonderful Group for extending an invitation to the Ministry and for sponsoring the participation of ten members of staff in the marathon.

He noted that the marathon's theme strongly aligns with the Ministry's mandate of promoting the welfare and empowerment of children, women, and other vulnerable members of society.

Mr. Mwanza reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles, personal well-being, and workplace productivity, emphasizing that staff wellness remains critical to effective service delivery.

He further thanked the Permanent Secretaries for their continued support of employee wellness programmes and encouraged members of staff to actively participate in sporting and recreational activities that contribute to both physical and mental well-being.

PRESS STATEMENT
(For Immediate Release)

28/05/26

GOVT DELIVERS 200,000 PHONES TO ELDERLY SCT BENEFICIARIES

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has commenced the distribution of more than 200,000 feature phones to identified elderly beneficiaries without phones under the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) Programme countrywide.

This intervention forms part of Government’s broader commitment to advancing an inclusive digital transformation agenda aimed at enabling beneficiaries to receive their social cash transfers directly through digital platforms.

Currently, the Social Cash Transfer Programme supports a total of 1,555,840 beneficiary households across 116 districts, of which 89% are already receiving their payments through mobile money platforms and banking systems. The initiative reflects Government’s continued progress towards digitizing social protection services and improving financial inclusion.

The ongoing exercise is expected to further enhance efficiency, accountability, transparency, and convenience in the delivery of social cash transfers nationwide.

The Ministry has prioritized elderly beneficiaries following concerns that many senior citizens continue to face challenges in accessing their cash transfers. In many instances, beneficiaries possess only SIM cards and rely on other people’s mobile phones to verify receipt of funds, a situation that exposes them to inconvenience, dependency, potential exploitation, and the risk of losing SIM cards altogether, which further disrupts their access to payments.

By directly providing mobile phones to beneficiaries, Government seeks to empower vulnerable citizens with secure and reliable access to their funds while promoting financial and digital inclusion, particularly among rural and marginalized communities.

This milestone represents a significant step forward in ensuring that no beneficiary is left behind in Zambia’s digital transformation agenda. It also reinforces Government’s continued commitment to delivering inclusive and equitable social protection services for all citizens.

Issued by:

Glenda Nachinga
Principal Public Relations Officer
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services

GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO CHILD PROTECTION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to promoting child protection, justice, and inclusive social protection for vulnerable groups across Zambia.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ms. Angela Kawandami, said this during a courtesy call paid on her office by a delegation from the Human Rights Commission led by Commission Chairperson Dr. Towela Pamela Sambo.

Ms. Kawandami commended the Human Rights Commission for its continued role in safeguarding human rights and promoting justice for the people of Zambia.

She highlighted that the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022 provides the legal foundation for protecting children in conflict and in contact with the law, while other legislation such as the Anti-Gender Based Violence Act and the Anti-Human Trafficking Act support victims of abuse and vulnerable families.

The Permanent Secretary said the Ministry continues to provide safe shelters, counseling services, diversion programmes, rehabilitation support, and reintegration services to ensure that children are protected at every stage of the justice process.

She further outlined the Ministry’s broader social protection programmes, including the Social Cash Transfer Programme, Public Welfare Assistance Scheme, Food Security Pack, and livelihood empowerment initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability among households.

Ms. Kawandami also emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to disability inclusion, protection of older persons, and equitable access to social protection services for marginalized groups through rights-based programmes.

She expressed appreciation for the strong collaboration between the Ministry and the Human Rights Commission in developing key child protection policies and frameworks, including the National Diversion Framework and the Child Justice Strategic Plan 2022–2026.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission Chairperson Dr. Towela Pamela Sambo said the Commission values the Ministry’s critical role in social protection, child welfare, disability inclusion, and poverty reduction.

Dr. Sambo stated that the Commission remains committed to promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups, including children, women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and individuals living in vulnerable circumstances.

She emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the Commission and the Ministry in areas such as child protection, safeguarding, referrals, rehabilitation, disability inclusion, public awareness, and rights-based service delivery.

Dr. Sambo further stated that social protection is directly connected to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights, including dignity, equality, social security, and an adequate standard of living.

On child protection, she reiterated the Commission’s commitment to advocating for the protection of children against abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harmful practices in line with Zambia’s constitutional obligations, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Children’s Code Act.

She noted that the Commission handles complaints involving children, including those in conflict or contact with the law, covering issues such as detention, safeguarding, diversion, rehabilitation, access to justice, and family support systems.

She also highlighted disability rights as a strategic area for cooperation, particularly in addressing barriers to access and promoting inclusive public services for persons with disabilities.

Among the proposed areas of collaboration are strengthening referral and case coordination mechanisms, joint public awareness campaigns, child protection interventions, diversion and rehabilitation support for children in conflict with the law, disability rights promotion, information sharing on emerging human rights concerns, and capacity building for relevant stakeholders.

HAPPY SECRETARIES DAY

Today, our Secretaries joined the Zambia Institute of Secretaries, Lusaka Branch, in commemorating Secretaries Day under the theme: “Advancing Secretarial Excellence through Professionalism, Technology and Strategic Communication.”

On behalf of the Ministry, we extend our sincere appreciation to all secretaries and administrative professionals for your invaluable contribution to public service.

Your dedication, professionalism, and expertise are central to the smooth functioning of our offices and the effective delivery of services to the public. Through your daily efforts, you continue to advance not only secretarial excellence, but also the overall effectiveness of the Ministry.

Thank you for your commitment, resilience, and for upholding the high standards that make our work possible.

MCDSS HONOURS OUTSTANDING STAFF AT LABOUR DAY AWARDS CEREMONY

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has recognised outstanding members of staff for their exceptional dedication, innovation, and commitment to public service during the Ministry's Labour Day Awards Ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary Ms. Angela Kawandami said the awards followed the commemoration of the 2026 International Labour Day, held under the theme “Securing Zambia’s Future of Work: Protecting Jobs, Skills and Pensions for Decent Work for All.”

She noted that the theme underscores the importance of valuing workers, investing in human capital, and recognising excellence in the workplace.

Ms. Kawandami therefore said the Ministry’s mandate of providing equitable social protection services to vulnerable communities aligns closely with the Labour Day theme, as officers continue to play a critical role in reducing poverty and improving livelihoods across the country through social protection programmes, community empowerment initiatives, child welfare services, disability support, and livelihood interventions.

She commended officers for their resilience and dedication, often serving in challenging environments with limited resources while remaining committed to transforming the lives of vulnerable citizens.

The Permanent Secretary said the awards were designed to celebrate and encourage excellence in public service, with recipients recognised in the categories of Most Hard-Working Employee, Most Innovative Employee, and Most Improved Employee.

She congratulated the award winners for setting high standards of professionalism and integrity, while encouraging all members of staff to remain motivated and continue striving for excellence regardless of whether they received an award.

And in a vote of thanks, ICT Specialist who is one of the award recipients, Mr Lubasi Musambo, appreciated the awards as a source of encouragement and hailed the Ministry progress in the provision of equitable social protection programmes.

MINISTER’S FAREWELL IN PICTURES 📸

Emotions ran high as former Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms Doreen Mwamba, yesterday bade farewell to members of staff following the dissolution of Parliament.

The farewell was marked by heartfelt moments, gratitude, and reflections on the strides made in improving the welfare of vulnerable citizens across the country.

GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING FAMILIES AND PROMOTING CHILD WELLBEING

Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening families and addressing inequalities affecting children and vulnerable households across the country.

Speaking during the commemoration of the International Day of Families, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Angela Kawandami said this year’s theme, “Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing,” serves as an important reminder of the need to build resilient families and create an environment where every child can thrive.

Ms. Kawandami noted that families remain the cornerstone of society and play a critical role in shaping the moral, emotional, and social wellbeing of children. She observed that widening inequalities continue to negatively affect family life through poverty, barriers to education, child marriages, discrimination against children with disabilities, and limited access to healthcare and recreational facilities.

She further urged families and communities to work together in addressing challenges that undermine child wellbeing and contribute to social inequalities.

Ms. Kawandami said Government remains committed to supporting vulnerable households through various social protection programmes such as the Food Security Pack, the Social Cash Transfer Programme, and women empowerment initiatives aimed at reducing economic pressures on families and improving household livelihoods.

The Permanent Secretary further disclosed that the Ministry is strengthening child protection systems to safeguard children from abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation. She added that Government is promoting family-based care systems and rehabilitation programmes for vulnerable children, including orphans and children living on the streets.

Ms. Kawandami also stated that Government is enhancing linkages between social protection programmes and essential services such as health, nutrition, education, and child protection to ensure that every Zambian child grows up in a secure, loving, and supportive family environment.

She called upon all stakeholders, including Government institutions, cooperating partners, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, local authorities, the private sector, and members of the public, to work together in addressing inequalities affecting families and children.

The International Day of Families is commemorated globally every year on May 15 to recognise the importance of families as the foundation of society.