Zambia has been elected as the Secretariat of the Steering Committee for the Community of Practice on Africa Cash Transfers at the just ended ‘Community of Practice for Cash Transfers in Africa’ conference held in Livingstone.

Madam Bernadette Malungo, who is the Social Cash Transfer manager at the Programme Implementation Unit, at the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, will represent Zambia on the Steering Committee for the next two years.

Other elected on the Steering committee include, Takatso Shale, from Leostho, Fofana Malang from Gambia, Carol Lorika from Uganda, Fardosa Ahmed Abdullahi from Somalia.

Others are Namibia’s Lydia Jossob, George Madzima from Zimbabwe and Marcelia Nerves from Eswatini.

Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Ms. Doreen Mwamba has since congratulated Zambia as a whole, and Ms. Bernadette Malungo in particular, for being elected on the steering committee.

She said the development is a great milestone in pursuit of enhanced social protection, not only in Zambia, but on the African continent as a whole.

Ms. Mwamba has described the election of Ms. Malungo as befitting, considering the immense experience which she has in the social protection sector and expressed confidence that she will deliver.

She further observes that her election is a step in the right direction in pursuit to promote not only effective implementation of the Social Cash Transfer programme, but also promotion of gender equality.

Ms. Mwamba has since wished Ms. Malungo all the best in her new role, and has since pledged to support her in her mandate to enhance service delivery in the social protection sector.