Lusaka, Government officially launched the 2026 Revised Cash for Work (R-CFW) Programme, expanding its coverage to all 116 districts and targeting over 1.5 million beneficiaries countrywide, as part of continued efforts to cushion vulnerable communities from economic and climate related shocks.
Speaking during the launch held at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Gift Sialubalo, MP, said the Revised Cash for Work Programme builds on lessons learnt from Phase I and demonstrates Government’s commitment to inclusive growth and social protection.
Hon. Sialubalo noted that the Cash for Work Programme was initially introduced in response to the severe drought experienced during the 2023/2024 farming season, which led to the declaration of the drought as a National Disaster and Emergency by President Hakainde Hichilema on 29th February 2024. The programme complemented other Government interventions such as food relief, low-cost food distribution and the expansion of the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
The Minister explained that while Phase I of the programme ran from August 2024 to June 2025, Cabinet, at its 24th Meeting held on 8th December 2025, approved the Revised Cash for Work Programme to strengthen implementation, enhance transparency and broaden impact.