Maravi

Solwezi mayor denies nepotism in appointments

Solwezi mayor denies nepotism in appointments
By Mulimbi Mulaliki in Solwezi
Friday December 14, 2007 [03:00]

SOLWEZI mayor Emmanuel Chihili has denied media reports of nepotism in recent appointment of senior staff at the council. But establishment committee chairman Fanwell Kabozha has maintained that procedure was not followed in the appointment of senior staff as his committee was not involved. Briefing the press at the council chamber on Wednesday, Chihili defended the appointments saying they were in compliance with section 14 statutory instrument No. 155 of 1996.

“I want to mention that the appointments were done by the council in compliance with section 14 of statutory instrument No. 155 of 1996. The council is a supreme body which is not bound to accept every recommendation of its committee, subject to section 35 of the local government Act cap 281 of the Laws of Zambia.”

“The council is at liberty to delegate either absolutely or conditionally to a committee or to any officer of the council the powers to discharge any function on behalf of the council,” Chihili said.

He explained that sub section three empowered the council to either withdraw or alter any delegation to a committee.

“I want to say that it is not a secret that Naomi Tetamashimba Khumalo is a daughter to Hon. Benny Tetamashimba, deputy minister of Local Government and Housing. This is a fact that was disclosed from the time the lady was employed by the council in 2001.”

“The deputy minister did comply with standing order No. 19 by declaring interest during the interviews. It also happened when she went for training and during the meeting at which Mrs. Khumalo was promoted, Hon. Tetamashimba was absent as well as the other members of parliament,” Chihili said.

Last Thursday, some Solwezi councillors questioned among others the appointment of Naomi who was elevated to deputy director in-charge of monitoring the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from being a record keeper in the office of the town clerk.

Another appointment was that of Frederick Bwalya who was deputy director of engineering but now appointed town planner, which according to the councillors was a big demotion.

But Chihili said that Kabozha was the only one aggrieved about the appointments because his niece, Aggie Kombe, who was employed as council guesthouse manager was redeployed as procurement officer because of her poor performance.

“The statements of Kabozha are not only false but malicious aimed at bringing down Hon. Tetamashimba, the mayor and also the council. It is not good for the people of Solwezi for us to be spending time gossiping and sowing discord and hatred amongst ourselves,” he said.

But Kabozha challenged Chihili to produce evidence indicating that his committee was involved in the recent appointments of senior staff at the council.

“I found the mayor and the town clerk (Jim Zya) in his office and two other gentlemen I don’t know, preparing the list of people to be appointed. I never saw any single file of any employee and I am ready to be challenged anywhere even in court because procedure was not followed,” Kabozha said.

Kabozha explained that the establishment committee was supposed to employ and make recommendations to the full council and not the mayor sitting with the town clerk in his office to make appointments.

Kabozha said he only learnt of what the mayor was doing when he was going to attend the full council meeting.

Labels: MAYOR, NEPOTISM

posted by MrK @ 7:37 AM