Maravi

Chilatu asks councillors to be lenient with him

Chilatu asks councillors to be lenient with him
By Lambwe Kachali
Thursday March 06, 2008 [03:00]

SUSPENDED Lusaka mayor Stephen Chilatu (right) yesterday asked councillors not to nail him to the cross but forgive him for whatever mistakes he committed against the council. Reacting to allegations that he irregularly allocated himself a house in Ibex Hill and nominated Sanford Mwenda to replace him at the NCC without the council’s authority, Chilatu said it would be wrong if the committee that has been formed to investigate him manipulated the process.

He explained that he shifted into the Ibex Hill house because he was offered by the council on condition that he would be paying rentals. Chilatu said it was not true that he allocated the house to himself as alleged by the councillors. He said the councillors were unhappy with him when Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata said he had forgiven him following his resignation from the NCC.

“The housing committee took that matter to LCC and the council did resolve that two houses be reserved for mayor and the deputy. When the matter went to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for confirmation last year, after the town clerk wrote to the minister that the issue was equivalent to creating conditions of service, the minister did respond that the official council house could not be allocated to me because the nature of my work is part-time,” Chilatu explained. “But she further said that unless the mayor the council on condition that he would be paying rentals.

Chilatu said it was not true that he allocated the house to himself as alleged by the councillors. He said the councillors were unhappy with him when Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata said he had forgiven him following his resignation from the NCC.

“The housing committee took that matter to LCC and the council did resolve that two houses be reserved for mayor and the deputy.

When the matter went to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for confirmation last year, after the town clerk wrote to the minister that the issue was equivalent to creating conditions of service, the minister did respond that the official council house could not be allocated to me because the nature of my work is part-time,” Chilatu explained.

“But she further said that unless the mayor would be paying rentals, that is how I acquired that house. The house was offered to me through a letter from the town clerk.”

Asked if he had started paying rentals for the same house, Chilatu said the amount to be paid per month had not yet been resolved.
“Yes, I am supposed to be paying rentals.

The issues of the rentals are yet to be determined because initially the house was at K5 million per month and later it was revised by the minister that the houses are overpriced and they should be K3 million, and the issue has not yet been cleared. So I haven’t started paying rentals but I shifted. There are ten houses which have remained unoccupied for the past ten years. Of course it is because they are still being worked on,” Chilatu said.

On his nomination of Mwenda to replace him at the NCC, Chilatu said some councillors did not want him to be mayor. He said some councillors would be more than happy if he was expelled because they were harbouring ambitions of succeeding him.

Chilatu said it was for that reason that they were ‘cooking’ all sorts of fake allegations to pin him down. He said he nominated Mwenda because he did not want to leave that office vacant. He said Mwenda’s nomination was subject to ratification by the council.

“So it will be a big plus to these councillors if I am kicked out of office so then they can go for the position. After I resigned from NCC, I did not want to leave the office in a vacuum and so, in my own understanding I thought I should forward another name to replace me. I did indicate that this issue will be ratified by the council at the sitting in March.

It was not as if I were the final person because I knew that the matter was subject to ratification by the council which will have the final say,” Chilatu said. “What the council should have done was either to ratify or pick another name. I thought I was doing the right thing but everything has been misconstrued by a few councillors who are fighting me for the position.”

Chilatu said despite everything he did, he was human, could make mistakes and offend others. He said there was need for LCC to forgive him for whatever they deemed unfit for him to do.

“Of course, it will be very unfortunate if they expel me because I left NCC in good faith and I did acknowledge to the president that I made a mistake. We all make mistakes and what is important is to acknowledge one’s mistakes, make amends and move on.

It will be a big mistake if councillors can’t forgive me and would want to nail me to the cross. That will be very unfortunate. I have put the matter of NCC behind me and I would want to see unity and harmony prevail. I want to appeal to my friends that let us unite and work in harmony,” Chilatu said.

On allegations that he damaged the council vehicle, Chilatu denied saying at no time had he bashed any council vehicle.

Labels: CORRUPTION, LUSAKA, MAYOR, NCC, STEPHEN CHILATU

posted by MrK @ 3:31 AM