PF councillors threaten to defect over Chilatu
PF councillors threaten to defect over ChilatuBy Lambwe Kachali and Patson Chilemba
Thursday April 10, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) councillors in Lusaka have threatened to ditch the party for opposition UPND if the party leadership dares to lift mayor Stephen Chilatu's suspension. But PF president Michael Sata said Chilatu's suspension was nonsensical.
Reacting to PF vice-president Dr Guy Scott's accusation that they defied Sata's instructions to lift Chilatu's suspension, a group of councillors who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said they were tired of Sata's dictatorial tendencies.
The councillors said it was disgusting that Sata had continued to treat them like children, a situation they described as barbaric, retrogressive and a grave interference on the operations of the council.
The councillors said it was not true that Matero member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe and Chawama member of parliament Reverend Sampa-Bredt influenced them to suspend Chilatu for six months.
"We as councillors acted on principle after looking at the offences Chilatu had committed. Although the recommendations from the adhoc committee proposed that Chilatu be reinstated in the position of mayor and that he be reprimanded, the council found it prudent to suspend him in accordance with Statutory Instrument (SI) 140 of 1995," the councillors said.
They said the Statutory Instrument allows them to suspend any councillor who misconducts himself.
The councillors said the Instrument further allows the council to suspend any erring councillor who behaved in such a way as to create in the mind of the ordinary citizens a lack of confidence in the performance of his duties
The councillors said based on that section and with regard to the offences Chilatu agreed he committed during an interview with the adhoc committee, it was important that Chilatu be suspended as a councillor.
The councillors said Chilatu's suspension had also affected his mayoral position, saying he could only be mayor if he was a councillor.
The councillors said they received instructions from Sata with great shock because it was an infringement on their rights.
They said Chilatu's suspension did not deserve to be lifted because he had gravely abused his office and that his actions brought the council's image and PF as a party into disrepute.
The councillors said they would not bow to Sata's dictatorial habits and that they deliberately defied his instructions so as to teach him a lesson that they were mature enough to make their own decisions.
The councillors expressed concern at PF's leadership, saying they would not hesitate to ditch the party and join the opposition if Sata continued to apply dictatorial tendencies.
The councillors vowed not to lift Chilatu's suspension because they had all the relevant evidence supporting his suspension.
"Nakazwe and Musonda Mwaume were expelled from the party for petty reasons, compared to Chilatu. So why is Mr. Sata trying to protect Chilatu? What is the motive behind all this?" they asked. "We doubt Mr. Sata's leadership. And also, why is Mr Chilatu dragging the council to court?"
And reacting to Chilatu's lawyers who have threatened to take legal action against the council if his suspension was not reversed in the next seven days, Hakuyu said he was not the one who suspended their client. He said only the council could reverse Chilatu's suspension.
But Sata said Chilatu should be treated fairly and given access to justice. He said it did not make sense to suspend Chilatu because he was mayor as a result of being a councillor.
Sata said the whole suspension episode was marred with suspicion because the one who raised the motion to suspend Chilatu was Msiska, the man he defeated for the position of mayor.
He said PF councillors were vulnerable because they were threatened by Sinyangwe and Rev Sampa-Bredt that local government minister Sylvia Masebo would dissolve the council should Chilatu be reinstated.
Sata said PF was ready to teach Masebo and the MMD a lesson. He challenged Masebo to dissolve the council, saying PF would not even seek legal redress but would gladly go into elections.
But Rev Sampa-Bredt described Sata's allegations as a joke.
Labels: PF, STEPHEN CHILATU
posted by MrK @ 3:27 AM
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