Rentals and rates

Rentals and rates
By The Post
Sat 15 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

It cannot be denied that Rupiah Banda’s pronouncements concerning local authorities that are dominated by the opposition Patriotic Front on the Copperbelt Province have caused a lot of problems.

In his quest to maintain a hold on power, Rupiah is ready to sacrifice anything and anyone. Under the tutorage of Frederick Chiluba, Rupiah thinks messing up local authorities on the Copperbelt is the most effective way of endearing himself to the people of the Copperbelt.

Following his pronouncements on the way the councils are being managed on the Copperbelt, tenants and ratepayers started refusing giving to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar. Some even demanded refunds of their rentals and rates because Rupiah pronounced that councils were just exploiting tenants and ratepayers with the high rates and rentals.

Last week, town clerks from Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Luanshya and Mufulira complained before the Parliamentary Committee on Local Governance, Housing and Chiefs’ Affairs that they were experiencing problems in collecting rates and rentals because occupants were refusing to pay following Rupiah’s recent pronouncements on the matter.

It is with this background in mind that we welcome local government and housing minister Eustarckio Kazongo’s directive for all tenants occupying council properties to pay rentals and rates in accordance with the law. And there is no need for Kazonga to mislead people that Rupiah did not order tenants to stop paying rates and rentals anywhere in his speech. It is more honourable for one to admit a mistake when it is committed.

Kazonga cannot in any reasonable way claim that Rupiah’s pronouncements did not bring about this confusion on the Copperbelt. If Rupiah did not say something to incite tenants from stopping paying rentals and rates, why was this refusal only witnessed after his so-called press conference in Kitwe? Why didn’t these tenants approach their various local authorities in demanding refunds before Rupiah made those pronouncements on the operations of the councils?

That is why we are saying it is more honourable for one to admit a mistake when it is committed. Rupiah made a mistake in his pronouncements because he is blinded by his selfish desire to seek re-election next year. In fact, he even threatened government officials with dismissals should they refuse to carry out Presidential orders.

That is why Kazonga has to be careful the way he moves on this matter. He is prepared to lie just to protect himself from being dismissed. We know Kazonga must be under a lot of pressure trying to implement illegal directives from Rupiah. We are waiting to see how Kazonga is going to implement or react to Rupiah’s directive for him to issue the Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) with title deeds for a market in Kitwe.

However, we commend him that this time around he has seen that following every irregular pronouncement from his boss will create chaos among our people. Ministers are there to carry out only lawful instructions from a president. Rupiah should not mislead himself that as President, he can make any decision as he deems fit. He should learn lessons from his bedfellow Chiluba who had his immunity lifted after he left State House and prosecuted for his criminal activities. As for ministers, they have no immunity so it is very easy to deal with them.

A president should not be in the forefront promoting anarchy in the country. Laws are there to be obeyed and if there is anything wrong with them, they should be taken to Parliament for amendment. Paying rentals and rates is a legal requirement which every tenant has to oblige.

And we urge the tenants on the Copperbelt to follow Kazonga’s directive with the seriousness it deserves. If there are issues, those issues must be confronted without violating the provisions of the law.

We only hope we are not endangering Kazonga’s job by commending him for doing the right thing because Rupiah says any minister praised by The Post is his enemy and therefore deserves to be fired. That is how shallow his thinking is. Rupiah does not know that praise is only given where it is due just like criticism is offered when it is due. We wonder if Rupiah will divorce his wife the day she will deserve praise in this column.

It is our hope that Rupiah is learning lessons from his mistakes. He should control his appetite for power. If he wants to be re-elected next year, he should just do the correct things. Breaking the law with impunity will only diminish his chances. He will not buy votes with council houses. Local government is a very important area in which development should be promoted at the local level.

But how will councils be expected to deliver development when they are denied resources by tenants who are insulated from meeting their obligations? Rupiah should be a responsible leader and lead by example. A good leader can’t be in the forefront inciting citizens to ignore the law.

The other day we said good ideas foster other good ideas, just as on the other hand, bad things foster other bad things. Rupiah should identify issues correctly if he has to be appreciated by our people. For him, he has to do anything to continue in office. In his misguided view, Rupiah has embraced Chiluba thinking he will help him win popularity in Luapula and Copperbelt provinces.

This weekend, he is sending hundreds of police officers to guard Chiluba in Mansa as he launches a campaign for him in that area.

This is not all. Rupiah has also indentified violence as a weapon to silence his opponents and critics. When it was clear that the MMD were losing in the Mufumbwe parliamentary election recently, the MMD resorted to violence. Rupiah’s disciple, William Banda is in the forefront threatening violence against all those with divergent views.

Fr Frank Bwalya is their biggest victim. The MMD cadres under Rupiah are now licensed to spill blood. They make all sorts of statements threatening violence with no condemnation from the party hierarchy. This is enough confirmation that this violence is orchestrated by the top leadership both in the party and in government.