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Kitwe council not telling the truth, says Lubinda

Kitwe council not telling the truth, says Lubinda
By Misheck Wangwe and Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Thu 30 June 2011, 04:00 CAT

GIVEN Lubinda has accused Kitwe City Council management of not telling the truth on the reported dubious allocation of land and misapplication of funds in the city. And Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima said he was shocked to read in the paper that he was a beneficiary of the land, which was initially allocated for the phase four of the FIFA Goal Project.

Reacting to Kitwe City Council public relations manager Francis Wasamunu who dispelled reports that management had never defied full council resolutions in the management of land, Lubinda said council management should tell the nation and the Kitwe residents how Mbulakulima, MMD officials and other developers were allegedly allocated land near the FIFA Goal Project.

He said if the council management did not advertise for the two controversial pieces of land at Buchi and SOS village respectively, then laid down procedures were not followed.

“I have again instructed the PF councilors to get to the bottom of these issues and identify the culprits. We appreciate that Mubulakulima, George Lungu and other MMD officials have a right to own land anywhere but the question is was this land advertised and how many people were interviewed over this land?,” Lubinda said. “The law must be followed.”

He said politics should not be entertained in the administration of land by council officials.

Lubinda said he had further directed the councillors to ensure that the land for the FIFA Goal Project and Inter Bus Terminus in Kitwe was not tampered with by anyone.

And Mbulakulima said he applied for land in Kitwe in 2007 and got no response.

However, he said he reapplied in 2008 and was given a letter of offer although it did not state the exact location of the plot.

Speaking after he toured the site where Kitwe City Council had allocated 25 acres of land to FIFA to construct three stadia and an academy for youths under the phase four of the Goal Project, Mbulakulima said he was not aware that he was allocated land near the FIFA project.

“No one has ever shown me where my plot is to date, so I was shocked to hear that my land is here. I feel disturbed because my constituency is football,” said Mbulakulima.

"If this land is for FIFA project then hands off. Don't be intimidated by anyone whether minister or MP or any official to give away this land because this FIFA project has global benefits, Zambia has plenty of land that you can give the people as long as you are transparent.”

Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, KITWE, MWANSA MBULAKULIMA

posted by MrK @ 6:36 PM