Maravi

Kamanga dismisses MMD’s allegations against him

Kamanga dismisses MMD’s allegations against him
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Wed 20 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

KITWE mayor Elias Kamanga says the manoeuvres by Copperbelt MMD task force chairman Joe Malanji to incriminate him of corruption will never help the MMD to gain popularity on the Copperbelt.

Speaking at a press conference at Kitwe’s Ndeke Community Hall, Kamanga said the allegations by the MMD that he corruptly allocated land to his relatives and friends in Bupe Ward were ridiculous and meant to tarnish his image.

Kamanga said he was waiting for the police to summon him again or be taken to court over the MMD-orchestrated allegations that he had abused his office and gave late President Levy Mwanawasa’s son Patrick fuel from the Kitwe City Council account.

“Malanji has surprisingly appointed himself my campaign manager. He is going round Robert Compound and other places in my ward with ZNBC and parading MMD cadres to level all sorts of allegations against me. I’ve personally suffered and fought for the plight of the people of Robert Compound and I will never allow the MMD to lie to the nation through state-controlled media,” Kamanga said.

He said the persecutions he was going through were because he and other councillors questioned the manner in which prominent businessmen in the city and MMD cadres were given prime land meant for infrastructure development without the consent of a full council.

Kamanga said he was ready to be investigated so that the truth could be established and for Zambians to determine who was corrupt between him as mayor of the city and the MMD cadres who had connived over the dubious land allocations in the city.

He said he would fight had and ensure that the intercity bus terminus and other envisaged projects were built without being frustrated by the MMD cadres on the Copperbelt.

“We should not take the people of Kitwe for granted. The residents want to see development and as Kitwe mayor and my fellow PF councillors, we want to leave that intercity bus terminus as a legacy that we worked. It is unfortunate that we have disgruntled people that want to frustrate what we have laboured for but it will never happen,” Kamanga said.

Malanji last week reported Kamanga at Kitwe’s Riverside police station accusing him of abuse of office and allocating land illegally.

Malanji further accused the Kitwe mayor of giving Patrick Mwanawasa fuel for campaigns on the council account.

Police are still investigating the matter.

Labels: CORRUPTION, ELIAS KAMANGA, JOE MALANJI, MMD

posted by MrK @ 10:31 PM