Musenge urges change of government

Musenge urges change of government
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sat 16 July 2011, 13:10 CAT

SANITY at Kitwe City Council will only be restored after the change of government this year, says Mwenya Musenge. In an interview yesterday, Musenge said the councils had been infiltrated by MMD cadres that were determined to frustrate the developmental efforts of PF councillors and parliamentarians.

Musenge, himself a councillor and Nkana parliamentarian, said the highly politicised MMD-orchestrated allegations that Kitwe mayor Elias Kamanga had abused his office spoke volumes about the unethical manner in which some senior officers at the council were handling matters.

Musenge said the country was in need of a leadership that would clean up the local government system and restore integrity in public and ceremonial offices such as the office of mayor.

He said some management officials in liaison with MMD cadres like Joe Malanji were fighting hard to strip the integrity of the office of mayor by withdrawing his official car and reporting him to the police on allegations that he gave fuel to late president Mwanawasa’s son, Patrick.

Musenge said it was not surprising that Kamanga was being persecuted because there were serious land scams among prominent businessmen and politicians that he (Kamanga) together with other councillors had unearthed.

He said it was undisputed fact that there was mismanagement of land in Kitwe.

“I feel these issues shall only be resolved when there is change of government, when (Michael) Sata takes over as president. The dignity of these mayoral offices has been put into disrepute and it is a shame to President Banda and his colleagues to be dragging such an honourable office into such petty matters. We are not saying corruption should be tolerated but the manner in which the matter has been handled,” Musenge said.

“Why should it take an MMD official to get hold of confidential documents of the council and level all sorts of allegations against the mayor on television? And who gave him those papers? It’s sad that confidential documents that are supposed to be under lock and key are flying all over the council,” Musenge said.

He said council officers were supposed to act professionally because they were technocrats that should guide the council on how to handle the affairs of the city on behalf of the residents.