Luanshya PF councillors stage walkout over colleague's arrest
Luanshya PF councillors stage walkout over colleague's arrestBy Misheck Wangwe, Mwila Chansa and David Chongo
Sat 11 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) councillors led by Roan parliamentarian Chishimba Kambwili on Wednesday walked out of the council chamber during the mayoral elections in protest against the arrest of councillor Adam Zulu by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Luanshya.
And Kambwili has said PF councillors will never attend council meetings until the election of councillor Peter Phiri of the MMD as mayor is declared null and void.
In an interview on Thursday, Kambwili said the PF councillors decided not to take part in the mayoral elections because the MMD councillors, led by Luanshya parliamentarian Simon Kachimba, schemed the arrest of Zulu who had been accused of attempting to bribe an MMD councillor Mabvuto Daka.
Kambwili explained that like any other elections, Zulu was lobbying his fellow councillors to vote for him as mayor of Luanshya in a clean manner but the MMD councillors made malicious plans to have him arrested by the ACC.
“Our PF councillor Adam Zulu of Lumumba ward was vying for the position of mayor… so he was called for lunch by the MMD councillor Mabvuto Daka, to join him for lunch in town and he gladly went there as he was invited by a colleague but suddenly ACC officers picked them up and accused Zulu of attempting to bribe Daka with K1.8 million, and they were taken to Luanshya Central Police,” Kabwili explained.
“At the police, Daka was released after he alleged that he was given the K1.8 million he had in his pocket by Zulu, and that’s how the police detained Zulu but they recorded a warn and caution statement from him later. As PF, we feel insulted because the MMD wants to do everything to expose the PF to ridicule for nothing. This is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. We are aware that Kachimba was sent by the MMD to cause all this confusion and they will not succeed.”
Kambwili said the arrest of Zulu was a clear abuse of authority alleging that Kachimba issued direct instructions to the ACC to arrest Zulu under clear malicious grounds.
He said PF councillors in Luanshya have vowed that they will never attend the council meetings until the election of Phiri of the MMD as mayor is revoked.
Kambwili said Zulu's arrest was a futile plan by the MMD in trying to weaken the PF in Luanshya.
And Luanshya town clerk Andrew Mwanakulanga, who was the returning officer, confirmed that the 14 PF councillors did not vote during the mayoral elections.
In Kitwe, former journalist Elias Kamanga went through unopposed as Kitwe mayor together with his deputy John Mwape of Ipusukilo ward.
Kamanga who is PF Bupe ward councillor said he would work hard to ensure that the council performed to the expectations of Kitwe residents.
Outgoing Kitwe mayor Stephen Chipungu commended councillors for the manner in which they conducted the affairs of the city and the support they rendered to him.
In Chingola, PF Chitimukulu ward councillor McDonald Mulongoti is the new mayor.
Returning officer Patrick Teleshi, who is also Chingola town clerk, said Mulongoti beat the other two contestants after he polled 14 votes.
Teleshi said councillors Stephen Mubanga of the MMD and George Sichula of PF got seven votes each.
In Kalulushi, MMD Chibuluma ward councillor Emmanuel Mazokela scooped the Kalulushi mayoral elections, taking over from his fellow MMD Ichimpe ward councillor Evaristo Mwalilino.
Kalulushi Municipal Council public relations officer Kangwa Muma confirmed the development on Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, tempers flared in the Solwezi Municipal Council chamber on Wednesday, with councillors almost engaging in a physical fight following an electoral misunderstanding during the mayoral elections.
Confusion arose after one candidate for the position of deputy mayor was declared the winner unopposed despite other candidates contesting the poll.
When returning officer, town clerk Jim Zya, declared Fordson Malishinyi as the duly elected deputy mayor, councilors from opposing camps rose to protest, questioning how Malishinyi went unopposed despite others standing for the election.
When they were told that Malishinyi’s nomination was the only one valid and theirs were invalid, tempers rose in the chamber and verbal expletives were exchanged between the sides.
In invalidating the papers, Zya said one councillor had endorsed more than one candidate while another contestant who had earlier endorsed his colleague the previous morning changed his mind in the afternoon and filed for the same position himself.
Zya said according to the electoral rules, such anomalies were justifiable basis for invalidating nomination papers in which situation Malishinyi emerged ‘unopposed’.
But the aggrieved councillors argued that they were not informed that their papers were invalid after it emerged that Malishinyi had also filed in invalid papers but had been tipped to correct them at the council by an unidentified electoral official through a third party the day before.
When calm finally returned among the councillors, it was decided that the declaration of Malishinyi as deputy mayor be nullified and fresh elections be held leading to the postponement of both elections to yesterday which turned out peaceful.
And MMD’s Sandang’ombe ward councillor Jameson Kapumba was elected new Solwezi mayor after beating two other contestants, polling 12 votes against fellow MMD Kibanza ward councillor Fanwell Kabozha who polled eight votes and Peter Kapamba of Tumvwang’anai ward who got four votes out of the 23 cast.
The position of deputy mayor went to MMD Musele ward councillor Malishinyi, who polled 11 votes against UPND’s Chikola ward councillor Jameson Mutunta who polled eight votes.
Labels: ACC, ADAMS ZULU, CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, CORRUPTION, MABVUTA DAKA, PF, POLICE CORRUPTION
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posted by MrK @ 3:01 AM
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