Abuse of resources worries Kalulushi council workers
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Thu 24 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT
KALULUSHI council workers have expressed their concerns about the alleged mismanagement and abuse of resources taking place at the local authority. According to well-placed sources within the council, the workers were shocked that Kalulushi town clerk Maxwell Kabanda had been paid about K710 million as retirement package and yet he was still working and getting paid.
The workers complained that Kabanda was working without a contract and going on trips using council money, adding that government authorities were aware of this but had allegedly not done anything about it because Kabanda was their close ally.
“You can imagine, he even has the audacity to tell people to go to Cabinet Office and find out why he is working without a contract,” the source said.
The source added that it seemed Kabanda was fully backed by the Local Government Service Commission because it was allegedly full of his friends as commissioners.
And another source challenged Kabanda to disclose who retired him and who also gave him a contract to continue as town clerk.
The source added that although he had reached retirement age, he could only get his package after being written to as a confirmation that he was formally retired.
The source added that Kabanda’s contract was not the only contentious issue at Kalulushi council.
They alleged that the council was involved in a serious scandal concerning over 250 ‘ghost’ plots in St Marceline area.
“Basically, council sold plots which do not exist, plots that have not been surveyed. They cheated the public that they have surveyed the plots when in fact, not and that is obtaining money by false pretences,” the source explained.
“Quite alright they made a site plan but the area in question is not demarcated, they charged service charges to the public when they have not serviced the area. They raised over K3 billion from this same scandal and I am told part of the money went towards paying the town clerk’s retirement package when he is still working,” the source added.
The source said by the time people would realise that they had been sold ‘ghost’ plots, the council would have been dissolved and the town clerk would have retired.
Another source said the local authority gave the current mayor Emmanuel Mazokera a contract to construct a market but that they had spent about K70 million so far when what was approved is K50 million.
When contacted, Kabanda described the allegations as wild and unsubstantiated.
“Did your sources provide any evidence because without evidence, it is very difficult for me to comment,” he said.
Kabanda, however, confirmed that he had received his retirement package.
“Yes I got my retirement package. I am town clerk but I am on contract. What is so strange about that?” he asked.
Kabanda also said it was not true that the plots the sources were referring to had not been surveyed.
And Mazokera denied being offered a contract to build a market, saying his only role was supervision.
“My only role was trying to supervise and people thought that I am the one who had been awarded the contract. I was not awarded that contract, council bought the material and everything. The value of that market was K90 million but council only had K50 million, hence they sourced for another K15 million from another project which overran,” said Mazokera.
Labels: CORRUPTION, KALULUSHI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
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Kalulushi councillors reject budget
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Wed 17 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
COUNCILLORS in Kalulushi on Monday refused to approve the local authority’s proposed K25.2 billion budget because it did not capture service provision.
Debating the 2011 proposed budget during a special council meeting, MMD Ichimpe ward councillor and former mayor Evaristo Mwalilino led his colleagues in rejecting the proposed budget, saying it
did not meet service provision requirements for the people in the wards.
Mwalilino said councillors could not approve the budget whose major component was workers’ emoluments and not service provision.
“…The people in our wards want a budget that will address issues affecting them, not this budget that has 40 per cent going to salaries for workers. I can assure you that approving this budget will be the worst scandal in the history of the council since the inception of this council. Honestly speaking, how do you approve a budget that will only be spent on personal emolument? When will the people of Kalulushi see services?” Mwalilino asked.
He said the budget did not inspire confidence in the people of Kalulushi and should therefore be deferred so that councillors could have an input of what they want done in their wards in terms of service provision.
Supporting the call to defer the budget, Kankonshi ward councillor Christopher Kanengu said councillors could not approve the budget for the sake of pleasing officers.
“I rise on a serious point of order. This budget can’t be approved for the sake of sending our officers for training, no…no…; this budget must go back… What roads will be graded and what services will be done to our rural population? Then we shall approve it. Mind you, next year we’ll be voting; the people will be asking us what we have done for them and we’ll lose but these officers will remain,” Kanengu debated as the whole house roared in approval.
Kalulushi town clerk Maxwell Kabanda failed to convince councillors not to defer the budget.
“Councillors, please do not defer the budget again. People elsewhere will look at it that we are not doing it in good faith. They may think we are doing this for monetary gain. Surely, all these heads can defer the budget twice; the nation is watching and they may think that we are feasting on people’s money,” said Kabanda amidst protests from councillors.
Council officers laboured to convince councillors who shot down every proposal to approve the proposed budget.
Labels: BUDGET, CHRISTOPHER KANENGU, KALULUSHI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
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Chambeshi Copper Smelters non-payment hampers operations at Kalulushi Municiple Council
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Wed 02 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
OPERATIONS at Kalulushi Municipal Council on the Copperbelt have been hampered by the non-payment of about K9 billion by the Chinese-run Chambishi Copper Smelter (CCS) in terms of rates. Sources disclosed that
the council was unable to recover the money owed in rates due to alleged interference by ‘higher authorities’ in Lusaka.
The sources said the higher authorities in Lusaka had instructed Kalulushi Municipal Council not to send bailiffs to recover the money owed by CCS.
In the recent past, President Rupiah Banda has repeatedly accused councils, especially those dominated by the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) in Lusaka and the Copperbelt of stealing billions of kwachas collected through rates and yet failing to provide services to the people.
The sources complained that the council was seriously limping as it was struggling to provide services as well as pay salaries.
“In the spirit of negotiation, the company CCS had written to the council requesting for remission of rates under section 23 of the rating Act Cap 283 of the Laws of Zambia and the council conceded to their request and gave them 30 per cent rebate. But despite the remission, the Chinese company has still failed to pay the council,” the source said.
“This has really compromised service delivery and the council is not even able to pay salaries as you know, that institution is labour-intensive.”
The source explained that recently, the parliamentary committee on local government, housing and chiefs’ affairs chaired by Mfuwe member of parliament Mwimba Malama expressed displeasure on why Kalulushi Municipal Council had not collected the money owed and that in response, Town Clerk Maxwell Kabanda told them that he was unable to move because he was under instructions from Lusaka not to send bailiffs.
The source added that the committee observed that if people were to appreciate the investments in the Multi-facility Economic Zones (MFEZ), it was important that investors in those areas paid rates because that was a legal requirement.
When contacted on Monday afternoon, local government and housing minister Eustakio Kazonga said he was in a meeting outside Lusaka and requested this reporter to get back to him the following morning Tuesday.
“I need to find out where that instruction is coming from and right now, I’m in a meeting outside Lusaka. Would you phone me later in the day or first thing tomorrow Tuesday morning?” he asked.
But when contacted yesterday morning, Kazonga’s phone was not reachable.
Labels: CHAMBESHI COPPER SMELTERS, CHINESE, CORRUPTION, KALULUSHI MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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