Friday, March 29, 2024

MMD accuse Ndola Councils bosses of manipulating list of sitting tenants

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THE MMD on the Copperbelt has accused the Ndola City Council (NCC) of manipulating the list of sitting tenants at Itawa flats and Masala Housing Complex by fusing in names of some directors and other council officials after President Rupiah Banda ordered the sale of the housing units.

Itawa Flats in Ndola

Provincial youth vice-secretary Benson Tembo said the MMD was aware that there was a new list where council officials wanted to deprive some of the tenants a chance to buy the units they were occupying.

Acting Ndola Town Clerk Moses Mwelwa denied that some council officials were in the process of manipulating the lists and appealed to the tenants to report to the council any employee or individual making attempts to frustrate the Government’s directive to have the houses sold to sitting tenants.

Mr Tembo said in an interview in Ndola yesterday the MMD would not sit idle and allow the council to victimise sitting tenants who had suffered a lot by living in dilapidated structures which were not being maintained by NCC.

He alleged that some NCC directors and other officials put their names on some of the Itawa flats and Masala complex and then sublet to sitting tenants.

“We’re aware that some directors and other council officials sublet some of the Itawa flats and Masala houses to sitting tenants and now want to start victimising the people staying in those houses so that they (council officials) are given offer letters to buy,” he said.

Mr Tembo said the MMD would ensure offer letters were given to sitting tenants and threatened to report any suspicious manoeuvres by the council officials to relevant authorities.

He said just like President Banda had promised to open his ‘eyes’ on the sale of the council houses, the party in the province would also be vigilant and ensure the right people benefitted from the house empowerment policy.

President Banda on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to sell houses at Masala housing complex and Itawa flats, as well as houses belonging to the defunct United Bus Company of Zambia to the sitting tenants at fair and reasonable prices.

But Mr Mwelwa said the Ndola City Council was waiting for further directives from the central Government on whether to sell the houses at the prices to be suggested by the evaluators, or any other price which would be deemed suitable.

He said NCC had promptly responded to Government’s directive to value the houses by engaging the Government valuation department.

He said a team of evaluators had started the process of determining the prices of the Itawa flats and the houses at the Chinese Complex, which had been earmarked for sale to sitting tenants.

7 COMMENTS

  1. This Tembo just wants a house himself. How possible is it that one can create a fake tennant when a house is already occupied?

  2. The big question is, WHY HAS MMD FAILED TO IMPLEMENT THE DECENTRALISATION POLICY??
    Those close to MMD know that their fear is that Councils will perfome better, especially the City and Municipal Councils which are under the opposition, and that would be a threat to the survival of MMD. This is the perception of those in MMD, its sad to have such shallow minded leaders that can hold back the development of the nation for their own benefit at the expense of the masses.

    Finally, are the MMD controlled Councils doing better than those under the opposition?

    Can MMD tell us why Councils they control e.g. Kaoma in Western Province, Milenge in Luapula and Isoka have had misappropriation cases (not misapplication)??

  3. #4 you are right those are not Itawa flats niether are they Ndola Central Hospital. These must be Collete House or just some other flats in Ndola.

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