Be considerate, Ndola tenants appeal

SOME tenants at Itawa flats in Ndola who used personal initiative to renovate their structures have appealed to evaluators not to disadvantage them when proposing the selling price in view of the value they have added to their living quarters.

The tenants fear that the valuation exercise may favour those whose quarters are still dilapidated and were likely to pay less for their houses.

Itawa Complex Tenants Committee chairperson, Brian Kafwimbi said the tenants were not happy that Ndola City Council had decided to value the flats before setting the selling price because some flats were being maintained by the sitting tenants.

He said the selling price may be higher for those who had renovated their flats using their own resources than for their colleagues who had not done so.

Mr Kafwimbi said the tenants, during a meeting held at Lowenthal Theatre in Ndola last Friday, demanded that the Government sets uniform prices so that they could all acquire the flats in a fair manner.

“We as the tenants decided that the selling price should be uniform and everyone should acquire them at the same price.

“Basing the prices on the evaluations will not be fair as some of the tenants have been maintaining their flats using their own resources. Those flats which are in a good state will be valued at a higher price even if they are not maintained by the council,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Moses Muteteka said the valuation process would be conducted to determine the selling price of the flats. He said the process would be expedited.

Meanwhile, some Livingstone residents have appealed to President Rupiah Banda to extend the sale of houses to the rest of the provinces and other Government ministries, reports Charity Moonga.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, former Libala Basic School head teacher, Dickson Kanyawinyawi said the sale of the remaining houses to sitting tenants around the country would empower Zambians and make them feel that their efforts had been appreciated.

Last week, President Banda directed that sitting tenants at Itawa flats and Chinese housing complex in Masala Township in Ndola be sold the houses at fair and reasonable prices.

He also directed that some tenants of the defunct United Bus Company of Zambia houses should also be sold the houses.

The directive has since cheered many of the tenants and the general public.
[Times of Zambia ]