Livingstone City Council earlier this week resumed work after three weeks of strike.Council spokes person Emmanuel Sikanyika said workers finally agreed to resume work after a directive from Southern Province Minister Elijah Muchima.
In addressing the workers, Mr. Muchima said he had found time to come and hear the problems and grievances of the workers despite the fact that he was supposed to have traveled to Lusaka for Parliament.
He told the workers that he was just a new Minister in the province but in the shortest time he had faced numerous challenges among them were the riots in Mazabuka in which where four people were killed and the strikes in Livingstone.
The Southern Province Minister admitted that he was greeted with confusion but that it did not bother him because a leader should face challenges so that he works on them.
He castigated the people who were behind the confusion and squabbles at the council over salaries and service delivery.
He said the people who suffered most were the residents of Livingstone because of the non-service delivery.[pullquote]One street vendor said that ever since the council workers went on strike last week, his business has improved and said she wish the council would be on strike for an even long time[/pullquote]
He also said there was need to leave politics aside so that real work was done and services are given to the people of Livingstone.
The Minister charged that there was poor management at the council thus it was important to get rid of an individual than let the majority suffer.He said if the Town Clerk was a problem, there was need to discipline her.
He said the mayor has appointed an acting Town Clerk Mr.Clement Chisanga who is the Director of Planning at the council.
A check yesterday at the Council offices found workers busy working in their respective offices.
And a worker who opted to have his name withheld said that the workers will go on a protest should they see Ms Dras Neves in the Council premises.
Livingstone City Council Workers have been on strike for the last three weeks demanding the removal of the Town Clerk Ms Dras Neves. Ms Neves was fired by the Mayor Aggrey Njekwa but later reinstated by Minister of Local government Brian Chituwo.At this the council workers vowed not to return to work but resume the strike till Ms Neves was removed.
The street vendors took advantage of the absence of council workers and started trading in the corridors as early as 12 hours.Normally street vendors start trading in the evening from 19 hours when council workers have knocked off.One street vendor said that ever since the council workers went on strike last week, his business has improved and said she wishes the council would be on strike for an even longer time, adding that selling vegetables is her only source of income.
This is the monkey who was busy insulting the very people he is leading today
How bad has Livingstone become? Street vendors have now infiltrated store corridors downtown? Such does not make good impression to visitors if you want to make Zambia/Livingstone a GO-TO International tourist destination!
I remember my school days at Hillcrest in the eighties, the city was relatively clean although there were periods of water shortages. Other than that, there were very few sewerage spillages, streets were relatively clean, and very few cases of cholera. And these were very lean times for Zambia. But, I guess council managers those days at least cared despite working with very small budgets. The Town Clerk, Ms Dras Neves, is simply a symptom of what has gone wrong in the twenty years the MMD has been in power—-‘wako ni wako’ and God for us all!!
#1 Mind your comments you cant brother Hon. EJ a monkey. The man has solved the problem, the best would have to call for his chi big mimba. Leaders are there to provide leadership not confusion. Livingstone Council is a very difficult place to run.
He said Tongas are difficult people to work with! That is what happens when you fail to convince people you resort to other means. I am sure he went to southern province with the impression that tongas are sleepy and can easily listen to gabbage from MMD. What was so difficult about removing one individual? The UPND mayor did it, then you reinstated her and again fired her. That is what UPND did earlier, F.O.O.L.S!
Is he pregnant ?
eei nimimba iyi?