Thursday, March 28, 2024

Lusaka councillors in $4 million community parks scandal deal with a Chinese buyer

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LUSAKA councillors who have sold play parks in Libala and Woodlands are reportedly deadlocked on a U$4 million price tag with the Chinese buyer offering to seal the deal at U$3 million.

The parks were reportedly shared among councillors in a secretive and highly disguised procedure which did not involve residents directly.

The sale which has angered residents because of the lack of transparency and apparent conflict of interest has sparked demands for the Government to undertake a full scale investigation into the rampart sale and secret disposal of land meant for public use.

Last week, civil rights activist Brebner Changala demanded that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must move in and swiftly investigate the alleged dubious sale of two recreational centres in Woodlands and Libala by the Lusaka City Council (LCC).

Now residents have demanded for the cancelation of the deals and reversion of the properties back to the communities.

Minister of Local Government John Phiri said last night the alleged scam has not come to his attention but promised to follow up the matter.

Lusaka deputy mayor Potipher Tembo said he was not involved in the alleged dubious sale of the recreational centres in Woodlands and Libala. “I am not involved in the sale of land at the council because we have committees which decide which land should be sold so I cannot talk about something that I am not involved in,” he said.

Mr Tembo said the person who leaked the information to the media was better placed to have facts.

“Ask those accused of having sold the same land if it is true they got the money and how much was it,” he said.

Last week, civil rights activist Brebner Changala demanded that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must move in and swiftly investigate the alleged dubious sale of two recreational centres in Woodlands and Libala by the Lusaka City Council (LCC).

Mr. Changala told the Daily Nation that he was aware that the local authority had sold two recreational facilities in Lusaka to private investors at the expense of the locals despite calls by the President Edgar Lungu’s calls for more recreational centres across the country.

He explained that the Looters Basketball playing field in Libala had allegedly been sold to a Chinese investor to a tune of K12.1 million, while another property in Woodlands which was allegedly given to two councillors by the council, was also earmarked for selling by the duo.

“The second property is in Woodlands; it is a play-park along Tonya road off Mosi-oa-Tunya Road which was given to two councillors at the Lusaka City Council. Upon the completion of the conveyance by the two senior councillors, the two decided to sell the property at US$4 million to a Chinese national, who has only agreed to give them US$3 million but they want it to be sold at US$ 4 million so that they can equally share the money. So, that is what has delayed the conclusion of the transaction,” Mr Changala said.

19 COMMENTS

    • Looks like in Zambia corruption has become an incurable disease. Imagine even people you can trust are corrupt e.g. Rev Nyirongo was corrupt even if been a pastor.
      If you send money to build yourself a house they will just start sending you pictures of other people houses being built and tell you that it is your house. three quarters are now corrupt. We love money so much and don’t care who is hurt by our conduct.

  1. This kind of corruption at the grass root level is shocking. I bet the ACC will investigate and find them with no case to answer, just like everyone else. Stealing from them same people who voted them into power. Shame.

    • Nothing shocking here, this is how the real Zambia is. Its only people who have refused to acknowledge the elephant in the room who get surprised when it moves otherwise some of us have been seeing this elephant for yonks

  2. Whether we like the ZWD or not we need the ZWD to keep an eye on the evils of some of the the PF corrupt useless leaders including their corrupt councillors and corrupt PF police. But ZWD has already told us that Mulenga Sata and Given Lubinda and part of this scandal. let us hope Changwa will take action over this scandal. We also have heard through ZWD about the scandal involving RB in the Baobab land. will Changwa act on this one too?

    • Most Zambians are corrupt regardless of which party they belong to. In my area a UPND councillor has been selling plots in his ward. This does not mean it is the UPND which is corrupt . It is Mr Hansele who is corrupt. Please address the problem with a level head.

    • @KK Airport Cabinet why would you want Changala to do your dirty work? It’s because of people like you that we continue to be like this- in limbo! You can see clearly that things are going haywire by you stand by with your hands folded expecting someone else to take up the challenge! Wake up and smell the coffee ????!

  3. Can we please start a campaign to have the land around the Freedom Statue up to the Mosque at the opposite corner, declared as national land or a protected Park at the same level as Speaker’s Corner in London? I foresee this land being stolen very soon by Mulenga Sata and his fellow criminal PF councillors at LCC.

  4. arrest them now, jail them and then some fatherly president will pardon them in future. this is the circus we voters have found ourselves in zambia.if only we can stop hero worshiping this politicians. Quite annoying

  5. The country is finished.
    Just sell your souls to Chinese, Indians, Australians, Canadians, Egyptians.
    The entrenched poverty will continue unabated.
    Your natural resources do not belong to you.
    Just give it up guys …AND RESIGN TO A POSITION OF SERVITUDE TO FOREIGNERS!
    Even God cannot help you at this stage!

  6. Lungus GRZ won’t do Amy thing, they don’t respond to allegations, they are all theives, ati ” donchi kubeba’

  7. Hey #MB, i never mentioned Changala. But Changwa should do something to suspend Mulenga Sata and Given Lubinda until our courts of law deal with them because he appointed them. but as long as Changwa is shielding them, our toothless ACC and weak courts of law will do nothing. who knows, the Chinese may be getting what was promised to them for putting money into Changwa’s election pockets.

  8. What do you expect when the big boss is in cohorts with RB? The kind of corruption we are hearing today is worse than the Chiluba days. Zambia is finished. All public institutions are crippled. Bad has become good and the voice of reasoning is silent. How can one be proud to live in such a country? No wonder people leave and never want to come back.

    • It started with Chiluba and just continued. There was a story a few weeks back how Sata stole dozens of houses when Chiluba was selling council houses to sitting tenants in the 1990s. Now his son Mulenga Sata has inherited the corruption crown.

  9. Fyonse fyakusampa under the PF kuti wafuma ukwabula nangu chimo. When will we be rewarded for declaration of Christian nationhood? Seems we just elect good for nothing people busy chasing personal enrichment!

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