Local Government and Housing Minister, John Phiri, today told Parliament that the Lusaka City Council has 37 play parks in Lusaka and none of them has been sold to private developers.
Dr Phiri, however, noted that the council has given land in Libala along Mwatusanga Road to an investor to build a shopping mall and develop an amusement park for children.
The minister disclosed this in a ministerial statement delivered to parliament following a point of order by Chongwe Member of Parliament, Silvia Masebo last week on June 30, 2015.
Dr Phiri stressed that there was no need for the council, which is a planning authority, to consult him as minister to dispose of property such as Mwatusanga land which he said has been dormant for a long time.
He said the council disposed of the property in order to raise funds to settle debts that include payment of retirees and added that the council followed procedure when disposing of the property in question.
Katombola MP, Regina Musokotwane, raised security concerns because the land told was located near state house but the minister dispelled the concerns, saying the land is near Brentwood and not state house as purported.
The Local Government Act provides that the council cannot sell land or property without obtaining authority from the Minister of Local Government and Housing.
The minister said he will provide the minutes of the council meeting which sat to decide on the sale of the land in question in order to clear allegations by some MPs that the local authority did not follow procedure when disposing of the property.
And Education Minister, Michael Kaingu, has told Parliament that government will not suspend ICT exams this year following the delay in delivering computers in schools especially those located in rural areas.
Dr Kaingu regretted the delay by government to deliver computers in some schools but said government will not suspend exams.
The minister stated that this year’s exams will be based on theory not practical because some schools have no computers but have learnt the theory part of the subject.
He said suspending the exams will make ICT teachers in schools that have received computers to relax and added that the nation should realise the importance of technology in today’s world.
Dr Kaingu was responding to a question by Kalabo Central MP, Chinga Miyutu, who wanted to know whether examinations in computer and business studies will be administered in rural schools in 2015 considering that learning and teaching aids in these subjects had not been delivered yet and whether the Government would exempt the affected schools from sitting for the examinations in these subjects.
where did you get this dokota Phiri???!!,,,,, there is no chance for parks in Lusaka under PF … PF cadres want ma plot.. and thats a fact!!… next time some space in state house will be sold as long as PF is in Power..
signed uncle ndobo
The problem with lies is that you have to keep generating new ones to cover up the old. I saw an offer letter for a 50×40 residential plot at the Mwatusanga Rd nursery. How can this man honestly think he can lie to the nation, when the council even put out an advertisement in the newspaper?
“He said the council disposed of the property in order to raise funds to settle debts that include payment of retirees…”
And therein is the problem for me. Selling property to settle debts. Some more people will retire next year… and the year after… How does council plan on paying their terminal benefits? Sell more property???
If Lusaka city council has not sold any play park. Please explain the statures and houses which is built on the play parks in matero. One along common wealth road opposite The famous MK club whicjh is proudly woned by nyimbi yanga and the other being between common and salima roads( this has been given as plots and houses have been built).
Thanks
Imwe bantu maybe we need to define and agree what a play park is ka. Aba ni baPF ba don’t kubeba.
ICT is being taught without computers? How the heck does that work? Please fire this education minister. He has no idea what he is talking about. ICT is supposed to be a very practical subject
I thought educated people dont lie. Dissapointed
not with educated nincompoops
yes Dr, then explain why houses are built on some parks ??
In 2012, Prof. Luo then Minister of Local Government told Zambians in the U.S. that some one (not LCC) holds title deeds to the Woodlands Play Park on Ntoyo Road.
#Mop, #lesleyraychards # Chola, # Penta, we are dealing with PF which was founded on lies and lying is part and parcel of PF. They certainly have to find another lie to cover up the previous lie. Even the minutes he’ll provide will have been modified after the ZWD exposed them. # splaka, kaigu does not know what ICT is and that is why Iris does what she does because she knows that her father will not see what she does.
?Mop,
I agree with you on Prof. Luo’s ministerial works as Local government minister. She was very professional on this issue of parks being sold as residential plots. She even gave instructions to Kitwe District council to reposes plots that were demarcated on playing fields. The parks in Chimwemwe constituency are now residential plots and at one time people had to protest. This is a big issue. These playing parks started being turned into plots by the MMD government.
I suggest an independent enquiry be done to quantify the plots in the parks all over the nation. Start with Lusaka and Copper belt provinces.
Good if you say haven’t sold them them advertise them to park developers becouse most look abandoned or sold to people fearing to develop them
Open spaces are a necessity in inner cities. We seriously cannot be down to selling open spaces in Lusaka when we are selling an indecent amount of Land to so called Investors.
Can PF stop playing dumb please. A country can not live on investors alone, we must stop selling our rights in this way. There is need to develop other parts of Zambia and we should be seeking spaces in areas in need of development. Lusaka being Capital means everyone wants to party there, but it is an abuse for Gov’t to give investors the notion that the citizens of Zambia are a rollover. Regenerate existing built areas in Lusaka rather than land grab open spaces from citizens.
In UK earmarked as open spaces known as ‘Brown’ are being looked at for expansion based on need to grow out cities. We…
We are not at a critical stage as UK in terms of population growth in comparison to population needs like housing etc.
It’s purely cosmetic to sell play fields in Lusaka. We have available land to use for critical needs therefore play field land grab is merely an attempt to arm wrestle huge funds for debt clearances from investors and that is just plain wrong.
What play parks? I am yet to see a play park where any sane parent can take a child to play. Play parks would be nice. Decent,well kept ones. The public would need to be educated on this one. This would a place where some one could go to relax, take book, sit on a bench, take children to play on swings etc. Herein lies the problem. Firstly, the bench would be ripped out to be sold or will be in someone’s sitting room. Secondly the park equipment would vandalized, swings taken out and recycled. Parks would create a pleasant change in our towns but we find maintenance difficult. The expense of watering and maintaining the landscape would be too much. However, land should not be sold off.
On the issue of ICT exams. How does the government introduce ICT syllabus without actual computers? Why hasn’t the Ministry concerned not bought the computers? Has there been a budget for the equipment? The problem we have is we have selfish leaders. Thousands of kwacha are spent on luxurious cars and lifestyles for the ruling class. This being short sighted for not investing in our young people.