The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has provided guidance on the matter of traditional chiefs being paid a certain percentage from property rates collected by the local authorities.
Mambwe Town Council Secretary, John Mwanza, said the guidance is arising from the fact that the local authority resolved to seek guidance from the Ministry.
Mr Mwanza said the council was seeking guidance to know if it needed to speed up the issuance of consent letters to institutions that get land from the chiefs and if a percentage of what is collected from the property rates should be given to the traditional leaders.
He said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development guided that payment of a percentage of rates collected by the local authority to traditional leaders would be against the rating Act No.21 of 2018.
The Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) reports that Mr Mwanza shared this information during the first ordinary council meeting of the year.
He added that property rates were only payable to the designated rating authority of a particular place and in this case, Mambwe Town Council.
Mr Mwanza further explained that the targeted traditional leader in question, chief Mnkhanya, who has two major institutions namely Mfuwe International Airport and ZESCO sitting in his chiefdom, was informed of the guidance and government’s position on the matter.
Mr Mwanza said chief Mnkhanya accepted the guidance, adding that government could not give him monthly subsidy and later get from its collections.
Upnd are losing next election.
Do all chiefs really know and understand that Zambia is in fact a republic? Do they know what that means? It seems some of them do not know. A republic is a nation-state where executive, political and ceremonial power is not reposed in hereditary/unelected persons who stay in office until they die. No doubt the council secretary understands this but is too scared to tell the chief who asked for a share of funds raised from property taxes in Mambwe district. The only institution that can tax citizens and residents is the Government of the Republic of Zambia and its agencies.
And that tax is meant for services to all citizens not for chiefs
It’s a non starter. Simple.
Chiefs are over paid as it is ? do they realise this is the 21st century ?
Their funds should come from their loyal subjects
Ba LT stop giving us nonsense dressed as news stories. What are you saying in this story? Basically nothing as your reporter meanders and worms his way around unclear messages. Please train your reporters! Have you ever heard of the inverted pyramid? If you have what is this:
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has provided guidance on the matter of traditional chiefs being paid a certain percentage from property rates collected by the local authorities.
Mambwe Town Council Secretary, John Mwanza, said the guidance is arising from the fact that the local authority resolved to seek guidance from the Ministry.