PATRIOTIC Front (PF) members of Parliament Jean Kapata and Gerry Chanda have been named as beneficiaries in a scandal in which Lusaka City Council (LCC) officials, councillors and parliamentarians have irregularly shared 102 plots at the Lilayi Housing Project.
This is according to minutes of a special committee for public works held on December 23, 2010 that passed initial recommendations on the sale of the controversial plots that were not advertised in which Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga’s office was allocated 10 plots.
The meeting attended by Ms Kapata, who is Mandevu MP, and Colonel Chanda, the Kanyama parliamentarian made the allocations of plots to councillors, council officials the office of the mayor and his deputy while five were allocated to the office of the town clerk.
All the 45 councillors who included the MPs were allocated 45 plots while the mayor had 10 and five were allocated to his deputy.
The minutes state that 16 plots were allocated to members of staff while the area councillor for Lilayi Ward 4, where the plots are located, was allocated two plots and only 11 remained for members of the public.
Asked whether the council would go ahead to process the final allocation of the plots following the outcry from members of the public.
LCC director of administration Peter Kashiwa said the matter would be considered after further consultations.
Mr Kashiwa could not explain whether there were any guidelines on how the mayor and his deputy would distribute the plots in the absence of a transparent process such as advertising for people to apply.
“I think what we will do instead, is to publish the names of people who will be allocated the plots,” he said.
And a report drawn by Lusaka residents has revealed that the PF-run council was facing more scandals.
The other alleged wrong-doing involves plot number PWD/133/07/06 that had been used to implement the single numbering of a single industrial plot number 36376 on Mumbwa Road during a meeting on July 18, 2006.
The plots were fraudulently numbered as 36981 and 36982.
Land alienation procedures are outlined in the Land Act of 1985 and circular number 1 of 1985, which provide the guidelines.
Among the guidelines is that land should be advertised to the general public, created through council procedure and that there should be clear applicants.
The report states that it was irregular for Lusaka council to allocate land prior to approval of the layout and that it was also illegal to allocate land based on temporary numbers.
“Land at Lilayi Housing project is State land to which only the office of the commissioner of Lands has authority under the current Land Act of 1995,” the report reads in part.
The report also states that Lusaka City Council has 33 councillors, seven MPs and two representatives of the traditional leadership, bringing the total number to 42 and wondered where the other three councillors came from for the number to jump to 45.
[pullquote]Col Chanda said he did not regret having claimed what he was entitled to. When asked whether it was in order to allocate plots without advertising them, he only said it was important that councillors got what belonged to them.[/pullquote]
Meanwhile, LCC public relations manager Chanda Makanta said councillors were entitled to plots and that the office of the mayor and town clerk were allocated 10 and five plots, respectively, for re-distribution to citizens and the corporate world because they played ceremonial duties.
This is contrary to the standing orders which only allow councillors to be given one residential, industrial or commercial plot.
Ms Makanta called on the public to understand that the council was facing challenges due to non-availability of land.
But when contacted, Col Chanda said he was entitled to a plot as a member of the council and confirmed having participated in passing resolutions to share plots.
He said he had been allocated plot number 26 but had failed to go to the site because of the dust that had been raised from the allocation of the plots.
Col Chanda said he did not regret having claimed what he was entitled to. When asked whether it was in order to allocate plots without advertising them, he only said it was important that councillors got what belonged to them.
Ms Kapata complained that the Times of Zambia was not available when she needed coverage but wondered whether the people raising concerns believed that she was not entitled to a plot.
“Ask the chairperson of the committee. You people at the Times of Zambia do not come when I need you but because there are issues at the council you want to get a comment from me. Am I not entitled to a plot?” Ms Kapata asked
And Zambia Daily Mail, reports that more malpractices involving illegal land allocations by the Lusaka City Council have been exposed.
A source said in Lusaka on January 20 that the malpractices are at seven sites in the city.
The source said the approved creation of 36 residential plots on stand 76 and 77 of 397a in Makeni and the properties were numbered 180 to 215 of farm 397a.
[pullquote]“Ask the chairperson of the committee. You people at the Times of Zambia do not come when I need you but because there are issues at the council you want to get a comment from me. Am I not entitled to a plot?” Ms Kapata asked[/pullquote]
“Without any trace of applications, the Lusaka City Council made recommendations to the office of the commissioner of lands for the allocations. Offers have been generated and most of the plots allocated have been sold for personal gain and political expediency,” the source said.
The source revealed that on April 16, 2010, council officers, under political pressure, created eight residential plots at Chawama Police Station premises and the councillors shared the plots without any formal procedure.
“Most if not all the plots have been exchanged for money for personal gain and political expediency,” the source said.
The source said Kalingalinga councillor Dapson Chansa allegedly put pressure on council officers to create four temporary trading sites for himself and his colleagues and that the land was allocated by a known councillor without any council resolution.
The source said the LCC has also created two commercial properties in Chelstone through minute number PWD/31/08/09-B. The properties have since been numbered 37547 and 37548 and efforts to have them in LCC’s name and title for leasing purposes, have failed.
The source said this is because some councillors want to alter the council resolution and allocate to individual names.
It is alleged that some councillors may have received some money as advances from a Copperbelt-based oil company for plot 37548.
According to the source, the council created five plots in Parliament Compound in Olympia residential area on November 17, 2010 at a site reserved for the expansion of Zesco infrastructure.
[pullquote]The source alleged that on May 17, 2010 Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga instructed the director of city planning to create plots for him, including two residential plots in Emmasdale, a commercial plot along Kafue Road next to Carousel Shopping Centre, seven residential plots in Matero and five residential plots over Ngwerere stream in Roma township.[/pullquote]
On the same date, the council is alleged to have approved subdivision of plot 16511/1080 in Kamwala South at a site reserved for a police post, which will yield five residential plots intended for sharing and sale.
The source said the police project is already underway using the Constituency Development Fund, which is a government grant to LCC for the benefit of the people of Kamwala. The land proposed for residential plots was meant for the construction of houses for police officers.
The source alleged that on May 17, 2010 Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga instructed the director of city planning to create plots for him, including two residential plots in Emmasdale, a commercial plot along Kafue Road next to Carousel Shopping Centre, seven residential plots in Matero and five residential plots over Ngwerere stream in Roma township.
Mr Chisenga is also alleged to have issued more instructions to the director of city planning in May 2010 to create a commercial plot near the Intercity Bus Terminus.
The source added that on June 21, 2010 a temporary trading site was created under intense pressure from councillor John Njebe of Chazanga.
“Information coming through is that the councillor may have sold the space illegally to a company called Golis Trading Centre of PO Box 37421 at a price of K100 million,” the source said.
[Times of Zambia/Daily Mail]
