Vice-President George Kunda has advised councillors not to interfere with the role of council officers because that is contrary to the principles of separation of powers at local government level.

Speaking yesterday at the installation of new Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga and his deputy Harry Hapwende, Mr Kunda said councillors should effectively coordinate Government programmes and projects from the grassroots to council level.

“You have a civic responsibility to explain projects initiated by both the central Government, your local authority and cooperating partners which are aimed at alleviating poverty and benefit the people,” he said.

Mr Kunda also advised councillors and council officers to prudently manage public resources and avoid corrupt practices because they received huge amounts of public funds.

He said the role of councillors was to provide policy guidance and pass decisions as well as interfacing with citizens, potential investors and other stakeholders in matters of local economic development.
[pullquote]“You have a civic responsibility to explain projects initiated by both the central Government, your local authority and cooperating partners which are aimed at alleviating poverty and benefit the people,” he said.
[/pullquote]
He said council employees should implement policies aimed at fulfilling development aspirations to accelerate socio-economic development in all corners of the country.

The vice-president said the Government was committed to implementing a robust fiscal decentralisation framework and had increased allocation to local Government in order to enhance service delivery.

He said that the budgetary allocation to councils was K110 billion in 2009, K113 billion in 2010 and in 2009, K90 billion was allocated as Constituency Development Fund, translating into K600 million per constituency.

He urged councils to support the ‘Make Zambia Clean and Healthy’ campaign to improve community and personal hygiene.

He said the Government would soon announce the appointment of commissioners for the Local Government Service Commission that would have powers to employ, appoint, confirm, discipline and transfer councils officers.

Out-going Lusaka mayor Robert Chikwelete said there should be no politicking because people should not suffer because of differences in political opinion.

He said that government should also release funds for the clearing of drainage on time to avoid flooding in townships because the council had finances to do it alone.

New mayor, Mr Chisenga said challenges faced by the council could only be fought if all stakeholders partnered with the council.

Mr Chisenga said there was a huge task ahead and he would personally see to it that street lighting was done and drainage was improved in flood-prone areas.

And the Government has implored Solwezi Municipal Council to be transparent in the utilisation of money collected from rates, especially colossal amounts it receives from Kansanshi Mine, and warned that the State will not tolerate abuse.

North-Western Province Minister, Daniel Kalenga said during the installation of Sandang’ombe MMD councillor, Jameson Kapumba as mayor that accountability should be extended to other funds.

He warned that Government would not hesitate to take punitive action on any council, councillor or officer cited in audit reports for misapplication or misappropriation of public funds.

Mr Kalenga said the administration of President Banda would continue with its development programmes designed to lessen people’s suffering.

And the new Mayor, Mr Kapumba, who takes over from Peter Kikatula after serving his two mandatory terms, conceded that challenges awaited him in his new office, and called for support from the people to move forward the district.

Mr Kikatula said his tenure was not easy, but projects including construction of a new chamber, extension of council offices and street lights were undertaken through team work.

In Ndola, Local Government and Housing Minister, Eustarkio Kazonga has warned Ndola City Council to desist from politicising the office of mayor at the expense of service delivery.

He said if the councillors failed to heed the advice he would not hesitate to suspend the entire council.

Dr Kazonga said on Monday that it was important for the mayor and councillors to perform their duties diligently because residents were looking up to them for service delivery.

Officiating at the installation of the new mayor, Friday Sikazwe and his deputy Oscar Himanga at the civic centre grounds, Dr Kazonga said councillors had a responsibility to provide services for the benefit of the community.

The new mayor, Mr Sikazwe called on Government to construct more modern markets after the opening of Ndeke and Chisokone markets at a cost of K13 billion.

Former mayor, Charles Chiwala advised the new mayor and his deputy to ensure that there was a good work relationship between the councillors and the council management to ensure that there was effective delivery of service.

Copperbelt Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima advised councillors against pre-occupying themselves with private agendas at the expense of providing civic services to the people whom they are mandated to serve.

Mr Mbulakulima said being a councillor entailed being with the people within the wards and not just to be found at council offices all the time.

He was speaking when he officiated at the installation ceremony of new Mufulira Mayor, Andrew Msiska and his deputy, Catherine Mutale at the Mufulira Municipal Council on Monday.

Mr Mbulakulima said in a speech read for him by Copperbelt Provincial Local Government Officer, Solomon Sakala that Government’s expectation of councils was for them to come up with programmes that related with the people.

Outgoing mayor, Thomson Ngulube called on the Government to address the problem of poor road infrastructure in the district.

And Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti has implored the new mayor of Chingola McDonald Mulongoti to be accountable to the people and avoid being influenced by partisan politics.

He said relying on advice from outside Chingola council would mislead him and betray the people of Chingola that put him in office.

Officiating at the installation of the mayor in Chingola on Monday afternoon, Mr Mulongoti advised the new mayor to be proactive in order to deliver to the people who
entrusted him with responsibility.

The minister said the local government authorities were an agent of the central Government charged with the responsibility of implementing projects initiated by the the State.

The new mayor thanked Government for a grant of K2.4 billion to his council coming in form of K1.2 billion general grant and K1.2 billion as constituency development funds.

Mr Mulongoti called for team work and promised to do everything possible not to betray his fellow councillors and the people of Chingola.

Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Martin Malama has directed police in the region to remove all unnecessary check points on the roads.

Dr. Malama says he is surprised with the increasing number of unnecessary checkpoints mounted on most highways on the Copperbelt.

He told ZNBC News in Kitwe tuesday that the unnecessary check points are a public nuisance.

Dr. Malama says he has received numerous complaints from the travelling public regarding the numerous check points.

He has promised that the system will be addressed this week.

Dr. Malama says only check points that are vital to the security of the country will be maintained.

ZNBC

President Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected to officially open the newly upgraded Chawama Hospital in Lusaka.

The President would commission the Chawama Hospital, which has been upgraded from a clinic to a level-one hospital with almost all operation theatres, including caesarian sections, which were usually done at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Chawama Clinic is among the five clinics that have been upgraded to the hospital level in Lusaka in an effort to decongest the UTH.

President Banda said in a statement releasedtoday by his special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere,ahead of the official opening of Chawama hospital that apart from alleviating the work load at UTH, people would be able to care for their loved ones closer to their homes.

Others that have been ungraded from clinics to level one hospital include, Kanyama, Chilenje, Matero and Chipata Compound.

Government spent over K6 billion on these projects.

In addition, President Banda kick-started the construction of the Lusaka General Hospital, which is expected to be completed later this year as part of Government efforts to decongest the UTH as the population of Lusaka continue to grow.

President Banda this morning commissioned the first-ever Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan (MRI Scan) at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, which will help Government save money from taking patients outside the country for diagnostic services.
[ QFM ]

Police are still carrying out investigations into the cause of Gladys Mabenga Chitika suspicious death. Mrs Chitika who was MMD national chairperson Michael Mabenga’s daughter was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A family member who sought anonymity said Mrs Chitika was found dead in the early hours of Saturday morning, in her bathroom.

“She was just discovered dead in her bathroom by some family members, we suspect that she could have been beaten by her husband,” she said.

Mr Chitika was arrested on Sunday to assist the police with investigations into the death of his wife.

Police Deputy Spokesperson, Ndandula Siamana said it could not be ruled out that Mrs. Chitika committed suicide.

She, however, stressed that police was still carrying out investigations in the matter to establish the cause of death.

Ms Siamana said Police would issue a comprehensive statement once the cause of death is established.

“For now I can only confirm that the incident was today reported at Chilenje Police but we are yet to establish the real cause of death although some un-confirmed reports suggest that she committed suicide” she said.

The body of the deceased has since been taken to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

Mr Mabenga who is Lands Deputy Minister was unable to give details of what led to the death and only said the funeral of his daughter was being held at his residence in Lusaka.

Students at Evelyn Hone College yesterday staged a protest against Government’s decision to close the college to facilitate the holding of a census.

The college was to close during the three-week period in which the 2010 economic and population census would run. The nationwide census starts today and the measure to close the college would have sent 6, 200 students home.

The students said the main reason the Government wanted the college closed was to have the hostels vacated to accommodate enumerators who would conduct the national counting exercise.

Students Union chairperson Marvin Kapenda told the Times that they had solicited a response from Science, Technology and Vocational Training Minister Brian Chituwo on why the college had to close just because of the census, but no response was forthcoming.

“So the students decided to carry out a peaceful protest and marched to the principal’s office to seek guidance on the matter because they felt that the closing would affect them academically”, said Mr Kapenda.

On hearing the singing and chants, police who were next to the Evelyn Hone were quickly deployed and surrounded the college without entering

According to the students union, the principal contacted the ministry and managed to speak to the permanent secretary who spoke to Dr Chituwo, who was out of town and the latter apparently gave the go-ahead for classes to go on.

The college management then produced a memo signed by the academic director informing the students of the minister’s decision reversal and telling them to go back to class.

“Students will go back to class but are a bit sceptical. First, the students feel that since the initial directive emanated from the minister’s office, the directive reversing the initial decision should come from the same office. Secondly, they question why it is the academic director and not the principal signing the memo informing them of the minister’s decision.

“We think that the management might be buying time and that the minister has not responded,” he said.

“Some students have started taking exams today, and if we don’t have classes, we might not be properly prepared which would mean sitting for the exams next year,” said Mr Kapenda.
[ Times of Zambia ]

Police in on the Copperbelt have arrested three men, who include two police officers in connection with the theft of K375 million Kwacha cash from two Tanzanians who were travelling from Dar-es-Salaam to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC).

Copperbelt police chief Martin Malama, confirmed the arrest of the trio as part of the investigations in a case in which three men masquerading as Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers and one police officer stopped the bus and robbed the passengers.

He said the bus which left Tanzania on Thursday morning was around 10:00 hours on Friday stopped by three men near Fisenge Police Check Point in Luanshya who searched the unsuspecting passengers and got away with K375 million.

Dr Malama said with the help of the travelling public police have managed to arrest the robbery’s mastermind Oliver Kafisha, who was also travelling on the same bus.

Others arrested are two police officers, constable Oliver Musonda and sergeant Joe Banda, both of the Zambia Police Service Mobile Unit, who were helping police with investigations.

He said so far a total of K13,975,000 had been recovered from the suspects in the process of investigations.

Dr Malama said the suspects are being held in police custody in Luanshya.

He said police have identified the three other suspects who are on the run and expressed hope that with the help of members of the public those on the run would soon be apprehended.
[ Times of Zambia ]