Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata, yesterday took to task his councillors in Kasama and warned them of being expelled from the party if they do not perform to the expectation of the electorates.

Mr Sata who paraded his councillors before the multitude at a public rally held in Kasama yesterday at President’s Park, said he will not condon indiscipline among the councillors who become champions of corruption at the expense of developing their wards.

He explained that councillors were supposed to be mobile and monitor how developmental activities were being implemented in the district rather than going round soliciting personal financial support.

He said he had received numerous reports that some PF councillors were soliciting some help from other well-wishers for their personal gain in the name of developing their wards.

The PF leader further said he would be sad to hear that PF councillors are taken to court over corruption and abuse of office and public funds, saying the duties of councillors were to speak for the people and take development to the grass root.

Mr Sata noted that some councillors were busy empowering themselves by taking advantage of the global financial down turn that the country has been faced with living the electorates suffering.

He commanded PF councillors in the province to be social to the people regardless of their political affiliation rather than being champions of plundering ideas.

The PF leader added that his party can only win the forthcoming tripartite elections if only the relationship between the people in the community is sound with their councillors.

And Mr Sata has insisted that he will contest the Presidency on PF ticket in the forthcoming general elections.

ZANIS

The commission says the money was misappropriated by some health officials.

The commission has also seized twelve vehicles, an executive lodge, two houses and another building under construction in Lusaka.

Among the seized vehicles is a hammer H3, X5 BMW, two Mercedes Benz cars, two Lexus cars, a 30 tonne Nissan UGI tipper truck and a Mitsubishi challenger.

A ford ranger and Mazda pick up van have also been seized.

ACC spokesperson Timothy Moono said the commission has so far seized and restricted property in excess of three billion kwacha belonging to a former ministry of health official.

The official has since been moved to the ministry of local Government.

The Commission has however not named the official but said investigations will continue.

[ZNBC]

ACCOUNTING staff at the Copperbelt provincial administration office currently in court on various charges allegedly ran ‘ghost’ companies that provided goods and services to the Government resulting in the abuse of billions of Kwacha, Auditor-General, Anna Chifungula, has said.

Ms Chifungula said this in Lusaka yesterday when Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Villie Lombanya appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament chaired by Luena MP Charles Milupi.

Mr Lombanya appeared before the committee to explain financial irregularities as highlighted in the auditor-general’s report for the financial year ending December 31, 2007.

Ms Chifungula said that given the manner in which the funds were abused, it was clear that most of the accounting staff or others connected to them were running companies that never had difficulties in accessing their payments.

“There was a cartel to make easy payments and there is a likelihood that these companies were owned by people who were working in the accounting unit,” she said.

Narrating the abuse of funds, Mr Lombanya said that during the year under review, a provision of K1,559,226,616 was made for the construction of staff houses at provincial level and the Ministry of Finance and National Planning released K1,259,742,234.

He said it was regrettable that the money was not used for the intended purpose and there was overexpenditure of K58,000,517.

He said that the accounting staff involved in the scam had been dismissed and 17 of them were facing charges in the courts of law. [quote]

Mr Lombanya said that apart from facing the charges in courts, the Government was recovering the funds from the terminal benefits of the affected.

But Mr Milupi said that the money from the terminal benefits would not be enough.

He said the Government should instead institute civil litigations against the culprits as they had numerous properties which could be seized.

[ Times of Zambia]

The Road Development Agency (RDA) has started the construction and upgrading of roads in various parts of Lusaka at a cost of over K125 billion.

RDA Board Chairperson Walusiku Lisulo said the road stretches totaling to over 100 kilometres were aimed at creating access to new residential areas the city.

Mr. Walusiku said this after he and other RDA board members conducted a tour of roads that are under construction in Lusaka today.

He said the roads under construction will also serve as ring roads in a bid to decongest traffic in the city and enable easy access to residential areas.

Mr. Lisulo said the agency will also extend road works to other parts of the country in an effort to enhance economic activities.

He expressed satisfaction with the road works but urged the road contractors to ensure appropriate road specifications were met to achieve the 20 years road design life span.

Mr. Lisulo said the RDA would however require more funding to continue with its road construction and maintenance programmes throughout the country.

He said RDA was also intending to improve rural roads in order to enhance agriculture and tourism activities in rural areas.

Meanwhile, RDA Director Erasmus Chilundika has disclosed that the agency will require about K27 billion to repair road infrastructure that was damaged by the rains in the just ended rain season.

Mr. Chilundika said the RDA has since asked the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to consider providing funds towards the repair of the damaged infrastructure in some parts of the country.

He said once the funds were ready, the agency would ensure that works to repair the damaged infrastructure commence before the on beginning of the 2009/2010 rain season.

Among the selected roads that the RDA board members toured are Chalala, Nyumba Yanga, State Lodge and Twin Palm roads. Others are Kafue Bypass, Dedan Kimathi, Mungwi, Njolwe and Kasupe.

ZANIS