By Tovin Ngombe:-
United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has said the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) should have been paying a percentage of money to the Valley Tongas for the sacrifice they made when constructing of Lake Kariba.
The ULP leader who was in Sinazongwe to welcome members from UPND that had resigned last month told the gathering that Zambia owes them a debt and it should be paid.
Mr Sikota said the mines were able to tap power on the Copperbelt and the modern buildings in Lusaka because of the sacrifice that Sinazongwe people made to leave their fertile land and migrate to the dry land where rainfall was erratic.
“All the high buildings in Lusaka such as the five star hotels will not have been constructed without the sacrifice that the valley Tongas made. Zambia owes you a very big debt and it should be paid,†Mr Sikota said.
He said ZESCO would have alleviated the suffering of the people in the district it it was paying even a one or two percent of money to the trust.
Mr Sikota the bottom road should have been constructed if ZESCO had established the trust to help the people living in abject poverty.
He noted that most people were not having access to the electricity generated from Lake Kariba as their pylons passes on ‘people’s heads.’
The ULP president said he would ensure that there was fairness and justice in the distribution of public resource once his party comes to power.
When parliament resumes seating after Mr. Sikota said he would move a motion to ensure that places that were near the electricity power stations should be paying a small amount of ZESCO bill until the corporation stops taping power from those places.
He named areas to be exempted from high ZESCO bills such as Livingstone, Sinazongwe, and other areas that have electricity power stations.
“I am going to move a motion, places such as Kabwe, Sinazongwe, Livingstone, and those in Kalambo falls should be paying less money because they are the owners of the resources that ZESCO was exploiting,†Mr Sikota said.
On political scenario Mr Sikota explained that what occurred in Sinazongwe where people resigned own their own to join his party was a decision made out of principle.
He pointed out that the scenario has also encouraged other districts such Mazabuka , Siavonga, Itezhi tezhi, Choma, and Namwala where people have left UPND to Join ULP.
“The fire has gone beyond Southern, and Lusaka, the next fire will be heard soon on the Copperbelt,†Mr Sikota said.
Speaking at the same function ULP Acting Provincial Chairperson who led the people that resigned from UPND to join ULP said the majority of Sinazongwe people were now under ULP.
Mr Sitwiinda who was the Sinazongwe Constituency Chairperson said the entire UPND executive resigned because the party has lost direction.
He said they opted to join ULP leadership because he had the vision for the late Anderson Mazoka.
Sitwiinda said most of the ward councillors under UPND in the district where for ULP as they failed to declare their interest for fear of having by-elections and to allow them to bite the ‘cake’ in the meantime.
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