CHRISTOPHER KANG’OMBE IS KITWE’S ALDERMAN…as UPND Councillors stage a walkout in protest

CHRISTOPHER KANG’OMBE IS KITWE’S ALDERMAN

…as UPND Councillors stage a walkout in protest

Kitwe, Monday, January 1, 2024 ——— UPND Councillors on Friday walked out of the forth ordinary council meeting after it was proposed that former Kitwe Mayor and now Kamfinsa Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Kang’ombe should be installed as Alderman along with former Deputy Mayor Evaristo Chilufya.

But, despite walking out of the meeting the remaining Councillors successfully managed to install Mr Kang’ombe as Alderman together with Mr Chilufya because they had formed a quorum.

The UPND Councillors argued that Mr Kang’ombe did not deserve to be installed as Alderman because the council was suspended when he was Mayor.

But in an interview after the council meeting, Kitwe Mayor Mpasa Mwaya said the UPND Councillors walked out of the meeting because they were not happy with the debate which was discussing the installation Mr Kang’ombe as Alderman.

Ms Mwaya said despite the UPND Councilors walking out of the council meeting, the remaining councillors formed a quorum and installed the former Mayor as Alderman as provided for in the Local Government Act that a person who serves 10 years in the council qualifies to be installed as Alderman.

“That UPND Councillors staged a walkout of the council meeting is normal especially when you think differently on various issues. But I can tell you that, the council has guidelines and standing orders to follow, we just don’t talk or do things anyhow. So, those UPND Councillors walked out of the council meeting because they were not happy with the debate of installing Mr Kang’ombe as Alderman.”

“Despite the UPND Councillors walking out, the remaining councillors formed a quorum and so we installed Mr Kang’ombe as Alderman together with Mr Chilufya as provided for in the Local Government Act that a person who serves the council for 10 years can be installed as Alderman” Ms Mwaya said.

When asked on concerns raised by UPND Councilors that Mr Kang’ombe could not be installed as Alderman because the council was suspended when he was Mayor, Ms Mwaya said the council was suspended to pave way for investigations of any form of malpractices but after investigations were concluded, the council and Mr Kang’ombe as Mayor were not found with any case.

Ms Mwaya said the council had followed a right procedure to install Mr Kang’ombe and that it was sad that UPND Councillors decided to create drama and calling the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) to complain and create an impression that there was an illegality.

“I am surprised at the conduct of our colleagues but like I said that is normal when you think differently on various issues. Let us not waste time to fight political battles in the chamber when people out there are expecting us to deliver on various issues. Let us avoid creating unnecessary drama at the expense of serving the people,” Ms Mwaya said.

Meanwhile, Ms Mwaya has said the local authority is not making progress because the Town Clerk Patrick Kambita was misleading councillors and frustrating development by playing politics in the management of the Kitwe City Coucil.

Among the councillor who were in the forefront included Luangwa ward councillor Mary Zimba, Rokana ward MacMillan Mbao.

And inside information revealed that an instruction had been issued by a named senior government official in the province not to support the idea to install Mr Kang’ombe as Alderman hence their walk out on Friday during a council meeting.
( Daily Nation Zambia)