COPPERBELT COUNCILS WANT ME TO ACT AS MAYOR SAYS KASAMBO.
Copperbelt Province Minister Emmanuel Kasambo has criticised councils across the Copperbelt for failing to perform their duties, saying their inefficiency is forcing him to act like a Mayor.
Mr Kasambo says he is a Provincial Minister, not a Mayor, and has challenged Mayors and Town Clerks to stop shifting their responsibilities onto him and start doing their jobs.
Speaking in an interview with the media in Ndola, while reacting to the Ndeke demolitions, where structures had been built directly on top of a main sewer line, disrupting sanitation services for thousands of residents on the other side, the Minister said the demolitions had been planned long before they were carried out.
He explained that notices had been issued in advance and that his final communication was merely a reminder that all affected structures would be demolished on Thursday.
Mr Kasambo further accused some councils of abusing their authority by allocating plots along roads and within road reserves. He has directed councils to immediately stop the practice, warning that he will not tolerate such conduct.
He singled out Kitwe City Council as one of the biggest sources of concern, alleging that public parks belonging to the people of Kitwe had been sold and titles transferred into private hands.
The Minister warned that government officials involved in the illegal allocation of land would face arrest next week, with Kitwe City Council among those under scrutiny.
He further assured the public that both council officials and Ministry of Lands officers allegedly involved in the illegal allocation of land in Kitwe would be dealt with without fear or favour, regardless of their positions or connections.
Mr Kasambo has also warned that illegal structures across the Copperbelt Province will be demolished and those responsible for the illegal allocations will be arrested.
Zambian Watch.