THE Luangwa District Council has impeached its chairperson, Austin Bota and instituted disciplinary action against council secretary, Tryson Chunga for allegedly allocating land without the full council meeting’s approval. The councillors resolved to impeach Mr Bota and institute disciplinary action against Mr Chunga during an extra- ordinary full council meeting held in the council chambers in Luangwa on Tuesday.
The councillors took the action against the duo when it was discovered that they had issued land to a named investor without the consent of the local authority.
Proposing the motion, Phazi Ward councillor Felix Kazangalale said he was concerned with the way the two had allocated land to the investor when the council had said they should wait until investigations on the said land were concluded.
Mr Kazangalale said councils should be seen to be working with the Government in ensuring that land was allocated to people following the right procedures.
Mandombe Ward councillor Joachim Maozeka who seconded Mr Kazangalale’s motion said the issue of land should be taken seriously because Government attached great importance to it. Mr Maozeka said Mr Bota and Mr Chunga should be following council resolutions whenever they were implementing something and not to do things outside the law.
The council was informed that the named investor was told to stop constructing a lodge along the Luangwa River until he had sorted out some issues with Chief Mphuka who had earlier offered him land but later changed his mind and told him not to go ahead with developing the land.
The councillors who had to adjourn their meeting to go to the site where the investor wanted to construct a lodge, found that he had started construction works despite the council’s resolution that he should not be given land.
The visibly annoyed councilors said the attitude of the council chairperson and his secretary in deciding to give land without approval was gross indiscipline, which should not be condoned because it could bring problems to the council and the people in the district.
The entire council passed a vote of no confidence in their chairperson and instituted disciplinary action against his secretary.
[Times of Zambia]
That is killing development. It appears Bota and Chunga did not share the loot with other civic leaders. This annoyed them to extent of charging them. When other places in Zambia are crying for investors but the guys in Feira are doing the opposite. What way of doing things?
When someone decides to overlook or belittle the punishment that goes with the abnormally, it just shows that the benefits that come with the crime are by far better. Just replacing the officer in question is not enough. Let us ask ourselves why the officers are so willing to offend.
In my opinion, some of the reasons are delayed discovery of the offences and painless punishment there after, knowing that the benefits shall be his even when impeached. TOWN planners/ inspectors, what are your roles and are you carrying them out?