The special team investigating operations of the suspended Lusaka City Council has uncovered documents in which the Patriotic Front (PF)-dominated council is processing the sale of land belonging to the National Assembly.
According to minutes of the plans, works and development committee meeting of November 17, 2010 attended by, among others, Mandevu Member of Parliament Jean Kapata, former deputy mayor and committee chairperson Charles Msiska, Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga and his deputy Harry Hampende, the council intends to create five plots at the National Assembly land in Olympia.
The meeting was attended by 18 other officials from the country’s biggest council.
The revelation comes in the wake of some land scandals, including one in which the council shared State land with 102 plots in Lusaka’s Lilayi area without following the right procedure.
The National Assembly land is behind Parliament buildings at the Zesco sub-station and the plots to be created would mean that part of the road in the National Assembly Township would be sold to facilitate for the construction of five houses.
According to guidelines on land allocation, the council is mandated to spare about 12 metres of the road reserve but the land is small and the road has been affected.
The land also houses the Zesco sub-station in Olympia, and the acting director of city planning is reported to have sought authority from the electricity firm to allow the council to construct houses at its site against the long-standing arrangement where the sub-station was reserved for further expansion.
“The acting director of city planning explained that Zesco indicated that they had no objection provided the cost of re-routing the cables at K114,825,200 was met by deserving applicants,” the minutes read in parts.
At the Wednesday, November 17, 2010 meeting, the matter was deferred to allow for a tour of the site to be undertaken by the committee and make members decide on the matter properly.
The tour took place on Thursday, December 30, 2010 after which the plan to sell the land was passed, but implementation was blocked following a decision by Minister of Local Government and Housing Brian Chituwo to suspend the council for 90 days.
“Arising from the findings of the committee after the tour conducted on Thursday, December 30, 2010, the committee recommends that five plots be created as opposed to three and that the proposed layout be approved,” the minutes state.
The committee also recommended that the plots be numbered by the surveyor general and the cost of surveying be met by the would-be buyers.
The list of applicants was forwarded to the commissioner of Lands after passing another recommendation that the applicants would pay for the cost of re-routing the cables from the Zesco sub-station.
The Government has suspended LCC for 90 days and appointed an administrator to manage the affairs of the council following allegations of impropriety in the land allocation.
Other irregularities faced by the council include misuse of funds in which huge sums of money were directed towards personal emoluments at the expense of service provision and in breach of the law, which requires them to spend more money on servicing the community.
[Times of Zambia]
Sad news on several fronts I.e its propaganda 2. its True 3. it involves selfish individuals. Before forming govt you are already sharing the country what if some how you won, I am sure you would build on cairo road. sad reading this. Yet again no party is devoid of plunderers it seems
PF is at it again.Perhaps it would be nice to know who these applicants to these plot are?
Donchi allow them to sale.
In Lilayi – Wynter has a school (TICK) and i will not be surprised if he proposed to sale the Zambia Army “Firing Range” land near his so called Wife`s Tick School. Clear Ego!!
MMD vuvuzela at it again. Why cant the Times of Zambia bring out stories from the scandal ridden MMD govt as well to give readers balanced news?
We have heard this crap before, Nothing new here, but last kicks of a dying horse
One sided stories like this are not convincing. We have heard about council scams everywhere but why is there only selective reporting. Give us the full flavour & you’ll probably convert us.
Govt vuvuzelas at it again! Pliz report on something constructive and balanced!!!
Honestly ba Times of Zambia (or should i say Topless of Zambia news since you have lost respect from Zambians), is this article worthy writing about especially that you are using our money you MMD propagandanists?
There is more to report about the MMD
You are only making the PF more stronger, baseless lies does not help. In the end you are going to stop Zambians from making a careful scruitine when voting as Zambians will give support to PF because they will be seen as victims of you Topless of Zambia news.
The western world MEDIA succeeds in their reporting because they report facts, even in Libya they are reporting facts. Communism crambled because the Western World MEDIA reported facts and truth, as a result people were able to make independent choices. In the end communism…
If it was a scandal how come it was minuted, you are shooting at the wrong bird ba Times.Go to Kalulushi, there a man from Lusaka has been sold 50 plots which belonged to MMD councillors along the Chibuluma/ Kalengwa Road and you have kept quiet. If you are serious follow this case too. Corruption is corruption no matter who commits it
But where is the scandal in all this?
1. The committee recommends that five plots be created as opposed to three….
2. The committee recommends that the plots be numbered by the surveyor general.
3. The cost of surveying be met by the would-be buyers.
4. The applicants would pay for the cost of re-routing the cables from the Zesco sub-station.
5. The list of applicants be forwarded to the commissioner of Lands
So where is the scam in all this????????????????????????????????????????????///
@8 Yes where is the scandal here? This is amateurish propaganda by Shikapwashas DOGS
PF should never rule this country. Full stop. We can’t be taken back to the behaviour that used to be there under Kaunda. This is silly and stupid that a groupd of grown up people trusted with the responsibility to manage common property can deliberately and so brazenly abuse the responsbility entrusted to them. They have shown total disrespect to people who gave them the responsbility, they luch a sense of self-respect and are a disgrace. I hope they get locked up and sit in jail for years to come!
As for you PF CHAPS who can’t seem to see anything wrong with a PF member even if that person killed a human being: here is the truth. The PF-led LCC was attempting to divide and sell a plot that is already owned without the knowledge of the proprietor – The National Assembly. How can you sit there and tell me there is nothing wrong. Would you still say that if they sat and decided to sell YOUR plot without your knowledge? C’mon, stop being childish.
In the last days pipo will b lovers of self and money. plots are being issued left right centre with no proper plan. Guys please do things in a proper manner.
That is PF. Stealing is normal. Nothing wrong with stealing as long as you show up at the office. A party with no integrity, were development plans are not on the agenda being replaced with mismangment and stealing with impunity.
Its seems people are now getting into politics purely for personal benefits, on the expense of national development, what a shame! Please LT just as you have done with LCC PF Counsellors, could you also look at the issue involving Meanwood and NAPSA in the US$15M land scam!
I am also struggling to see where the scandal is in this report. Looks like all procedure were followed to redesign that piece of land. Lusaka is running out of land and the council seem to be creative in the way it is looking at land that is just loafing!! If the contention is that this land should have remaine reserved, then say it, dont say Scandal ! Unless you forgot to say that those plots of land would be given free of charge to Rhuphia group!
#7 its a shame how you justify such irresponsible behaviour by these characters. an you want to ask for a high moral standard for politicians.
i was hoping that PF will do its own internal investigation and rid itself of thieves if any. this is what should be happening, everybody acting in a responsible manner. corruption doesn’t stop when the head of staye is not corrupt. it stops when as a nation we say no to it no matter who, where, when it come. not to say it ok if it PF, wrong when it UPND, ok if ts our friends and wrong when it is our enemies. therefore bloggers justifying wrong doing because its there allies are doing no good for their children.
PF ..ba kaponya mwaona manje…heheheh..thats why u will lose..
The scandal here is stealing of National Assembly land FULL STOP
Only when one councilor chisenga becomes a mayor have we heard of such blatant corruption and disregard of the law by lcc. Is it a coincidence or is cultual in these people- lol,they will never stop.
What is wrong with giving Zambians plots. MMD surely have nothing more to offer to the Zambians and are going.
for as long as we have chaps in the country that champion such disregard for the law these things will not change. the actions of these PF chaps must be condemned first by PF itself and it supporters.
And you ask ‘where’s the scandal?’ – when these crooks already have a list of applicants? What about the public at large, ain’t they entitled to apply for these plots? The scandal is in these crooks creating plots for identified applicants from publicly-owned land.
Bloggers, you should be interested in finding out who the applicants are – I wouldn’t be surprised if they intended sharing out these plots as they have been known to do. Imagine if the Council was not suspended, these plots would have gone.