Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa has said that he has not received his salary for the last two months. In a response in reaction to social media comments against his trip to the US capital, Washington DC, and the ongoing go slow embarked upon by council workers due to delayed salaries, the Lusaka Mayor said that the Government has released some funds to meet the short fall in the wage bill.
The Mayor also said that he has had to cut his trip short to attend to the go slow crisis back home.
The Mayor hope to have Lusaka City Council financially self sustaining on staff wages so that they do not have to rely on Government for a bailout.
Below is the Mayor’s full post
I have observed some social media comments and some valid feedback (with some not valid as usual) against our trip to Washington DC The Capital of the USA, given LCC staff “go slow” due to salary delays. I have been compelled to respond accordingly.
My entourage included the Town Clerk Mr Alex Mwansa, Director Planning Mrs Muvombo Muchimba, Hon Councillor Ms Bupe Mulenga and Hon Councillor Mr Elijah Makungu.
For clarity purposes, may I state that the delay in wages also includes my office. I have also not received my salary for the last two months but the good news to all of us that work at LCC is that the Government through our able President Mr Edgar C Lungu, the Ministry of Finance and our parent Ministry of Local Government have released some funds to meet the short fall in the wage bill. We thank The Central Government.
I have since asked the Town Clerk and our Finance Director Mr Bestone Kajoba to ensure that I am always paid last and only after all other LCC workers have been paid.
As for our trip, allow me to state as a matter of fact that it was not financed by LCC or by Government. All other previous trips I have made abroad since assuming office were also not sponsored by LCC. Equally, all subsequent trips I may choose to seek travel authority and undertake, I will ensure that they are not financed by LCC.
Some highlights of our trip included LCC making presentations at the annual Word Bank hosted conference on Land and Poverty (alleviation), meeting with USAID top official incharge of Africa Ms Oren Whyche-Shaw, meeting with the top officials at Millenium Challenge (financed via a grant of $355M the recently completed Lusaka Water and Bombay drainage works), courtesy meeting to our Washington,DC ambassoder Dr Ngosa Simbyakula.
On the Corporate front, we had lunch with the Zambian renown scholar Professor Kenneth K Mwenda and had dinner with the respected Washington DC Economist Dr Robert J. Shapiro.
At a Corporate cockail event last night, we interacted amongst others with the Founder and Chairman for the Nasdaq $1.7BN online home furniture retail trading company Overstock, Mr Patrick M. Byrne.
Mr Byrne once worked for and is now a business “son” of the CEO of Beckshire Hathaway Mr Warren Buffet. Mr Byrne is a renown philanthropist and we invited him to consider investing and visiting our Capital City of Lusaka.
Although International tours of duty and Networking are vital in order to bring Foreign Direct Investment to LCC and to Our beloved City, I will never do it from LCC coffers as the Council has more pressing financial challenges and needs.
As stated in my Social Contract (item 1 under Revenue Improvement Heading ) that we released before my election, one of my primary tasks is to increase revenue as well as reduce Financial costs or income leakages for LCC.
I hope to have LCC be financially self sustaining especially on staff wages so that we can allow the Central Government latitude to attend to other equally pressing public financial demands.
Given above and latest events at LCC, I have had to cut my trip short and actually texting from a plane back home.
I however remain extra confident that our USA trip will bear fruits in one way or another within 2019 for all residents of the Greater City of Lusaka.
Thank you & God Bless us all.
MBS, 29.03.19, 15:00hrs
A clown for a mayor, so what if you have not been paid? You have money stashed somewhere, where you think these council workers will get their money to feed their families? I hope they also dump garbage at your office like they did in Kabwe so that you stop playing with workers. Free WIFI my foot!
Clown and clueless mayor indeed….this guy is a joker…he thinks Zambians are dull….useless chap…chimbwi of a mayor
Hair clippers here are as cheap as $10 to shave those beards.
I am sorry, I forgot, your worship Mayor Sampa you have no money to buy a clipper from Walmart.
Miles Sampa has just admitted that him and his unable president are incapable. This is so sad. Zambia deserves better. People let us unite and remove these clowns in 2021!!
This guy Miles need to visit the presidential mental examiner, one day he will tell all story how he undressed a woman, and how many pre-mature exacus he had. How styupid can a director be, by going bosting that he should be last one paid?
I don’t understand why all that crap of writing is all about.
Your worship, if you take all the council workers to America and give them hefty per diems and don’t pay them salaries, even for four months they will not complain, Fool! Sends a chill down my spine to think this chap could have been President. Thank God we got Lungu!
Your worship, take all the council workers to America and they will not complain.
Everyone here is quick to insult or condemn the worship. But even if they themselves were put in that job they would fail. why? Because of the system of governance in Z. In normal countries a capital city municipality is richer than the government. Councils should earn money from rates, water, electricity, garbage removal, licences, sewer services etc. Tell me which of these they are aerning money from & if at all in the few they are, if it’s even collected. And if the money actually goes to council instead of people’s pockets. Zambia inefficiency & corruption!
It makes more sense to do prospecting while at home and then make trips for contractual purposes only because then you know production is coming soon.
Some of the things MBS mentioned can be done, addressed and achieved on conference calls with the right planning.
Even parts of contract negotiations can be done on remote access while signing ceremonies and actual cash down draws may need his actual presence.
Anyhow his is a better explanation, just find money to your workers!!! Sell some capital assets, land to would be investors, auction unnecessary inventory off, some to generate cash.
Think outside the box, Miles. You once ran to be President of your party thus prospecting for the Zambian Presidency.
Prove yourself at LCC before you run this country!!! I haven’t been…
Continued …
Prove yourself at LCC before you run this country!!! I haven’t been paid either or I didn’t foot my travel expenses bill are not good axioms for a president in waiting.
The smart people of the Zambians Enterprise especially those of the City of Lusaka expect better from their newly appointed CEO, not these excuses.
You can do better than that, Miles!!! I believe in you and I see you as a future President of this great country … let’s roll.
Epo mpelele,
BRM
This boy is as dull as his boss Lazy Lungu…anyway I warned you about him you didnt want to listen. Just imagine how much they are spending on this trip ….Lusaka Council workers go and dump rubbish from Soweto market at LCC head office you have to smarten up. These are thugs who you can not negotiate with as they have bribed everyone…they only understand actions like in Kabwe where that lazy dingbat is talking about irrelevant issues.
Nostradamus – again posting incoherent comments early in the morning ..what’s wrong with keeping beard you have been brainwashed into thinking clean shaven is best by the white man. Please keeping your fetishes to yourself…if you have nothing tangible to post and carry on drinking.
Thank God BRM Sr, affectionately called Junior by others, did not say ‘Let’s roll…’ I was actually holding my breath.
The only workers in PF govt that are enjoying themselves are President, ministers, PS and cadres ….cadres are now in charge and any ZP officers who get in their way will be retired in national interest. Any council workers who dare protest will be dealt with by them….we need to reclaim our country back from these thugs.
If you want LCC to be self sustaining remove those cadres from the Intercity where tehy are charging every bus and luggage from every arriving bus.
@Nostradamus
You have an inferiority complex my dear friend….how long have you lived in the USA….you haven’t changed much…..just whats wrong with Miles Sampa’s beards?……..You are a fontini sana iwe Nostradamus
Local governments usefulness ended when businesses were taken away from them. Councils used to run water and sanitation parks electricity roads maintenance and repair etc and were able to generate income enough to sustain themselves. If you allow councils to be coolecting revenues eg from markets and stations and a %aged of tax from mining companies then this shame story for not been paid in so many months wilm end. At the moment council workers just lazy about. Councils are supposed to be the biggest employers in the country.
Ati I have instructed the director of finanice to ensure am paid pa last, like it’s a huge achievement to be paid pa last….it doesn’t matter who is paid first or last, what matters is people getting paid on time
Mr Sampa has raised a very interesting point. He should be paid last after every one has been paid. There are situations were civil servants pay is delayed, does this also affect ministers? This is what a good leader shoul;d be CONSIDERATE. ECL I am sure , is observing this.
Sampa is just a crook big mouth……
who financed your trip ???
When will you make LCC self sustaining ???
Look how this crook dodges these questions
Yalowa per diem, Your worship! And this guy could have been our president, thank God we got Lungu!
This guy is the shallowest of the shallow. Full of praise for people he had lunch with and who he had meetings with and how rich they may be. Says nothing about the benefits that LCC will gain from his trip to the USA. Surely ba PF, dont you have anyone better than this guy that should have been mayor.
Sampa was shallow before he was elected and he is still shallow but you still voted for him and to add insult most didn’t even bother to turn up even though it was declared a holiday instead decided to drink all day.
Its stupid to state that you have not been paid for 2 months when you are in Washington D.C staying in a 5 star hotel…if like a farmer saying I have not yet weeding the fields yet he is drinking in the bar and his workers have not been paid as well.
Its irrelevant to be stating who you had lunch or cocktail with your worship the mayor.Kindly ensure workers are paid in time.Iam very disappointed that you can say you also have gone two months without pay.You are feeding in USA atleast while workers have nothing.You can do better than this.
Clearly, our good Mayor appears to be oblivious of the fact that he was elected as CEO of the the City of Lusaka to fix the long standing problem of city revenue. To admit that he cannot be paid at the end of the month when one of his main responsibilities is to ensure a robust revenue base of the city is mind boggling and is tantamount to admitting failure. The city of Lusaka is potentially the richest city in Zambia. As a resident of the City I find it difficult that to date this city continues to run to the central Government for support. Recently, His Worship the Mayor appointed an Advisory Council to support and advise him. Surely, we expected sound advise from this concentration of talent and experience to chart the way forward in this regard?
THIS IS THE PERSON WHO WANTED TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT. SORRY ZED
Sampa represents everything that is wrong with PF…they could have easily avoided the embarrassment this boy comes with and nominated a mature man like Fisho Mwale but no he is a threat to the useless leader in State House…let’s just nominate Miles, his uncle Sata knew better than appointing him a full cabinet minister when he was Matero MP as he knows the caliber of the boy from childhood.
Trouble is that most of the workers at LCC and many other councils are PF cadres with no clue on how to generate funds for the councils. The money that LCC makes or should make in markets and bus stations is shared by the cadres. We heard that City market alone generates about K40,000 a day but only K10,000 riches the council account.
That’s the difference between London and Lusaka; governance and leadership…in England every market is run by a Market Manager and his/her Deputy the collect rent manage it like a business and have a small budget for cleaning.if market has a 50 stores and 30 stands the council expects that deposited in its account every month.
Trib.al Gay Jay, so it is true that you have been hiding? We missed you on Trib.al Hacks changing his election strategies, and the comments from young Miss Tetamashimba. What is your take on that given how closely you work with Trib.al Hacks?
Please sort this go slow situation. People abroad with business intentions in Zambia want their documents processed quickly so they can set up their businesses, build their homes for when they return.
It’s a great idea to encourage decentralising wage payment responsibility.
Kilometres how did you manage to pay your big bill at horseshoe restaurant without your salary? Have you got other sources of income e.g. corruption?
Please GOD serve Zambia!
What has the president got to do with salaries for Lusaka CC? You guys have many ways of collecting revenue BUT your cadars have taken over everything!
James …. – The President has everything to do with this he is the head of PF, its his cadres bleeding councils dry at the markets and bus stations!!
Dear Zambians enough is enough from this rotten goverment of PF. This is the time to unite and remove this clueless government from power at next general election. These thieves have taken advantage of us because We are always arguing and fighting each other and oppostion leaders not making checks and balances to this government. We should Forget about the opposition as they are equally useless as they are in parliament to feed their bellies only.We need new crop of political players with brains to unite and develop Zambia. We do not need theives, recycled politicians ,political prostitutes and tribalists in this crusade.We want people with pure and clean minds and love zambia at heart and ready and willing to sacrifice as it was in 1990 .We need the motto, one Zambia one…
We need the motto, one Zambia one nation revived and national cake shared equally. No tribe is superior to the other in the eyes of God.God bless this beautiful country
Why are council in our country inherently failed projects ?