Kazungula youths rise against council

—Youths in Kazungula have given a 24-hour ultimatum to top council officials to cate their offices before being locked out for alleged incompetence.

The youths have also accused the Kazungula District Council of not working closely with the people in the area in order to bring the needed development.

The youths, most of whom were Patriotic Front (PF) cadres, gathered at Kazungula market area yesterday and denounced what they termed the poor services the council was offering to the members of the community in the area.

Speaking on behalf of the people who were in a protesting mood, Kazungula District Youth vice chairperson, Lufunda Muteshi, accused the new Kazungula District Council Secretary, Winstone Kasonkomona, Council Director of Works, Mweshi Musonda and his deputy, Dambe Lubinda, of frustrating government’s efforts in bringing development in the area.

Lufunda charged that people are not happy with the poor services the council has continued to render to the people in the area, adding that with the coming of the rainy season, taxies and bus owners would stop paying levies because they are not conducting their businesses in a good environment.

He complained of, among other things, abuse of office by the Council Secretary and the Director of Works, saying that transparency is lacking in the manner they handle things especially in the allocation of plots in the area.

Lufunda said the coming of the new Council Secretary has brought more harm than good and alleged that he does not want to develop Kazungula but just abuses government resources for his own selfish motives.

He disclosed that from the time the former Council Secretary, Raphael Zulu, was transferred from Kazungula to Luwingu, the manner in which the council is run has terribly changed, adding that some council workers have started abusing council vehicles for ferrying building materials from Sikaunzwe area for their own gain.

Lufunda, who regretted the transfer of Mr Zulu, gave Mr Kasonkomona, Mr Musonda and Mr Lubinda a 24-hour ultimatum to leave their offices or risked their offices being locked up.

And Joseph Mulowa, a PF member, advised the council to learn to work with the grass roots so that decentralisation can be achieved.

Mulowa charged that it is unfortunate that the CS and the Director of Works at the council are against the PF manifesto from the way things are conducted, adding that if they duo continued to stay, the needed development would not be achieved.

Meanwhile, the Kazungula district Council Secretary could not be reached for a comment as he was reported to be out of the office.

And when reached for a comment, District Commissioner, Pascalina Musokotwane, said the council is the engine of development and, therefore, the new Council Secretary should learn to work with the people he found in the area.

Mrs Musokotwane said with the coming of new projects in Kazungula, competent people are needed in the district in order to move the area forward.

She advised the Council Secretary to consult widely before certain decisions are made to avoid being in conflict with the ordinary people.