COUNCILLORS DEFEND SINAZONGWE MP

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 14:00:43 +0000

By Bennie Mundando

THE issue of pensioners not getting their dues since 1997 in Sinazongwe cannot be blamed on the Member of Parliament, Gift Sialubalo, who has just been in office for one year unless his accusers have a hidden agenda, councillors have said.

Some residents in Sinazongwe branded Mr. Sialubalo as an absentee landlord and that he was not doing anything in the area but the statement attracted sharp reaction from councillors and the UPND leadership who have challenged the people who gave the story to the Daily Nation to confront him if what they were insinuating was true.

Speaking on behalf of 14 councillors in the constituency, Maamba ward councillor Zechariah Chikete said yesterday that he was surprised that some disgruntled people could allege that Mr. Sialubalo was an absentee landlord when just last week, the MP was in the constituency where he even donated K5,000 to the UCZ in Maamba.

Mr. Chikete branded those who were complaining as enemies of progress who were politically blinded to a point of failing to see what Mr. Sialubulo was doing, adding that at the time that Sinazongwe was cut off from the rest of the country during the last rains, it was Mr. Sialubalo who begged Maamba Collieries to fill-up the road to enable vehicles to pass.

 And UPND district spokesperson George Bbabbi said it was sad that there were enemies of progress bent on tarnishing the image of the MP instead of working with him to transform the area.

“Mr. Sialubalo gave his own tipper to the district council to use. He has also engaged Maamba Collieries to work on feeder roads and right now, the company is mobilising to work on all the roads in the township, isn’t that working?

Mr Bbabbi accused the people who issued a statement to the media of belonging to former MP Richwell Siamunene’s camp.

“We know this bitterness can only come from Siamunene but we challenge them to point at what their candidate did in his personal capacity even with the backing of the government during his tenure. Let them leave Sialubalo to work. He has just started his tenure of office and should be given space to work,” Mr Bbabbi said.