Mp, Councillor differ over ‘priority’

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:07:12 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

CHIMWEMWE Member of Parliament (MP) Mwila Mutale has differed with Kawama ward councillor Bonny Kaonga on whether a clinic or a market should be constructed at a piece of land known as KCC Bus Stop.

Mr Mutale wants a clinic to be constructed at KCC bus stop to reduce the pressure on Kawama clinic which was always overwhelmed by the increasing population in the area.

But,  in response, Mr Kaonga said, while he was not against constructing the clinic at the same piece of land, his worry was where to take the more than 150 people  who have been given land for stalls at the market which was set to be constructed.

Mr Mutale said he was pushing for the construction of the clinic at KCC bus stop because the people in the area wanted a clinic which would reduce pressure on Kawama clinic which was always overwhelmed by the growing population in the area.

He said the people of Kawama have always been demanding for another clinic in the area because Kawama clinic, the only one in the area, was failing to cater effectively for the growing population.

He said the former area Member of Parliament (MP) Mwenya Musenge recorded poor votes in Kawama township because he failed to put up a clinic in the area.

“My predecessor, Hon. Mwenya Musenge recorded poor votes in Kawama township in the August 11, 2016, elections because he failed to put up a clinic  in the area when the people were demanding for a clinic. So I should not make a mistake which my predecessor made.

“To say the truth, the growing population in the area needs a new clinic. The only clinic in the area is always overwhelmed. When you go there, you find very long queues of people waiting to be attended to, with some of them threatening to beat up nurses accusing them of not doing their job,” Mr Mutale said. But,  in response, Mr Kaonga said while he was not against constructing the clinic at the same piece of land, his worry was where to take the more than 150 people who have been given land for stalls at the market.

Mr Kaonga said during a meeting called by the former MP Mwenya Musenge to discuss the same issue, the people in the area said they wanted a market and not a clinic.

“After the meeting, the people made a decision that a market should be constructed and 150 people were given letters of offer for the construction of stalls at the same place, but now, the new MP, Mwila Mutale, has come with his own ideas to construct a clinic at the same place.

“I am not against the idea of constructing the clinic, but my worry is where to take the 150 people who were genuinely given letters of offer by the council,” Mr Kaonga said.