Solwezi council accused of misusing Kalumbila funds

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 09:59:13 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

SOLWEZI Municipal Council has been accused of overspending funds on projects in the newly created Kalumbila district.

Kalumbila Kibanza ward councillor Godfrey Munene said that he was disappointed with the manner in which Solwezi council had used the funds on projects in his district.

He said according to his findings, the projects in Kalumbila had been funded in the 2016 budget but wondered why the council released more funds towards the same projects.

He cited the construction of a 1×2 classroom block at Kyabankanka Primary School in his ward which was approved and financed in the 2016 budget at a cost of K180,000 but an extra K89,714 has been released towards the same project.

“So, where did the K180,000 go to for them to release an extra K89,714 towards the same project? This tells you that someone somewhere has pocketed this money,” he said.

And a Solwezi resident Wisdom Kasamba has described the move by Solwezi Municipal Council to use funds belonging to Kalumbila council as day light robbery.

He called on security wings to move in and arrest whoever was involved in the scam.

Another resident, Musa Chongo, urged relevant authorities to engage independent auditors so that the council could be audited.

Mr Munene’s comment follows revelations that Solwezi council had misappropriated about K1, 489,799.41 for Kalumbila district council which was paid by Lumwana Mine in property rates.

And in a summary of receipts and expenditure of funds from Lumwana in respect of rates, Solwezi Municipal Council is said to have used the money to pay contractors who carried works in then Solwezi West (now Kalumbila) under ward development fund contrary to the ministry guidelines on the sharing of assets and liabilities with newly created councils.

But according to a letter dated 24th June 2016, reference number MLGH/101/8/3 from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing signed by the ministry permanent secretary Amos Malupenga and addressed to Solwezi town clerk, the council was guided to strictly adhere to the ministerial guidelines on the sharing of assets, liabilities and human resources to ensure a smooth process.

“Take note that no liabilities of any category should be transferred by the parent councils to the new council.

These include short, medium and long term obligations which the parent councils owe to various creditors recorded in the balance sheet in Zambian kwacha as at the time of sharing assets, liabilities and human resources,’’ the letter read in part.