DEPUTY MAYOR DISAPPROVES MAYOR’S CONSENT FOR PF MEMBERS TO CLEAN THE CITY AS SHE MAINTAINS THE ACTING TOWN CLERK’S DECISION
We are writing to express our disapproval of the letter dated January 9, 2024, in which Her Worship the Mayor of Lusaka, Ms. Chilando Chitangala, authorised the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership to clean the Lusaka Central Business District (CBD) without the full council’s consent. The letter was addressed to Mr. Raphael Nakachinda, who is a PF member.
The office of the Town Clerk, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the council, rejected the offer from the PF to clean the city, citing the current change of leadership. We challenge the authority of the Mayor to consent to the cleaning of the city without consulting the full council.
“The Mayor cannot make decisions on her own without the full consent of the full council.”
We appreciate the PF’s intention to clean the city and help curb cholera, but the right procedure has not been followed. The Mayor should not respond to people who are not the legitimate office bearers of the PF.
There are legal implications in this whole issue, as we all know the new office bearers registered at the registrar of societies.
” Should they assemble and proceed with the cleaning, it will be unlawful assembly. ”
We urge the Mayor to reverse her consent and follow the proper channels of communication and decision-making. We also call on the PF to respect the rule of law and the democratic process.
We advise Her to call for a special meeting of the council where she can represent this matter that has arisen and will need a council decision.
Issued by:
Her Honour the Deputy Mayor of Lusaka
Ms. Ketty Nanyangwe