Enock Ngoma
20 December 2002
The Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in Mongu has grabbed Limulunga market, sparking off an uproar from the local council.
According to a letter from the BRE of November 15 addressed to Mongu mayor Mooka Muuka, and signed by Induna Namamba, all operations pertaining to the market including levy collection would be conducted by the BRE.
This has resulted into a raging row as the council was now battling to get back the market which was one of its main sources of revenue.
As a result of this problem, Mr Muuka in a letter of December 2, 2002, to the Ngambela (chief induna) said a special full council meeting called to tackle the issue resolved that two indunas, Induna Imwangala and Induna Ilubonda representing the BRE in the council, be expelled from the council.
According to the letter, the move to expel the two councillors was in line with provisions of Cap 281, section 9(1)(b) of the laws of Zambia.
An earlier special council meeting of November 29 gave the BRE 24 hours in which to vacate the market or face legal action and that within the same period, all monies collected as levy from the market be surrendered to the council.
But todate, the BRE has ignored this correspondence and instead called for a meeting at the Litunga's palace before the Siikalo Kuta (traditional court).
The Ngambela has advised that "the letters from the mayor be set aside until the matter is studied by the Siikalo Kuta."
In an interview, Mr Muuka said it was now over a month from the time the market was taken over by BRE and the council was losing revenue to the establishment while no meeting had taken place at the palace todate.
"It is against this background that I appeal to relevant authorities to give the council and the BRE their terms of reference in as far as running the affairs of the council is concerned. Running parallel structures will only retard development in the area," Mr Muuka said.
Meanwhile, Mr Muuka said his council had reduced rates from four ngwee to one ngwee in a bid to broaden its revenue base but complained that it was difficult to collect these rates in the absence of valuation rolls.
He said as a result of this, the council was not collecting any rates from all the Government and council houses sold under the Presidential empowerment scheme.
He said the council could not afford to engage surveyors to do the valuation roll and depended on Government valuers who were not forthcoming.
The council currently had no single motor vehicle on the road.
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