Buntungwa residents want councillor out
By ROGERS KALERO MORE than 500 residents of Buntungwa Ward in Kitwe’s Chimwemwe constituency are up in arms against their councillor whom they accuse of being disrespectful.
The residents have also accused councillor William Nyirenda of engaging in illegal land allocation.
But Mr Nyirenda claimed Chimwemwe Member of Parliament (MP) Mwila Mutale and a Mr Joseph Mwelwa were responsible for inciting the residents to rise against him.
In a petition letter dated September 12, 2017, addressed to Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang;ombe and copied to Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General, Copperbelt Minister, Minister of Local Government and PF Copperbelt provincial secretary, the residents accused Mr Nyirenda of being disrespectful to community and ward committee members.
The letter was signed on behalf of the residents by Chisanga Muchemwa, Joseph Lu on o, Carol Phiri and Majorie Musonda.
“We the residents of Buntungwa ward hereby petition for the removal of councillor William Nyirenda as councillor for this ward with immediate effect.
“We have resolved to petition for the following reasons: misconduct, disrespect to members of the community and members of other committees in the wards and bringing the PF in disrepute by involving himself in illegal land deals,” reads the letter in part.
But Mr Nyirenda said he was not scared to name people who were using the community members to rise against him.
“Am not scared to say that people are being incited to rise against me by the area MP Mwila Mutale and a Mr Mwelwa," Mr Nyirenda said.
He denied being involvement in illegal land deals, saying he was only trying to help some people who had acquired land in the area.
But Mr Mutale advised Mr Nyirenda not to involve him in his problems with the community members, saying he should instead wor on the issues raised by the people.
"I don't want to have anything to do with Nyirenda and so I can't even waste time to plan or incite people to rise against Nyirenda. That man is just a stranded councillor.
“Nyirenda is not a good leader, he chases people from his home and his language is not good. He should just sort out his issues.
“He promised people plots, but he has suddenly turned against them, that’s why people are rising against him,” Mr Mutale said.