SIAVONGA DC, CHIEF DIFFER
By OLIVER SAMBOKO DIFFERENCES have emerged between Chief Simaamba and Siavonga District Commissioner Lovemore Kanyama over jobs at Razel-Bec, the French company engaged by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) to work on the $294 Million Kariba Damwall Rehabilitation Project in Siavonga.
On Monday evening, Chief Simaamba was featured on a local radio station where he castigated Mr Kanyama for allegedly mishandling the recruitment process and accused him of causing divisions and confusion in the district.
But in an apparent response to Chief Simaamba's attack, Kanyama issued a statement stating that the people of Siavonga, Mr Manchishi including the other Traditional leadership such as Chief Sinadambwe and Chipepo were solely behind him and supporting the decisions he was making regarding the recruitment for the Damwall rehabilitations.
"On the dam wall jobs, the people of Siavonga are happy with the process which was used, Chief Sinadambwe and Chief Chipepo all support the process my office too in coming up with the list of names submitted to Razel Bec," stated Kanyama.
He also said that he will not allow indiscipline in the dstrict and threatened that police will teach a lessons to those who will be found causing problems.
Mr Kanyama further claimed that some UPND members have advised him not to respond to the chief castigation.
And Chief Simaamba said maybe it was now time the people of Siavonga marched to demand the removal of Mr Kanyama from office so that the President can appoint someone who is ready to listen to advise from the people and the traditional leadership of the area.
He accused the DC of going against what was earlier agreed upon by stakeholders that 20 jobs should be reserved so that the traditional leaders can second some of their subjects to be employed at the Damwall project so as to allow people from the rural areas to benefit from the project. Chief Simaamba said he has always worked well with the past DC’s except for the current one who had no respect for him. Last month, hundreds of Siavonga residents among them college graduates responded to a job advert by the DC which he claimed had the blessing of Razel Bec but the company has since distanced itself from the recruitment done on its behalf by Mr Kanyama.