UPND justifies project inspection in Kalumbila

UPND in North-Western Province has insisted that it has every right to inspect various developmental projects in Kalumbila and other areas. On Thursday, Kalumbila Town Council Secretary Josephine Mwanza said the council was not party to UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango’s inspection of schools, health facilities and bridges in the district. Ms Mwanza stated that all projects the local authority was undertaking were Government initiatives and could not in any way be attributed to an individual or political party, in particular, the UPND. She said the inspection conducted had no blessings of the council, thereby regarding the act as unprofessional and unethical. But UPND North-western province Vice -Chairlady in charge of Mobilization, Naomi Tetamashimba, justified that the party leadership was in order to inspect projects. She said that Ms Nalumango was merely appreciating the projects being undertaken by Kalumbila Town Council since it was UPND-dominated. "The project inspection by our leadership was to familiarize themselves with the happenings in the districts and councils controlled by us the UPND and to appreciate the local leadership on how they are utilizing locally generated funds. So, there is nothing sinister about it," Ms Tetamashimba stated. Ms Tetamashimba advised the Patriotic Front (PF) to accept the fact that all councils in North-western Province were UPND –controlled, hence the need to appreciate the civic leadership which was working round the clock. She condemned what she termed as "continued threat" on council staff by the PF for allowing her party to conduct a tour of the projects. "And we will not allow these same continued threats of staff with suspensions and transfers," she added.