By CHARITY MOONGA –
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) and MMD have welcomed Government’s move to introduce salaries for councillors, mayors and district council chairpersons.
UPND general secretary Winstone Chibwe said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the introduction of salaries would motivate the councillors who would make sure that development reached the people.
Mr Chibwe said the newly-introduced K700 monthly salary was a good start and implored the Government to do more for the councillors by further improving their conditions of service and awarding them gratuity.
“It is good that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has given the councillors salaries.
“They will now be motivated and deliver good services to the Zambian people who elected them. We appreciate this move by the Government,” he said.
MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu said the move was welcome
as it would enable the councillors to deliver to people’s expectations.
“The decision by Government has been well implemented, it is very welcome and will create an enabling environment for councillors to deliver.
“It has been hard for councillors to move from one place to another, so the introduction of these salaries will in a way greatly assist them with mobility,” Mr Nyangu said.
He said the introduction of salaries for councillors would also see a reduction in the number of those defecting to other political parties in search of money.
Mr Nyangu expressed hope that the new salaries for the councillors would go with gratuity at the end of their term.
Local Government and Housing Minister Emerine Kabanshi said in Lusaka on Thursday that the introduction of salaries came after a long quest for the emoluments by the civic leaders.
Ms Kabanshi signed a Statutory Instrument for the introduction of a minimum K700 monthly package for the councillors.
She said the introduction of salaries for the councillors was in line with Government’s determination to improve service delivery in Zambia.
She said the sitting allowance for the councillors had been pegged at K350 per sitting, while travel allowance for official duties would be at K650 per day.
