Impasse ends peace meeting

A MEETING called to resolve the impasse between Lubuto ward Councillor Peter Kapikila and the community over Lubuto Community Centre failed to yield desirable results after youths suspected to have been hired by the councillor became unruly and stopped Aaron Sakamba, one of the elderly community members from speaking.

The meeting was called to resolve the impasse between the Councillor and the community on whether a school should be constructed at the community centre or whether the community centre should be turned into a skills training centre.

The Councillor want a 1 x 4 classroom block to be constructed at the centre, but the community want the centre to be turned into a skills training centre because, according to them, the councillor has personal interests hence insisting that a school should be constructed at the community centre.

More than 500 residents of Lubuto ward had petitioned the area MP Allen Banda over the councillor’s decision to turn Lubuto community centre into a school for various reasons which included that the Lubuto community membership was not consulted.

During the meeting which was attended by Chimwemwe Member of Parliament (MP) Allen Banda, some members of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) officials, the unruly youths who were seemingly drunk cheered the councillor when he was given time to speak and shouted,’’ Tulefwaya Isukulo’ meaning we want a school.

The councillor told the gathering that the centre was a council property and that it had a already resolved to construct a 1 x 4 classroom block and also refurbish the existing building.

But when the area MP decided to give chance to one elderly member of the community identified as Aaron Sakamba to speak for the community, the unruly youths who were sitting at the corner refused to listen to him and made some uncontrollable noise.