NKOLE NKOLE, VIOLET MENGO and FRANCIS LUNGU, Lusaka
THE first mayor of Lusaka was installed to office in1954 and the term of office was once a year but the office-bearer could be re-elected without any limit. This was the case until 1980 when the Local Government Act was repealed and replaced by the Local Administration Act of 1980.
From 1980, there existed governors who replaced mayors as civic leaders appointed by the head of State (HoS) and whose term of office was at the pleasure of the HoS.
For the first time, the governor was entitled to a salary, whereas in the previous arrangement the office-bearer received an allowance.
Governors had previously operated from central government offices at district level but from 1980, they moved into councils. The Local Administration Act of 1980 was again repealed by the Local Government Act number 22 of 1991.
It reintroduced the office of the mayor in cities and municipal councils. The term of office was still one year and the mayor was elected into office by councillors as was the case before 1980.
The holder of the office did not receive a salary but an allowance and the term of office was still one year but one could only serve two terms. Later, the term of office was increased to two years and the office-bearer could serve only one term.
This year’s Lusaka mayoral election that has come about following the death of Wilson Kalumba, has drawn overwhelming interest, particularly within the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party. The party will select a candidate from a pool of about 30 aspirants to stand for the election slated for July 26.
The Constitutional Amendment Act No 2 of 2016 guides the process of the election of a mayor by all registered voters within a district. The office-bearer is now entitled to serve a five-year term and may seek re-election for another five years at the end of the first term.
Below are some of the candidates who share what they intended to do for the people of Lusaka should they be elected mayor.
CHRISTOPHER SHAKAFUSWA
Christopher Shakafuswa has been a local government leader serving as a councillor for Mpulungu Ward 23 under the PF since 2011, the seat he currently holds.
He is banking on the massive support he enjoys from fellow councillors who have even petitioned the party’s secretary-general Davies Mwila to endorse him for the vacant position of mayor of Lusaka, following the death of Wilson Kalumba last month.
The Lusaka City Council chamber has 33 councillors of whom only one is from the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).
Mr Shakafuswa has been a councillor for eight years and has chaired a number of committees of the council, which include Finance, Human Resource and Audit.
YOSI MITI
The 49-year-old Yosi Miti is a former first secretary (trade and economics) at the Zambian High Commission in Tanzania with extra accreditation to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Comoros.
Mr Miti, who boasts of 20 years experience in the public service, was the financial advisor to former President Levy Mwanawasa between 2003 and 2004.
He stands for decent housing infrastructure and the provision of clean and safe drinking water through improved water reticulation.
“Working at State House gave me a rare and privileged opportunity which most Zambians lack by exposing me to several capital cities of the world through presidential visits,” Mr Miti says in a written manifesto.
He is the founder and chief executive officer of Zamtech Holdings, a company incorporated in 1999 with subsidiary companies, namely Zamtech Limited – ICT, Adtech Media Ltd (advertising agency), Pre-technet Limited (graphic designing and printing) and Luangeni Agriculture Limited.
CHILANDO CHITANGALA
Chilando Chitangala is currently the Lusaka deputy mayor and is the councillor for Roma Ward 17 in Mandevu constituency. Her focus has helped her rise within the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) where she started out as the women’s vice-chairperson for Mandevu constituency.
Her concern over poor service delivery by the Lusaka City Council (LCC) encouraged her to contest the deputy mayoral position in 2016. Fed up with just criticising LCC for poor service delivery, Chitangala decided to be part of the solution to the problems she saw.
She is a strong advocate for girls’ education and has previously engaged schools to work with children in order to form small ward committees in townships to inculcate values of keeping the environment clean. Chitangala derives satisfaction from being of service to people.
LESLEY CHIKUSE
Mr Chikuse is a candidate from the opposition Republic Progressive Party (RPP) who has a conviction that the position of mayor could be used to transform the city and people’s lives.
Mr Chikuse, who is RPP vice-president, observes that there is need to find an alternative to street vending in Lusaka and that the office of mayor is strategic to spearheading the needed reforms.
If he becomes mayor of Lusaka, he wants to find a lasting solution to the problem of street vending. He stands for the removal of vendors from streets but not without finding them alternative trading places.
Mr Chikuse, who is also Chess Federation of Zambia vice-president, wants to use his sports administration skills to encourage people to keep fit and be active in sports.
FISHO MWALE
Fisho Mwale is a long-standing local government practitioner having served successfully as Mayor of Lusaka from 1994 to 1999. He identifies himself as a successful entrepreneur, a civic leader and a social activist who is passionate about civic issues that affect the majority of residents, especially in the peri-urban areas.
Mwale has conceptualised and managed businesses in finance, manufacturing and agriculture, in particular fish farming.
His vision for the city of Lusaka is to transform it and bring back the pride of residents in their city. Mwale’s focus is on the provision of good quality water and sanitation for the majority of the poorest of the poor.
MULENGA SATA
Mulenga Sata is the son of fifth republican President, Michael Chilufya Sata. He re-emerged last week after leaving the PF to join the UPND in 2016. During the 2016 general elections, he contested the Kabwata constituency seat under UPND but lost to PF’s Given Lubinda.
He has since resigned from the UPND and re-joined the ruling PF and has shared his interest to be adopted as the PF’s mayoral candidate.
Sata left the PF after he was moved to State House, where he served as permanent secretary and was appointed Lusaka Province deputy minister. While his father was president, Sata also served as mayor of Lusaka from April 2014 to March 2015.
He says he has reconciled with his party, which he feels is his home and is ready to serve as mayor if he is given a chance.
TREVOR NG’ANDU
Popularly known as ‘Uncle T’, Ng’andu is a vibrant business executive running various businesses in construction, mining, micro-finance and sport. He was born on March 8, 1978 and calls himself a visionary who is challenge-driven, creative and productive.
He also considers himself a resourceful and dynamic leader with the proven ability to combine vision and hard work. Ng’andu says he will bring accountability to the mayor’s office and his service to the people.
Ng’andu is also the founder of David and Faith orphanage in Libala and owns a football club called Jomils in Division Two of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
His agenda is to improve the lives of the struggling majority within Lusaka city.
KUMBUKILANI PHIRI
Kumbukilani Phiri, another PF mayoral aspirant, wants to bring sanity in the management of markets and bus stations.
Markets and bus stations have been at the centre of controversy with regard to their management as political cadres sometimes tend to clash with the legal custodians, council officials.
This is something that Mr Phiri hopes to correct if given an opportunity to become the mayor of Lusaka.
He believes market and bus station levies belong to the councils and no one should extort money from marketeers and bus drivers.
Mr Phiri says according to the Markets Act of 1935 and Bus Stations Act of 2007, markets and bus stations should be run by co-operatives and management boards.
CAESAR BANDA
Caesar Banda identifies himself as a son of Lusaka with origins in Libala. He holds a degree in Public Administration from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and is presently going into his final year for an LLB under the University of Lusaka (UNILUS).
He has 18 years of civil service experience at the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs and five years private sector experience. He is presently a human capital and administrative manager at the General Nursing Council of Zambia.
His vision is to ensure LCC becomes a prosperous local authority which will be used to deliver quality services to the people in an effective, efficient, transparent and accountable manner.
MILES SAMPA
Born and bred in Matero township, Miles Bwalya Sampa came in the political limelight when he was elected councillor, a position he held from 2011 to 2016.
Mr Sampa, the immediate past Member of Parliament for Matero, also served as Lusaka Province minister and deputy minister of Finance as well as Commerce, Trade and Industry.
He holds a degree in agriculture economics from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and a master’s in Business Administration.
His vision for the city of Lusaka is to ensure the successful implementation of the ‘Keep Zambia clean and green’ campaign through sustainable garbage collection.
Mr Sampa looks forward to a time when Lusaka will have a functional drainage system to end the problem of flooding in the capital, especially in high density communities such as Kanyama.
He describes himself as a hard worker, motivator, an implementer and goal-oriented person. Mr Sampa says he is an approachable person who mingles with people across all social strata.
BRIAN HAPUNDA
Brian Hapunda is not a stranger to Zambian politics. He comes with the vibrancy of being a youth to aspire for the mayoral position for the greater City of Lusaka on the ruling PF ticket.
Mr Hapunda is a lawyer by profession, a former student leader at the University of Zambia and is currently a member of the PF media and publicity committee.
He previously served as PF political secretary for Southern Province during the late President Michael Sata’s three-year presidency between 2011 and 2014.
Mr Hapunda also served as PF media director in 2015. He also comes with a wealth of entrepreneurial skills as he is into farming, a venture he has turned into a profitable business.
For the past six years, he has been growing tomatoes and maize alongside rearing goats.
If elected mayor, he wants to help deliver development through quality service provision for the people of Lusaka and keeping the city clean.
Mr Hapunda believes in patience and consistency in delivering service.
POTIPHER TEMBO
Potipher Tembo, who served as deputy mayor of Lusaka from 2014-2016, is aspiring for the mayoral seat on the UPND ticket. He was councillor for Chawama Ward Two.
Mr Tembo has qualifications in journalism, banking and finance, psychosocial counselling, diplomacy and international relations.
He possesses an honourary doctorate in political science from Gideon Robert University. Apart from doing politics, he is also a farmer with a hand in other businesses.
Mr Tembo says if voted into office, he will spearhead the rebuilding of Lusaka City Market and street lighting. He also believes that Lusaka needs a recycling plant to ensure proper waste management.
The former deputy mayor supports the decentralisation of state functions and the creation of mini-civic centres in Lusaka to improve service delivery at community level.
MUNIR ZULU
Mr Zulu has been in the youth wing of the PF although he holds no position in the party.
If given a chance to serve as mayor, he would advocate for youth empowerment and people-centred development to transform the lives of the population, 60 percent of whom are youths.
Other notable aspirants on the PF ticket are Kangwa Chileshe, Francis Muchemwa, Gift Kasaro and Isaac Kibombwe.
Both PF and UPND are yet to announce successful candidates.