Controversy has erupted at the Lusaka City Council (LCC) where a scheme to install Mulenga Sata, the son to President Michael Sata as Lusaka Mayor in maneuvours that have riled many aspiring candidates.
Five councilors who are aspiring to contest the position of Mayor are being blocked by veiled insinuations so as to pave way for the deputy Mayor to ascend to the full mayoral position without being challenged.
Attempts to get a comment from the deputy Mayor failed as he was reported to be out of the country on holiday.
Party officials who declined to be named confirmed that Mulenga Sata had expressed a strong desire to contest the position of Lusaka district PF chairman and that it would be difficult to challenge him because that would automatically turn challengers into party foes.
The officials said there had been discussions at the district and provincial level to allow the deputy Mayor to contest the position of district chairman but PF insiders say it was wrong for the son of the President to aspire to have two positions in a party that had a lot of other capable leaders that could hold the position.
Mulenga Sata
Council insiders said that plans to install Mulenga Sata have reached advanced stages as a number of Lusaka councilors aspiring to contest the position of Mayor are being frustrated so that they could abandon their ambitions to allow the deputy Mayor win the mayorship of Lusaka as well as getting the position of chairman at Lusaka district.
The PF Lusaka district office has remained closed after factions within the party clashed after the substentive office holder at the time, Goodson Banda was ousted.
“We know that the final plan is for Mulenga Sata to stand as Member of Parliament and even higher ofice, said one councilor.
The Kabwata seat currently in the hands of Given Lubinda whose membership in the ruling party has remained precarious after he fell out of grace with some senior party officials, was the most acessible seat.
Meanwhile, the purging of workers at the Lusaka Inter City Bus Station has been blamed on the power struggle at the Lusaka City Council.
Lusaka City Council director of Housing Henry Phiri was aware of the what is happening at the Lusaka Intercity Bus Station but could not do anything because the station manager Penjani Chirambo was involved.
Council officials said that there were maneuvours by a selected group of councilors at the Lusaka City Council to have the deputy Mayor take over from the curent Mayor, Daniel Chisenga whose term of office is expiring in June this year.
DailyNation