MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo says it will be difficult for councils to become financially viable if leaders continue inciting ruling party cadres to take over their running.

Speaking when he rose on a point of order in Parliament yesterday, Nkombo asked the Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini to rule whether PF secretary general Davies Mwila was in order when he incited PF cadres to disregard laws made in the House.

“Last week, PF cadres ran running battles with various bus operators and police officers as they demanded to take over one of the bus stations in Kabwe. But one of the directors at Kabwe Municipal Council has condemned Mwila for his comments saying it will be very difficult for the councils to financially be viable, if leaders continue to incite cadres to take over public institutions and facilities. The municipality has contracted a loan from Zambian National Commercial Bank to build bus stations but now with a directive from people like Mwila inciting cadres, it is difficult for councils become financially viable. I wish he never said that because through and through the PF has been preaching against politicizing markets and bus stations now their SG is preaching the exact opposite,” Nkombo said.

He said Mwila’s statement had caused rampant illegal allocation of land and lawlessness in the management of bus stations.

“Mr. Speaker as I end my point of order, I wish to let you know if you don’t [make a ruling], just yesterday members of UPND and I suspect based on the statement by the PF general secretary were brutalized very badly in the Lusaka markets.

Members were on public television beaten up by PF cadres beyond recognition with black eyes all over Sir…Our people have been brutalized that is a fact my point of order is on the lead of government business who I believe their conscious is right in their forehead of their head whether they are in order to disregard the laws that we make in this house, namely the markets and bus station Act 2007 by allowing their people to make people of Zambia who do not subscribe to PF and are not affiliated not to be free, to patronize later on to trade in these public institutions, Sir I seek your ruling now,” said Nkombo.

Speaker Matibini directed Minister of Local Government and Housing Vincent Mwale to issue a statement on the matter.

“My ruling, the honorable Minister of Local Government and Housing is already scheduled to issue a ministerial statement on management on markets and bus station and in the context of the statement I direct him to address that issue,” said Speaker Matibini.