Kabwe Central PF member of parliament Tutwa Ngulube says councillors in his constituency are fighting him because he has refused to be part of those who are grabbing land from citizens.

Last Wednesday, 12 councillors passed a vote of no confidence in Ngulube, citing the lawmaker’s failure to respect the established party hierarchy and having no regard for anyone.

But reacting to their claims in an interview, Ngulube said he was not worried about the vote of no confidence passed in him by the civic leaders.

“It’s not even a secret, I think that you know we’ve been fighting over land matters, and I am on the side of the people. But I am not even worried about this because I don’t report to the councillors! The councillors can pass a vote of no confidence in their own mayor, not in a member of parliament because we are not members of the council; I don’t report to the councillors and councillors don’t elect a member of parliament. So, all I can say is that, that act was an act of total ignorance of the law because it is not supported by any law, not even the PF constitution. That action by the councillors was an act of indiscipline of the highest level because if the councilors start behaving like that, how are they going to render development to the people?” Ngulube wondered.

“All they do now is try and displace people. But I have vowed to continue fighting for the poor people and the poor people that elected me will elect me again. It is not up to the councillors because they are just 12, and 12 votes cannot make me win an election, and 12 councillors cannot actually decide the fate of a member of parliament who is elected by the whole constituency. But, unfortunately, seven of those same councillors have come back to me and said they were just forced by the provincial chairman to sign that document. So, it shows you that it’s just all politics and I don’t even want to push any further and I have no reason whatsoever to start panicking over such things, that’s not something that should even worry me or anything because I am firmly embedded in the ground, and the people on the ground are happy so far with what I am able to do for them in rendering development.”

Ngulube charged that Luansanse ward councillor Godrich Machuta, who presented the resolution on behalf of the 12 councillors, was especially fighting him for terminating a Constituency Development Fund (CDF) contract he had been awarded in the area.

“Leadership is not about sharing plots! If I refuse to share a plot then I don’t become a part of you, but then the law doesn’t force us to become best friends with thieves because birds of the same feathers flock together. So, if I don’t have the same feathers as them, how do I flock with them? Moreover, that same Machuta, he’s one of the contractors whose CDF contract was terminated for poor performance! He had a project at a clinic, which he had failed to finish this project, so we terminated his contract and that, now, is the bitterness about this whole issue. But as a member of parliament, I am the one who should be worried about my CDF. You should know by now that I have refused to join hands with thieves, I am not going to allow people to use CDF for their personal gain because it should work for the community,” said Ngulube.

“So, for me, all I can tell you is that that thing (vote of no confidence) was politically motivated by my enemy who feels the weight. Right now, when we go on the ground, none of those 12 councillors can be welcomed in the communities where they were elected. Some of them have been beaten up, others have been chased, it’s so pathetic! So, they are trying to divert attention from their own failures by trying to come to those issues that should not even be supported whatsoever. So, that’s the thing, but it’s not something that can worry me.”