Tenants Hail RB

18 April 2011

Residents in Kitwe, who are beneficiaries of President Rupiah Banda’s directive to write off outstanding debt on their houses have described the president as a father of the nation who is ready to listen to the cries of the people.

Michael Chitundu of house number MN 97 Mukuba Natwange said by instructing the relevant authorities to write off all outstanding balances for 3,338 former parastatal houses that were sold to sitting tenants, Mr Banda had demonstrated that he had compassion for the Zambian people.

Mr Chitundu, who owed Mukuba Pension Fund some money to complete the purchase of his house, said he was overjoyed by President Banda’s directive and was convinced that his Government would continue to respond to people’s cries.

“I had paid some money towards the purchase of the house, but I had not completed the payment. I am now happy that the president has written off our debts.

“For me, I must say I am very thankful because this is a very good development. I feel this is the Government to have in power,” Mr Chitundu said.

President Banda on Saturday issued a directive that all outstanding balances on 3, 338 housing units on the Copperbelt be written off and sitting tenants given letters of sale immediately.

Mr Banda also directed boards of Zambia Forests and Forestry Industrial Corporation, National Pensions Scheme Authority, Development Bank of Zambia, and Mukuba Pension Fund to offer their housing units countrywide to sitting tenants for purchase.

The president instructed Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale to ask Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines-Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) to immediately write off the outstanding debts on housing units offered to sitting tenants in six towns on the Copperbelt.

The directive covers 1, 518 houses in Mufulira’s Kankoyo, Kantanshi and Mupambe townships and 1, 011 housing units in Luanshya.

Outstanding balances would be written off in Kitwe on 732 houses in Wusakile, Mindolo, Nkana East, Nkana West and Chamboli while 92 tenants in Kalulushi and Chambishi would benefit from the directive.

In Chililabombwe, outstanding debts on 31 housing units would be written off.

Charles Siyunda of House number MN 75 said although he had finished paying for his house, the directive was a good development and it showed that the MMD Government was there for the people.

Mr Siyunda urged opposition political parties not to politicise the directive as it was meant to benefit many people.

“This is a good development and this is what we call a listening Government. We just hope that the opposition will not politicise this issue.

“We are now urging you the media to follow up the issue and ensure that Mukuba Pension writes off the debts,” Mr Siyunda said.

Another resident, who only identified herself as Moddy, welcomed the directive, although she said it should have been made much earlier before some tenants committed themselves to loans while others sold their houses so that they could not lose out completely.

“But this is a wonderful idea, it is going to give relief to many people,” she said.

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