Martin Endjala
The Zambezi region submitted a council submission resolution, signed by its chairperson, Matengu Simushi, to keep the region’s constituency border as is but with the addition of the Bwabwata constituency.
This will bring the region’s number of constituencies to eight.
“Furthermore, it is proposed that the Bwabwata constituency border start from the middle of the Kwando River to the middle of the Kavango River. This proposal entails a re-alignment to the Kongola Constituency,” reads the letter.
In a letter titled “Submission Zambezi Regional Council Resolution on the Regional and Constituency Boundaries Delimitation dated 31 May, Shimushi claimed that the proposal would improve service delivery to communities in those areas, particularly the marginalised communities.
The remaining seven constituencies are Sibbinda, Katima Urban, Katima Rural, Linyarti, Kabbe North, Kabbe South, and Judea Lyabolloma.
He said this proposal is more about tribal fragmentation than service delivery.
Councillors denied involvement in the letter.
Judea Lyaboloma Constituency councillor Humphrey said he had no knowledge of such a submission by Simushi, as no council meeting was convened on the matter.
“No, we were not part of that resolution; all the councillors were not present whatever day such resolution took place; I do not know with whom he had it. But it was not with us,” he argued.
Humphrey said Simushi seemed to have made the decision alone, making it sound like the council was present.
“We, as a council, do not even know where he is.” We do not know what he is doing in the region or constituency. We never even spoke about such a resolution in any meeting,” he added.
He said that the governor directed all constituencies to select a member to represent them at the delimitation commission consultations in May.
These committee members would then form a committee that would engage the delimitation commission and stakeholders, as well as report back to the governor after the consultations.
According to Divai, no meeting took place, and Simushi is the right person to call for a meeting.
“According to the law, he, as the chairperson of the council, is supposed to call for a meeting, and we have been calling for a meeting, to the point where we even wrote a letter to the governor to tell him, but he keeps dodging meetings,” he said.
Phone calls to Simushi went unanswered.
Katima Mulilo Urban Constituency Councillor, Kennedy Simasiku also said he is not aware of such a resolution as he does not remember the council having any meetings to that effect.
“I think people misconstrued personal opinions in council resolutions. I am not aware of any council that set and took a resolution to that effect. When everything was said and done, there was a committee appointed by the governor to assist in terms of compiling information and consultation,” he said.
Simasiku said that the council should convene and make a decision following the finalisation or presentation of the report to the delimitation commission.
Kabbe South Constituency councillor John Linkando, on the other hand, said he will continue to support the majority for the betterment of the region, adding that residents’ well-being outweighs personal agendas.
He calls for unity and calmness and for the residents to trust in the leadership of the region as it will ensure that any decision taken is in the best interest of all residents.
