Maureen Mwanawasa guns for Lusaka Mayor, promises to make cholera history

Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has successfully filed in her nomination papers to run for Executive Mayor of the city of Lusaka on the United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket.

Dr Mwanawasa is bidding to be the first ever Executive Mayor of the nations capital, but will first have to beat off stiff competition from former Lusaka Mayor Fisho Mwale (independent), veteran sports administrator Elias Mpondela (independent) and the ruling Patriotic Front’s Wilson Kalumba.

She arrived at the Civic Centre accompanied by a group of supporters that included Former Vice President Guy Scott, UPND aspiring candidate for Chongwe Sylvia Masebo and Former Kafue MP Obvious Mwaliteta.

And addressing her supporters shortly after filing in, Dr Mwanawasa pledged to transform the city of Lusaka if elected into office.

She said top of her agenda will be to tackle the perennial cholera outbreaks and ensure that water shortages are addressed.

She said she wants to see a Lusaka City Council that will be able to contribute to the treasury in form of tax contribution.

“The last few years, the councils are like a pit where all the money from the treasury geos for salaries, our new approach among others will be creating a city council that will be able to engage into capital projects,” Dr Mwanawasa said. “We want to have a council that will be financially viable and be able to pay its own salaries and have a good capital base to enable it borrow and invest in infrastructure development.”

“The role of the Mayor this time is executive and one has to be elected into office and for us as UPND, we want to make this office of Mayor to be about the people of Lusaka. We want to see change in the provision of water, the quality of roads and electricity provision and this will entail restructuring Lusaka and not displacing the people entirely as we have seen.”