Kitwe DC explains failed womens’ project
Written by Millennium on August 15, 2019
JOSSY CHAIMA writes
CLAIMS that over 2,000 women in Kitwe were swindled out of their monies by a woman of Mindolo Township who was spearheading empowerment programmes are false, says Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu
Mr Mpundu said the investigations carried out so far had established that Ms Linda Mukwena popularly known as bana Mutoba did not the steal money but the proposed empowerment project simply failed to work.
When he addressed a crowd of over 500 women in Mindolo yesterday, Mr Mpundu has since directed the organization to first refund the women the K40 which they paid as membership fee under the organisation called Lubuto Women of Persistence Club and community Development.
He however said he wanted to find out if the woman had tken undue advantage of the vulnerable women by using the name of government.
He said empowerment was in good faith but went sour after the many expectations of the women were not met
“From the amount of discussion we have had since Tuesday I can safely confirm that the issue of swindle did not happen except we would want to assume that because of vulnerability in women after they got excited in the name of empowerment,” he said.
And Lubuto Women of Persistence Club and community Development Founder Mukwena said only 483 women had not been paid their monies.
Ms Mukwena said initially the organization had 1,369 members and 796 have been refunded adding that she has since trimmed the figure to 90 while the rest would be refunded their due soon.
She also said the business venture of handpicking malachite for sell to a Chinese company was making losses, adding that the first time they took 12 truckloads they were only paid K9, 342.
She denied ever having used the name of the Vice President to entice the women to join her organization as she was a patriotic Zambian who was working with the government of the day to bring development to the people of Zambia.
