• The payment process is still ongoing.
• Banks could only release a certain amount of money.
• Council has managed to pay out a huge number of the polling agents.
Lusaka City Council (LCC) says the process of paying polling agents who were engaged during the August 12th General elections is still ongoing.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Council Town Clerk Alex Mwansa disclosed that payment has delayed because banks were only allowed to release funds compared to the high number of people that were owed by the local authority.
Mr. Mwansa however revealed that the Council has managed to pay out a huge number of polling agents that undertook the election exercise.
“Others have been delayed because it is not by design, it is just that Lusaka is a big district and the amounts that were involved are quite enormous. The bank was only able sometimes to release limited funds, for example you will ask for K350, 000 or K700, 000 and they will say or tell you that they can only be able to give you K500 000,” Mr. Mwansa said.
Mr. Mwansa further added that, “that is what has contributed to the delays in paying out the polling agents but overall we have paid most of the polling agent staff and there is no one who has submitted a complaint to me of not being paid officially.
On Friday last week, some Polling agents who were engaged by Lusaka City Council during the just ended general elections told Money FM News that they had not yet received their payment of about K2, 500 per individual two weeks after the polls.
“The situation on the ground is that the Voter Verification Device (VVD) personnel who worked for the issues of elections, were assured that we will be paid some days back but from last week nothing has been communicated.”
“However, it was there on the budget that everyone was supposed to be paid as soon as possible but only the Polling Assistants and Polling Officers were the only ones who managed to get paid.” A polling agent narrated.
