Lupane West MP Khumalo accused of leasing council kiosk and rendering it a white elephant

LUPANE WEST legislature Martin Khumalo has been accused of leasing a Lupane Council owned kiosk  and  rendering it a white elephant at a time when the local authority and residents are supported to be benefiting for the project either through revenue collection of use of it to conduct own businesses.

A popular Lupane based opinion writer Martin Stobart said the kiosk has remained empty for about five to six years and represents the proverbial white elephant.

Stobart said when he inquired about the kiosk with the Lupane Local Board management; he was told that the kiosk was leased to Khumalo the incumbent MP for Lupane West.

"Fair and fine, but why has it not been used and is the lessee paying monthly rentals?" Stobart asked.  "The answer is that the lessee has not been paying rentals as per agreement for years now."

The kiosk is a community asset and facility and was constructed using funds sourced from the community through various means. Stobart said the construction of the kiosk was meat to assist small to medium enterprises who lack individual capacity on their own and not for persons such as MPs.

"For an MP to crowd out an emerging entrepreneurs by arbitrarily if not illegally occupying a community property and thereby prejudicing the local authority in respect of revenue collection and for management to tolerate such a practice without qualming and in perpetuity borders on the criminal," Stobart said.

"MPs are parliamentarians and it is in that August house that their privilege and trappings begin and end."