Apologise, Nevers advises Chiluba
Apologise, Nevers advises ChilubaBy Speedwell Mupuchi
Thursday May 10, 2007 [04:00]
REFORM Party president Pastor Nevers Mumba has advised former president Frederick Chiluba to face Zambians and apologise for any acts that had hurt them. Pastor Mumba also said Chiluba's acts have tarnished and dented the image of the nation he swore to defend. And Pastor Mumba has taken on Patriotic Front president Michael Sata over his recent remarks on Chiluba and corruption.
Commenting on the London High Court judgment that established that Chiluba defrauded the state of millions of dollars, Pastor Mumba also advised Chiluba to concentrate on the legal process and use it to exculpate himself.
"Only he can put the record straight. The biblical option is to face the offended, in this case the people of Zambia, and apologise for any act that has hurt them," Pastor Mumba said.
He said the evils of corruption would never be known until Zambians started to connect the amounts stolen to an expectant mother who died with her child because she could not get medication at a clinic or there was no doctor and the only one present was a demoralised nurse who had not been paid for six months.
Pastor Mumba said that every US $1000 stolen from public funds deprived a child of food, education and health care for a thousand days.
"This is the reality of corruption and stealing. This is why God hates stealing from the poor and taking advantage of the powerless," he said.
Pastor Mumba said Zambia must declare corruption as the nation's number one enemy.
He said the revelations contained in the judgment by the London High Court confirmed fears that had gripped Zambia that poverty was actually man-made by leaders.
"The system has been curved to accommodate, protect and promote criminals and thieves. Zambia like many other African countries has further confirmed its place as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We all must roundly condemn this shameful corruption as it has been revealed to us," he said.
"President Chiluba's acts have tarnished and dented the image of the nation he swore to defend. He has hurt and injured the very people he pledged to protect under the Constitution and the ever-watchful eye of the God who never sleeps nor slumbers.
When he took the oath to serve as Republican President, he ended with words, "So help me God!" It appears he neglected this help."
Pastor Mumba said that he viewed the outcome of the corruption case with passionate disappointment and pain because he precisely joined the political process in 1997 to challenge and stop the political and economic rot of the nineties.
"We were insulted and told to confine our concerns to the pulpit. Our voice against the Chiluba regime isolated and targeted us for consistent persecution by both government and some key Church leaders. In order to avoid constant harassment of the Victory Bible Church, I handed over the pastorate to my Associate Pastor and moved the headquarters to Namibia. The then Minister without portfolio, Mr. Sata, followed us to Namibia to incite the government there to expel us," he narrated.
"We were only saved by the Namibian President, Dr. Sam Nujoma, who announced on national television that Victory Ministries was a registered organisation in Namibia and was protected by Namibian law. The crime we had committed was to challenge the corruption that had taken root in the nation."
Pastor Mumba said that although the revelations appeared as though they could tear the nation apart, it was a sign that God was answering the prayers of his people.
"When hard-core corruption and injustice is exposed as it has, then our nation is starting to confront its evil and consequently deal with its past. I believe that God is about to expose more evil in the process of bringing healing to our land," he said.
Pastor Mumba said that it was unfortunate that some churches could not stand up to challenge the Chiluba regime for fear of either being persecuted or loss of financial favours. He said as immoral as Chiluba's plunder of national resources was, the greater concern still remained with politicians who turned their back on one another to suit their quest for power.
"Since last year, Patriotic Front President Mr. Michael Sata showed great "courage" and resilience in defending and enjoying the support of President Chiluba. Special arrangements were made to welcome him at the airport and prior to the 2006 general elections, President Chiluba was made to publicly endorse Mr. Sata," he said.
"Many people believe this was to get the vote of all those MMD members still loyal to former President Chiluba. However, it appears to me that with the recent revelations, the former President has obviously become a liability to Mr. Sata's political aspirations. Mr. Sata has since changed and now claims he was not there when all this was happening.
At the recent rally in Linda compound, Mr. Sata mocked former President Chiluba that "he used to laugh that time, but where is he now" and also confirmed that corruption is there and it was an eye-opener. My question is: When did Mr. Sata's eyes open?".
Pastor Mumba wondered whether Sata's eyes opened when K3 billion Kwacha meant for the Luwingu-Kasama road was airlifted to the Kabwe party convention or during the unconstitutional drive for the third term.
"If in my view the eyes were not opened then, I do not see why they should open today. This is time for reckoning. It's time for Mr. Sata to face his past and deal with it. One cannot keep placing blame on everybody else and hope Zambians will still be naive to buy into his "cleverness," he said.
Pastor Mumba said that Sata always knew about the levels of corruption and that was why he viciously fought those that spoke against the government he served.
He said Sata's statement that President Mwanawasa benefited from Chiluba's thefts was a hollow attempt to ignore the real facts.
"The difference between President Mwanawasa and Mr. Sata is that, while President Mwanawasa was unafraid to expose corrupt practices regardless of the price, Mr. Sata defended the culprits and a number of them confirmed publicly that they were waiting for Mr. Sata to win the elections for them to return from their self imposed exile," he said.
"It's about time our veteran politician, Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata, accepted that he cannot pretend not to have known the extent of the corruption that existed in the administration he served."
Pastor Mumba said the manner Sata handled the issue would determine whether he should remain a factor on Zambia's political scene in the eyes of a younger generation that was hungry for truth and justice.
Pastor Mumba said the judgment presented an opportunity for Zambia to fix what was broken and declare that never again should an individual regardless of position be allowed to bring the nation to its economic knees.
"The only way to do this is to fix the constitution, the civil service and improve the national mentality on patriotism and responsibility," he suggested.
Pastor Mumba also called for strengthening institutions like the Task Force, the ACC, the DEC and all investigative wings of government to handle the white-collar crime.
He also said President Mwanawasa should be commended over his publicly stated stand on corruption.
"What the Chiluba case has taught us is that corruption takes years to expose and to bring to justice those guilty of corruption. It is therefore imperative that the President does not let up on his commitment to fight corruption in Zambia and that every effort be taken to root out this cancer from within Zambia wherever it may rear its ugly head," he said.
Pastor Mumba said he stood ready to fight corruption with the President and all Zambians until righteousness was restored.
Labels: CHILUBA, NEVERS MUMBA
posted by MrK @ 3:41 AM
4 Comments:
How much corruption did Nevers Mumba expose when he was Vice President? When did his eyes open? When as Vice President he usurped the presidency when Mwanawasa was on one of his famous trips abroad?
I hate to offend the people who put stock in Nevers Mumba, because I'm sure they are not only people of faith, but people of good will.
However, actions speak louder than words. This guy was part of the Mwanawasa administration, back in the day before the position of Vice President was called into question - and called into question because of him.
When he was there, he never questioned corruption.
Nevers Mumba at one time was in the opposition and in the forefront of fighting the elections that gave us Mwanawasa. The minute he was offered aka fulo, he ditched his own party and principles.
Is this a man we want to listen to? At least Sata has been consistent. Did Nevers ever talk about bena Mabenga ?
He was quite happy to come into office through the back door even though it was wrong and constitutionally Levy was doing the wrong thing. As a Christian Mumba ought to know that a sin is a sin even if the intention is a good one.
Bane lets not be fooled by this fellow.
Nevers Mumba must stay where he belongs; to the pulpit and keep his mouth shut. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon condemning Chiluba and yet these are the same thugs that shared the loot! Zambia shall be served and this time around not through so-called victory ministries but through the wrath of "the real Zambians at work". Nevers must first of all ask himself how he came to be so embroiled with useless characters in the likes of John Ziba before he even starts attacking Chiluba. Put an accomplice in a witness box and see how he stammers; It's pure cowardice to bark from a distance! Real men stay in and fight selflessly within the ring to the last breath, those are real heros !
Chiluba didn't personally sign ALL those cheques or physically go to the bank to withdraw the cash - the same croonies surrounding the incumbent did it and are probably doing it to this very hour to the full satisfaction of mwanawasa and his maureen! Mwanawasa's leadership should also be brought into disrepute since it was the same money that chiluba stole that made him ascend the highest seat on land today. My thought of the day is that all monies meant for presidential palaces be channeled to proper use! Halt all those useless constructions. The incumbent and the former are not destitutes! slm
The incumbent and the former are not destitutes! slm
SLM,
Glad to see you posting here.
All this gift giving has to stop, at least when in government. I'm reading Singapore president Lee Kwan Yew's biography, and it is very interesting what he instituted to fight corruption.
A real Task Force, that could go anywhere, and arrest anyone.
Even more, if persons had wealth that could not be explained through reasonable means, without a paper trail, the judge was allowed to presume they came to it through graft.
Now that would be fighting corruption.
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