Chiluba's extravagance is terrifying, says KK
Chiluba's extravagance is terrifying, says KKBy Brighton Phiri
Thursday May 24, 2007 [04:00]
CHILUBA’s extravagance is terrifying, Dr Kenneth Kaunda has said.
In an interview, Dr Kaunda said revelations by the London High Court judgment that former president Frederick Chiluba spent more than US $1 million public funds on suits, shirts and shoes made sad reading.
"Young man, it is extremely sad that any leader anywhere could do a thing like this. It is extremely terrifying that someone leading a country which is poverty stricken, requiring construction of schools, hospitals, health centres and other strategic infrastructure, could spend over US $1 million on personal clothes," Dr Kaunda said. "Is it surprising that we have now received this London High Court judgment? It is not surprising at all!"
Dr Kaunda said it was not possible for any leader under his administration to spend public funds wastefully because they had a leadership code that guided them on how to deal with public funds.
"Young man, we had a leadership code which those many leaders had strictly followed. I was personally as leader, very proud of them," he said.
Dr Kaunda said Zambians could only blame themselves for electing Chiluba as Republican president. He asked Zambians to take elections seriously because they gave them a chance to choose leaders of their choice and those who could serve them.
"Well, we can only blame ourselves as Zambians for electing a leader who can do this. We must take elections seriously and never again elect for ourselves this type of leadership," Dr Kaunda said. He expressed hope that none of those who aspired to be leaders of Zambia ever behaved like Chiluba.
Recently London High Court Judge Peter Smith Judge established that Chiluba paid US $1,029,400 of government money to Boutique Basile for his wardrobe.
Judge Smith stated that Chiluba's personal effects seized by the Task Force were considerable. "First there were 349 shirts. A large number of these bore the FJT monogram on them and they were from virtually every designer outlet. Second, there were 206 jackets and suits. A large number of these were from Basile bearing the FJT monogram.
Third, there were 72 pairs of shoes. A large number of these were handmade by Basile with the FJT logo. All were for FJT's unique personal specification (high heels)," said judge Smith. "Many of them were in their original shoe covers and had not been used. There were a large number of other items."
And on Africa Freedom Day, Dr Kaunda said all Africans needed to reflect on their responsibilities to mother Africa.
He reminded African leaders to review their strategies of running the continent because it had all the natural resources to foster economic development.
"It is a question of how do we add value to our natural resources, are we enjoying ownership of these natural resources?" he asked.
Dr Kaunda asked African leaders to be honest to the people they were serving.
"It can't take long before we can build schools, roads and hospitals," he said. "Where leaders have genuine love for their people, they will avoid doing things that make them feel to be pampered by other foreign leaders so as to feel they were in power."
He urged African leaders to avoid bowing before foreign leaders whose interest was not that of serving the continent.
"When we become subservient to other leaders of other countries and ignore defending our position against anything from outside, then we are committing a sin against God," he said.
Dr Kaunda asked Zambians to use Africa Freedom Day to reflect on how they treated the freedom fighters when the MMD took over power in 1991.
He said it was sad that the Chiluba regime failed to recognise the freedom fighters' contribution by denying them their retirement packages.
"We left government in 1991, having prepared for all those who had served this nation to the best of their ability. We made arrangements for their retirement, for those who served God the creator and his children," he said.
"Therefore, obediently, appreciating what they did in their service for this country, we prepared their retirement benefits at different levels, from lowest to my position as president of the nation. All this was written and published. It was truthful and constitutional, but when the Chiluba government took over, they abolished all that. That was the beginning of the suffering of the freedom fighters."
Dr Kaunda said Chiluba's regime went as far as claiming back from the freedom fighters what was due to them.
"That included myself as president. As I have said publicly, I had no house in Lusaka, therefore, I ended up staying at Luanshya mine guest house, but as that was not enough, as the Chiluba government had done to the rest of my colleagues, I was chucked out.
It was very sad to see my comrades at a low point of leadership in the UNIP government being made to pay back to government what the outgoing Parliament prepared for them. It can be seen from this that our retirement was not a happy one, especially when one looks at what we had done for the country."
Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, GOVERNANCE, KENNETH KAUNDA
posted by MrK @ 12:06 PM
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