Maravi

I'm not ready to fight Mwata, says Minister

I'm not ready to fight Mwata, says Minister
By Chibaula Silwamba
Friday June 13, 2008 [04:00]

LUAPULA Province minister Chrispin Musosha has said he is not ready to fight Mwata Kazembe. And Luapula Province Royal Foundation chairperson chief Mwansakombe said Mwata Kazembe was being a bit ‘naughty’ by denying Musosha entry to his palace. Giving his position on statements attributed to senior chief Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people of Luapula Province against him, Musosha said he respected Mwata Kazembe like any other chief in the country.

The Mwata has asked President Levy Mwanawasa to relieve Musosha of his duties because he has allegedly allocated himself all the road contracts in the province. The Mwata even refused to see Musosha recently when he accompanied presidential affairs minister Cecil Holmes who paid a courtesy call on him.

"I am not ready to fight the Mwata; I respect each and every chief in the province. I have chiefs who are from my tribe in Mansa and I have never quarrelled with any of them. I have lived to respect the chiefs.

The Mwata being one of the chiefs in the province should enjoy the kind of respect from each one of us in government and as such whatever he may say, I am not ready to fight him. I am not here to fight anybody, my President never sent me here to come and wage war against anybody but to make peace and help develop my province and I am strictly here for that," Musosha said.

And chief Mwansakombe said the Mwata Kazembe should give respect to Musosha.
"In fact, this is news to me that he denied Musosha entry to the palace. That is being a bit naughty; we need to have courtesy for our political leaders.

In fact, he is the provincial minister, he should have brought him in and discuss whatever problems the Mwata is facing rather than denying him entry into the palace. Otherwise, we have to give some respect to people who are in power unless there is something that I don't know which is happening in Mwata's Kingdom," chief Mwansakombe said.

However, Mwata Kazembe yesterday declined to comment on Musosha and chief Mwansakombe's statements.

On reports that he, his relatives and close allies in MMD had shared almost all road construction contracts in Luapula Province, Musosha said his company has never had contracts in the province since he became minister.

"My company is called Pine Road and General Contractors and if you go through all the records of the RDA Road Development Agency, I have never participated in any of the road contracts in the last three or four years.

The last time I worked on a road in Luapula Province was two years ago and this contract came from Forestry Resource Management through BCHOC Consulting Engineers along Kabelenga Road in Lusaka. They are the ones who contracted me to build Matanda-Kaliongo Road," Musosha explained.

"Two years before I became a member of parliament, I was given two road contracts; the one I have talked about and Chimupati Road in Serenje under SHEMP Small Holder Enterprise Marketing Programme in the Ministry of Agriculture. The two contracts gave me over K2 billion and this money, part of it I spent it to prepare myself for elections and it was part of this money I used in April 2007 to buy road construction equipment in United Kingdom.

So from the last time I was awarded a contract in 2005, I have never worked anywhere in Luapula. Those who are taking wrong information to the Mwata and others, it's unfortunate."

Asked about Sure Gate Road Contractors, Musosha said that company was owned by his cousin and he had not influenced any decision for that company to acquire any contract.
"He has been operating as a contractor for sometime; right now he has a contract in Choma and another contract in the Copperbelt," he said.

"Another example is my own son who graduated last Friday from a school of construction and I am encouraging him to form his own company. Does it mean that I should be held liable for his mistakes or activities? No! We have to prepare him as we retire and right now, I am still busy with political life so there is nothing wrong in him carrying on with the construction companies."

Further asked about a contract in Nsumbu National Park under Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), Musosha admitted Pine Road and General Contractors have a contract there but it was obtained through a normal tender process.

"Yes, we are working there in Northern Province," said Musosha.
An association of contractors in Luapula has petitioned President Mwanawasa and demanded that he should be removed from the province because had was getting all the contracts at the expense of other contractors.

Labels: CHIEFS, LUAPULA PROVINCE, Mwata Kazembe

posted by MrK @ 4:32 AM