Maravi

Konga belongs to a group that never tells the truth – Lubinda

Konga belongs to a group that never tells the truth – Lubinda
By Agness Changala in Lusaka and Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Fri 01 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

KABWATA member of parliament Given Lubinda has charged that Energy minister Kenneth Konga belongs to a group of unscrupulous people that never tell the truth. And Lubinda, who is also Patriotic Front spokesperson, has said 2009 will be remembered as a year in which President Rupiah Banda presided over serious scandals.

Commenting on Konga’s conflicting statements on the government’s decision to terminate Zesco chairman Songowayo Zyambo’s contract, Lubinda said Konga’s different statements showed serious contradictions.

Konga told The Post that the government did not dismiss Zyambo but that he resigned from his position as Zesco board chairman.

But in Wednesday’s Times of Zambia, Konga was quoted confirming that the government had revoked the appointment of Zyambo as Zesco board. He said the government revoked his appointment last week after he was removed from the company board.

But Lubinda said Konga was a liar. “It is said if you tell lies, you continue to tell lies, in the end you forget what you say,” he said.

Lubinda observed that the termination of Zyambo’s contract was an indication that there was more than met the eye on the matter.

He said even Konga’s refusal to tell the reasons for terminating Zyambo’s contract was not justified, saying that is why he did not want to disclose the information.

Lubinda, however, warned that sooner or later, someone from the board or the Ministry of Energy would tell the truth which will catch up with Konga.
According to sources within the Ministry of Energy, Konga last week summoned Zyambo and asked him to resign from his position or risk being fired.

“The minister asked Mr Zyambo to resign or fired. He talked about some issues also mentioned the issue of fibre optic…the manner in which this issue was handled by the Zesco board and/or management,” the source said.

“I am told Mr Zyambo asked for some time to think about the matter. But on Thursday last week, everything happened and my Zyambo is no longer Zesco board chairman.”

Another source said there were more issues surrounding Zyambo’s dismissal.
“We are hearing so many stories,” the source said.

“Some people are saying the whole thing was triggered by the fact that Mr Zyambo demanded or ordered a vehicle for K600 million as board chairman. Other board members felt that this was unnecessary expenditure because Mr Zyambo was not an executive chairman. It appears the minister took advantage of this matter to fix or push him out because the government was not entirely happy with the way the issue of fibre optic was concluded.”

And reflecting on the year 2009, Lubinda, who is also Kabwata Constituency member of parliament, said President Banda and Vice-President George Kunda led the country into an abyss on a number of governance issues.

“2009 shall be remembered as a year when Zambia backpedalled on a number of governance issues, as a year when Zambia regressed in the fight against corruption, when the will of the people was hijacked by two people; Rupiah Banda and George Kunda particularly when they blocked the appeal against Frederick Chiluba when Zambians wanted him to defend himself,” Lubinda said.

“George Kunda stood firm in abetting corruption. 2009 shall make sad reading for scholars as a year when the President spent more time abroad than Kenneth Kaunda ever spent in his first five years of his presidency.”

He said President Banda ran the country as though it was his personal company.
“2009 shall go down in history as a year when Zambia was run like it was Rupiah Banda and Sons Company Limited, when his sons cut high level deals yet they hold no public office,” he said.

“We know of the oil deal...we know of people who have been flown outside the country for medical attention at the instigation of Rupiah Banda’s children.”

He cited the sale of public enterprises such as Zamtel and Maamba Collieries as scandalous.

“2009 shall be remembered as a year of serious scandals and we know of many; the mishandling of the sale of Zamtel and the underhand methods used in the sale of Maamba where it’s been sold for less its actual value and hands are being oiled in the process,” he said.

He said President Banda had weakened the institutions of governance.
“2009 shall go down in history as a year when institutions of governance have been compromised by Rupiah Banda,” he said.

“It shall not make good reading for the independence of the Judiciary given the number of statements made by Rupiah Banda and George Kunda in as far as the independence of the Judiciary is concerned. Rupiah Banda foretold the acquittal of Chiluba on the morning it was passed even before the magistrate could read it.

George Kunda allowed his ugly hand to interfere with the constitutional role of the DPP Director of Public Prosecutions. It shall be remembered for having a DPP with the support of the Vice-President who insisted on holding office even against the will of the employer. It must be remembered that DPP is director of public prosecutions; he is supposed to be prosecuting on behalf of the public but Chalwe Mchenga decided that he will be George Kunda’s prosecutor.”

He said Vice-President Kunda had exhibited that he could court corruption as long as it perpetuated his stay in power.

“2009 will be remembered as a year when George Kunda showed his ugly desire for authoritarian rule; 2009 has exposed George Kunda as arch enemy of the media, it has exposed him as being against the fight against corruption and it shall go down in history that Kunda can court corruption as long as he can perpetuate his stay in power,” Lubinda said.

He described Vice-President Kunda as the worst traitor who had even abandoned his late friend Levy Mwanawasa to please President Banda. He said the year would be remembered as one in which President Banda’s administration dissolved the Task Force on Corruption.

Lubinda said 2009 was a lost year for Zambia’s economy and development prospects because President Banda’s administration reversed empowering decisions such as windfall taxes. He also said the government stood against Zambian workers in favour of foreign investors.

Lubinda said while the government had harassed the media to the point of some proprietors wanting to sell others stood in defence of their institutions and freedom of expression.

He said the alert private media and PF-UPND pact kept the government in check.
Lubinda also said the PF and UPND took the bold decision of answering to people’s calls for them to unite and offer better governance for Zambians.

Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, KENNETH KONGA, ZESCO

posted by MrK @ 10:35 AM