Maravi

Sata warns Kunda over ACC Act

Sata warns Kunda over ACC Act
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 07 July 2010, 04:02 CAT

Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata yesterday warned that even if Vice-President George Kunda waters down the ACC Act, there are other laws that will be used to catch him and his corrupt colleagues who abuse their offices in the current government.

And Sata challenged the government to explain why presidential spokesperson Dickson Jere stopped the Times of Zambia from publishing the story about President Rupiah Banda’s private meeting with his Chadian counterpart Idris Deby in Mfuwe last month, instead of demanding an apology from him, which he will not do.

Meanwhile, Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) executive director Bonnie Tembo has urged Zambians to stand up and oppose Vice-President Kunda’s attempts to weaken the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act.

Commenting on Vice-President Kunda’s threats against Katuba MMD member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa with arrest and imprisonment when the latter questioned government’s motive for removing the offence of abuse of office from the revised ACC Act during last Friday’s Vice-President’s oral question and answer session in Parliament, Sata vowed that the clause would be reinstated.

“These criminals are preparing for themselves. Even if they remove it, it takes less than two minutes to reinstate it. And there are other offences. They might remove it from the Anti Corruption Commission Act but there will be other Acts. There are so many laws which will catch them,” Sata said.

And Tembo wondered why Vice-President Kunda was so jittery about the abuse of office clause in the ACC Act that he wanted it removed.

“If the government wants to tamper with the clauses that add value to the ACC Act, I think the citizens have the right to stand up to say, ‘we say no to this’ because we have been crying for political will. We know that the fight against corruption is being supported by the donors, who President Banda is saying, ‘we didn’t ask them to help us’. The British are giving us resources to fight corruption,” Tembo said.

“Government should not do that and we must commend Shakafuswa for showing patriotism and being courageous and say, ‘this is what is happening’. And even for the Vice-President to become so jittery, I was surprised. Why should he become so jittery? Is he part and parcel of the scheme? I believe that we ought to ensure that all these clauses that are meant to protect this country are protected and are not tampered with.”

He said former president Frederick Chiluba, who was acquitted of corruption charges in August last year but convicted in the London High Court, was the architect behind the ploy to eliminate the ACC.

“If we are not careful, we may have the whole Anti Corruption Commission removed because I know that the coming of Chiluba, he was not happy about the ACC itself,” said Tembo.

“It was in 1980s when then president Kenneth Kaunda thought the need to fight corruption. So the political will was developed in the early 80s that we need to have the Anti Corruption Commission put in place and this Commission, I am sure, it took time for it to spread to all the provinces. So what is happening now is like undoing what Kaunda did.”

Meanwhile, Sata vowed that he would not withdraw his statement that President Banda met President Deby.

“Why have they taken so long? Why didn’t they deny immediately? It was President Banda’s spokesperson Dickson Jere who stopped the Times of Zambia from publishing that story and a very senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that story to the Times of Zambia. Dickson phoned the Times of Zambia from Mfuwe, instructing them to drop that story. Even when you The Post exposed this, John Phiri Times managing editor complained against his colleagues at the Times, saying someone was leaking information to The Post. So what are they talking about? Why come and deny today, what are they hiding?” Sata asked.

“The Chadian government has not complained, the Libyan government has not complained, why B.Y Mwila? They even forgot that Dickson had earlier denied that the Chadian President had visited Rupiah in Mfuwe. Three weeks later, they ask State House chief of staff Austin Sichinga to dispute the story again. Before issuing that press statement, Sichinga should have found out from Dickson why he stopped the Times of Zambia from publishing that story. Anyway, the question is, what has come up now that has forced them to deny the story once more? Where were Vernon Mwaanga and B.Y three weeks ago when this happened for them to start issuing useless statements now? This shows you how State House is disorganised. They are just exposing themselves more and more.”

Sata said National Democratic Focus’ only parliamentarian, Ben Mwila, was just a job seeker.

“Since when did B.Y Mwila become a government spokesperson or party spokesperson for MMD? Tell Mr Mwila, it’s not a lie and it will not be withdrawn,” said Sata.

“B.Y is just trying to get a job because his friend Lundazi UNIP parliamentarian Mkhondo Lungu has got a job as Minister of Home Affairs. He is fighting Mkhondo Lungu because Mkhondo Lungu has got a job. We know B.Y has become so desperate. We know even the role he is playing in arranging and facilitating for some of the so-called documentaries being shown on television by the MMD.”

Mwila had demanded that Sata apologise for allegedly lying that President Banda met Deby in Mfuwe last month.

Labels: ACC, BONNIE TEMBO, CORRUPTION, GEORGE KUNDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:31 PM