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Speaker orders Mpombo to read prepared apology

Speaker orders Mpombo to read prepared apology
By Mwala Kalaluka
Tue 05 Oct. 2010, 20:20 CAT

Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa yesterday ordered Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo to read an apology prepared for him for saying that George Kunda is the most stupid Vice-President Zambia has ever had.

Before business resumed in the House, Speaker Mwanamwambwa delivered an announcement on a point of order raised by Mwense PF ‘rebel’ member of parliament Jacob Chongo against Mpombo’s statement against Vice-President Kunda published in The Post of Monday July 5, 2010.

Speaker Mwanamwambwa said that on Friday, August 6, 2010 Deputy Speaker Mutale Nalumango made a ruling on Chongo’s point of order.

“The House will recall further that after studying the Point of Order, Madam Deputy Speaker had referred the Point of Order to the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services for their consideration and recommendation to the House,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa said.

“After considering the matter, the Committee had established that Mr Mpombo’s conduct amounted to attacking His Honour the Vice-President’s debate outside the House. Accordingly, the Committee found Mr Mpombo guilty of breaching parliamentary privileges and etiquette and in contempt of the House, and accordingly recommended that the Hon member be suspended from the service of the House for a period of two (2) months.”

Speaker Mwanamwambwa said since Parliament was prorogued after adjourning sine die on the day the ruling was delivered, Mpombo could only be suspended for a period of one week.

“Mr Mpombo was also to give an apology in the House behind the Bar for his contempt of the House,” he said. “The House will recall that, at the time of the ruling, the Hon Madam Deputy Speaker had informed the House that the Hon Member for Kafulafuta was not in the House because he had been given permission to be absent from the House to enable him attend to a court case in the Ndola magistrate’s court. Accordingly, the Hon Madam Deputy Speaker had instructed that the Member should, at an appropriate time, make an apology at the Bar of the House for the disrespectful statements he had made. This is the appropriate time.”

Speaker Mwanamwambwa then ordered Mpombo to stand behind the Bar of the House and instructed the Sergeant-At-Arms to take the Speaker’s Mace and stand behind Mpombo.

“I now instruct you to make your apology before you resume your seat,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa ordered.
Mpombo moved to the ordered vantage but as soon as he started making a verbal apology, Speaker Mwanamwambwa ordered him to apologise to the House.

“I haven’t got a written speech,” Mpombo said.
But after a momentous silence, which was punctuated by laughter in the House, Mpombo said he would read the prepared apology given to him with a pinch of salt.

“A pinch of salt means you are not apologising, you shall withdraw that,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa ordered Mpombo who obliged and started reading the prepared speech amidst shouts of ‘umwaume’ (real man) from some opposition parliamentarians.

“In accordance with the decision of the House through the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, I George Mpombo, in my personal capacity as Member of Parliament for Kafulafuta Constituency, do unreservedly apologise to this August House for the derogatory remarks I made against His Honour the Vice-President in the Post newspaper of 5th July, 2010,” Mpombo said.

“I deeply regret that the remarks I made against His Honour the Vice-President and Leader of Government Business in the House amounted to breach of parliamentary privileges and etiquette and was in contempt of the House.”

Mpombo read that he had taken time to reflect on his utterances and he had found that his conduct was below the expected conduct of a parliamentarian.

“In this regard, Sir, I take this opportunity to apologise, most sincerely to His Honour the Vice-President for the unfortunate remarks I made against him in the press…the extremely disrespectful remarks are deeply regretted and I wish to assure this August House, through you, Sir, that I will do everything possible to refrain from such undesirable conduct in future. I shall endeavour henceforth to conduct myself in a manner expected of an Honourable member of parliament.”

After Mpombo finished reading the apology prepared for him, Speaker Mwanamwambwa told him to get back to his seat.

However, Speaker Mwanamwambwa cautioned the House over people that had been calling Mpombo as ‘umwaume’ during his apology to the House.

“Let me remind honourable members that you are all collectively responsible for the proper conduct and etiquette befitting each one of you in and outside the House,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa said.

He said those that were using the word ‘umwaume’ in respect of Mpombo were inciting him to run into trouble with the rules and even laws of the House.

On July 4, 2010 Mpombo said Vice-President George Kunda was a turncoat. He further warned that changing laws like removing the abuse of office offence from the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act will not protect Vice-President Kunda and his colleagues from prosecution for their wrong deeds when they leave office.

Mpombo was commenting on Vice-President Kunda’s threats against Katuba MMD member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa for imprisonment when Shakafuswa questioned the government’s motive for removing the offence of abuse of office from the revised Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act.

Mpombo said Vice-President Kunda must be told in no uncertain terms that he could not be allowed to threaten people with impunity.
“Since Zambia’s independence, George Kunda is the most stupid Vice-President the country has ever had. He is a danger to democracy and he is a danger even to his own integrity,” said Mpombo, a former defence minister. “This is the man who goes all the way to London to organise cases and the same guy comes to refurbish the Chikwa magistrate’s courts to hear Chiluba’s case at colossal sums of money and the man turns 180 degrees. The public is not foolish. George Kunda, in my view is going berserk. You don’t have a guy like this of a Vice-President and Minister of Justice.”

Mpombo accused Vice-President Kunda and President Rupiah Banda of usurping the powers of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

“George Kunda and RB have ganged up to reduce the DPP office to that one as President Banda’s special assistant for miscarriage of justice. They are not handling issues on equal basis. Kunda must be told in no uncertain terms that he cannot be allowed to threaten people with impunity,” Mpombo said.

“As far as I am concerned myself, I want to say clearly and categorically that certainly the leadership we have in the name of George Kunda is a tragedy for Zambia and this man is trying to do everything possible to cling to that job. If he had the opportunity to have his motorcade in the air, flying, George Kunda would easily do that – motor vehicles in the air.”

Mpombo said Zambia was a democratic country hence government leaders must uphold good governance.
“Good governance must cut across the entire nation, across political line. Good governance is the one that gives confidence to the people that their government is fair and is serious,” Mpombo said.

“But this man Vice-President Kunda is a total disaster. Since independence of Zambia, this is the most useless Vice-President we have. He is a turncoat, he is a man who has no principles. And as Minister of Justice, what is he telling Rupiah Banda?”

Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, GEORGE MPOMBO, PARLIAMENT

posted by MrK @ 3:17 PM