Maravi

Mpombo links Rupiah to Zulu

Mpombo links Rupiah to Zulu
By George Chellah
Tue 15 Mar. 2011, 04:02 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo yesterday challenged President Rupiah Banda to deny his close links with Meanwood Properties Development Limited proprietor Robinson Zulu. In an interview, Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said State House had a hand in the Meanwood/NAPSA land transaction.

“All of us in MMD know that State House has very strong connections with Mr Zulu. Mr Zulu is a friend of State House and there is no way he can deny that. We know that Mr Zulu has been frequenting State House,” Mpombo said.

“Mr Zulu has unfettered access to State House and to Mr Rupiah Banda in particular. I challenge Mr Rupiah Banda or even Mr Zulu himself to deny these close links between them.”

Mpombo insisted that President Banda should come out clean over the NAPSA land deal.

“Mr Rupiah Banda and Mr Zulu must come out and speak the truth over this matter. Otherwise, these concoctions which they are wasting rolls of newsprint on in the state media will not yield anything,” he said.

Mpombo said Zulu's activities at the recent Nc'wala traditional ceremony of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province were well known.

“We know what happened at Nc'wala and how Mr Zulu displayed major proportions of generosity to the extent that his 'kind gesture' raised a lot of eyebrows amongst the people who were around,” Mpombo said. “Mr Zulu's generosity at Nc'wala left a lot of people wondering what exactly that amounted to or what that meant.”

Mpombo said the NAPSA transaction smells of corruption.

“Even the failure by NAPSA to follow procedure confirms the suspicions. But everybody within the MMD knows that Mr Rupiah Banda is trying to prop up the political aspirations of Mr Zulu at the expense of Lameck Mangani,” Mpombo said.

“It's very clear that Mr Rupiah Banda is determined to throw Mangani into political wilderness or some sort of political eclipse.”

He said President Banda's government was overbearing on parastatals.

“The Meanwood/NAPSA land deal is a one that is deeply besmirched in deep irregularity which clearly demonstrates the deep-rooted corrupt practices in government and with the government's full knowledge,” Mpombo said.

“And this is the reason why Mr Rupiah Banda has put his own people in most of these parastatal institutions to enable them facilitate such kind of transactions. They are pretending that they are fundraising for the party ahead of the forthcoming general elections when in actual fact the money is just going into their pockets.”

Mpombo urged President Banda to humble himself and listen to the constructive views from the general public on the matter.

“Mr Rupiah Banda and his government must listen. Otherwise, Zambia will be plunged into a very serious political and economic crisis,” he said.

Mpombo was commenting on the move by NAPSA to purchase 1,500 acres of land at an exorbitant price of US $15 million (about K75 billion) from Meanwood Properties Development Limited without following tender procedures.

MMD members recently expressed concern over what they termed “scandalous” transactions at NAPSA, which President Banda wanted to use to raise campaign funds.

The sources said President Banda was using his friends to mobilise funds from parastatals for campaigns, but the money was not being paid to the party.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, NAPSA, ROBINSON ZULU

posted by MrK @ 4:32 AM