NAPSA should just put its house in order, says Shamenda

NAPSA should just put its house in order, says Shamenda
By Moses Kuwema
Wed 09 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

NAPSA should just put its house in order instead of trying to justify the unjustifiable, says Fackson Shamenda.

Commenting on the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) claim that President Rupiah Banda did not influence the sale of 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, Shamenda, a former NAPSA board member, said the institution's director general Stanley Phiri was being economical with the truth and was trying to cover up what had been unearthed.

“We know that the NAPSA board is subject to manipulation by those in government. Workers have very little influence on NAPSA. Let them find a better way of doing things,” said Shamenda, also a former Zambia Congress of Trade Unions' president.

Shamenda said the transaction did not make sense, adding that the US$15 million would have gone a long way if it had been used to put up infrastructure on land from the Ministry of Lands.

He said NAPSA could have pleaded with President Banda if it really wanted land, especially as it was a quasi-government organisation.

Shamenda said it did not make sense for a quasi-government institution like NAPSA to buy property from a private institution at such a high price.

“It is a matter of people being reasonable because NAPSA money belongs to the workers and, as such, it should be used to take care of workers' interests when they retire . . . because already some of the buildings owned by NAPSA are in a terrible state . . . it becomes even worse and scandalous if this money is going towards campaigns,” Shamenda said.

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 that the money was not being paid to the party.