Maravi

MMD owes NAPSA K460m in unpaid rentals

MMD owes NAPSA K460m in unpaid rentals
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 06 Oct. 2011, 05:40 CAT

MMD owes NAPSA about K460 million in unpaid rentals for its national secretariat in Lusaka, according to well-placed sources at NAPSA. Sources at National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) disclosed that the former ruling party had failed to settle the rentals for a long time and NAPSA's efforts to recover the money were not yielding any positive results.

"Our management has since written to the former ruling party MMD demanding that it pays the K460 million within one week. In fact, if the MMD fails to pay within the time we have given it, we will send bailiffs to enforce the recovery of the rentals," the sources said. "So just wait and see. The bailiffs will soon swing into action and the MMD will be left without offices if they don't pay."

MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga referred queries to party national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe, whose phone remained unanswered by press time.

When the issue of unpaid rentals was introduced to him, Mabenga responded: "Why don't you ring the national secretary? He will be in a position to know all the details. That is the man who keeps all records; he will be able to tell you the fair information."

Efforts to contact Maj Kachingwe and deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu proved futile as they were not answering their phones while MMD deputy national chairman Kabinga Pande said he was in a meeting.

Former president Rupiah Banda had presided over a number of irregularly awarded contracts with NAPSA, among them the K75 billion Meanwood deal and the redevelopment of the Society House building, which raised a lot of concern among members of the public.

The MMD conducted one of the most extravagant campaigns in Africa with hundreds of vans, trucks, abundant chitenje materials, t-shirts, badges, Rupiah Banda-branded sweets, MMD campaign message-inscripted ‘flags' placed on streetlight poles and trees including bicycles among others items distributed to would-be voters.

Seventy-four-year-old Banda and the MMD lost to President Michael Sata, also 74, and his Patriotic Front (PF) party in the September 20 elections

Labels: DOMESTIC DEBT, MMD, NAPSA

posted by MrK @ 2:53 PM