Maravi

Rupiah a liability to MMD - Katele

Rupiah a liability to MMD - Katele
By Moses Kuwema
Mon 05 Mar. 2012, 12:00 CAT

RUPIAH Banda is a liability and is not adding any value to the MMD, says Katele Kalumba. And Kalumba says former president Banda should not blame the government if they decide to withhold his benefits. Meanwhile, Chongwe member of parliament Sylvia Masebo says it is not right for the law to be applied on vulnerable people while those who are politically powerful are left out.

Commenting on information minister Fackson Shamenda's statement that the government would begin to work out modalities to stop supporting Banda, Kalumba said there is nothing Banda can add to the party's wellbeing other than settling bills that were accumulated by the former ruling party during his reign.

"For the MMD, he is not adding any value at all. He has served and the costs are there, the advantages or whatever benefits are there, so there is nothing else that he can add other than perhaps paying for the bills owed by the party to the registrar of societies. He is the only one in a position to do that before he goes, he contracted the bank account," Kalumba said.

He said those who were living off Banda were the ones pushing him to continue in the MMD presidency.

Kalumba further urged Banda to make it easy for the current government to respect the legal requirements of looking after the former heads of states.

"Really can you blame the PF government if it withholds his benefits? He Banda is making life for the current President difficult of looking after former heads of state through his continued participation in active politics. He is making it almost impossible for his colleague do to that and I don't think in any way it is to his advantage or to that of MMD, neither will it help him and his family with respect of the state's obligations to him," he said.

Kalumba said it was not right for Banda to go through what former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda went through.

And Masebo said she did not have to raise a point of order in parliament for the government to consider halting the payments of Banda's benefits, but that Cabinet Office should have taken up the matter.

"They Cabinet Office are the ones who should been advising the Executive on these matters but they are not doing their work. Evans Chibiliti as Secretary to the Cabinet should have known because those are the ones that are looking after all the former heads of state. Find out why they are making payments when they know that this person is active in politics. Does it mean they don't know their work or what?" she asked.

Masebo said there was nothing personal in her observations regarding Banda's benefits, but that she was only doing her job as a member of parliament.

She said her role as a member of parliament was to ensure that whatever the government did was in line with the Republican Constitution.

"First of all for the state to be doing things that border on illegality and breaking of the law and even for former head of state to be enjoying a right which is not supposed to be; because he Banda should know that he is not supposed to receive any money because he is still active in politics," said Masebo.

"But it's like we have become a country of breaking the law and it's normal and we just like to feel for each other; you just feel and say it's okay. We want to be seen to be applying the law on vulnerable people, on people that are powerful we don't seem to be doing that. I don't think it is right."

Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini on Friday ruled that Banda had been violating the benefits for presidents Act by continuing to engage in active politics, adding that the onus of forfeiting his emoluments and other benefits he was entitled to was on the Executive.

Following Dr Matibini's ruling, chief government spokesperson Fackson Shamenda said the government would soon start working out mechanisms to remove Banda from the payroll.

And President Michael Sata on Saturday said Cabinet would soon give a position regarding Banda's entitlements and benefits.

Labels: FACKSON SHAMENDA, KATELE KALUMBA, RUPIAH BANDA, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 9:04 PM