Maravi

Kabimba pledges to resign as Justice Minister

Kabimba pledges to resign as Justice Minister
By Moses Kuwema, Mukosha Funga and Ernest Chanda
Tue 09 Oct. 2012, 12:00 CAT

JUSTICE minister Wynter Kabimba says he is ready to resign once the Anti-Corruption Commission avails him details of corruption allegations against him.

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has asked Kabimba and his defence counterpart Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba to resign and pave way for smooth investigations against them.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Kabimba said he would resign from the government as soon as he receives from the ACC the corruption allegations that linked him to some oil deals.

"I can assure you that as soon as I receive those allegations from the ACC, not through the press, I will be the first one to call it quits. I have not received anything from the ACC up to now. I am glad that the ACC itself says the allegations are based on press statements," he said.

ACC public relations manager Timothy Moono last week announced that the commission would institute a preliminary inquiry on Kabimba over allegations of corruption in some oil deals and defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba's alleged solicitation of contracts at Zesco Limited.

Kabimba urged the ACC to pursue their investigations vigorously and expeditiously and let the Zambian people know the truth about his wrongdoing.
"I owe the people of Zambia to act in an exemplary manner to step down as Minister of Justice.

I think I am in this position to serve the Zambian people and I can only serve them if they have confidence in me.

Once they lose confidence in me, then whom I am I serving? My appeal to the ACC is that they must serve me with those allegations and take them to the people publicly so that they can tell them what wrong I have done," he said.

And in his letter to the ACC, Kabimba thanked them for their vigilance and alertness which he stated they had exhibited in the matter surrounding his alleged corrupt activities.

"As a strong advocate personally in the fight against corruption and also in the stance taken by our party and subsequently our government, I hereby undertake to cooperate with your officers to the fullest measure as they undertake these investigations," he stated.

Kabimba hoped that the ACC would show the people of Zambia that there were no sacred cows in the fight against corruption.

Kabimba is alleged to have been involved in the award of an oil supply contract to Trafigura, while Mwamba is alleged to have physically solicited a contract from Zesco to supply poles.

Mwamba denied the allegations of soliciting a contract at Zesco, but said there was nothing wrong with him doing business because he had been a businessman for many years.

TIZ president Reuben Lifuka said the investigation process should be de-politicised for it to succeed.

"We do therefore appeal to the two ministers to examine their consciences and determine whether it is appropriate for them to continue to serve in their respective public offices in the midst of the investigations by the ACC.

It is our considered view that in the interest of a free and independent investigation, the two ministers should step aside until after the investigations have been concluded," he said.

"This is a litmus test for the PF leadership and now is the time to demonstrate the seriousness that President Sata and his ministers attach to fighting corruption.

As TI Zambia, we are anxious that the investigations by ACC are not politicised and it is necessary therefore that a conducive environment is created. It will be a serious blow to the fight against corruption if the announced preliminary investigation proves to be nothing but a diversionary tactic and with no real intention to bring to book those who may be found wanting."

Lifuka said if the two ministers continued in office, it would create a public perception of political interference in the work of the ACC.
He said as a result, such perception might have a long-lasting damage to the fight against corruption.

"It is our conviction that Hon Kabimba will not have a problem stepping aside, he was after all one of the leading advocates who called on former Minister of Transport and Communication - Hon Dora Siliya to step down at the time a tribunal was constituted to probe her alleged impropriety," Lifuka said.

"We wish to take this opportunity to equally counsel the PF government ministers like Hon Geoffrey Mwamba that serving in government is a call to public service and not an opportunity to further business interests.

No one is begrudging Hon Mwamba's family the opportunity do business with government, but what is in bad taste is for Hon Mwamba's family to take advantage of his privileged position to access government contracts."

He requested public servants seeking business from government through their companies to declare interest before doing so.

Lifuka warned that TIZ would invoke provisions of the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct Act for ministers who fail to declare their assets and liabilities in a timely manner.

He said the fight against corruption in the country would only succeed if it remained objective and unbiased.

"There should be no sacred cows or untouchables in the fight against graft. The PF government owes it to the Zambian people to run a clean government and as such, there should be no allegation of corruption or impropriety which is too big or too small to be overlooked," said Lifuka.

"Similarly, there should be no minister, senior government official or party leader who is indispensable - all of them should be held to same ethical standards. To this extent, therefore, we welcome the decision of the Anti Corruption Commission to institute preliminary investigations against the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Justice, Hon. Geoffrey Mwamba and Hon Wynter Kabimba respectively."

Meanwhile, Kabimba, who is PF secretary general, says the party decided to adopt Steven Masumba as its candidate in the Mufumbwe by-election as a way of rewarding him for his sacrifice.

Kabimba urged all PF members to support Masumba.
He further urged political parties taking part in the by election to embark on peaceful campaigns.

"We want to see peaceful campaigns, this is just a competition for a seat. We are still Zambians all of us and therefore we cannot start fighting amongst ourselves just to win a seat.

My plea to all PF members and all our colleagues that will be participating in the Mufumbwe by-election is please go in there and campaign and give your message to the people and ensure that the repeat of the 2009 experience does not come around. The people of Mufumbwe need a peaceful life and appreciate competitive democracy," he said.

Kabimba highly rated his party's chances in the by-election saying the people of Zambia and Mufumbwe still had a lot of confidence in the PF.

And officially opening a workshop on the sanctity of life and the death penalty organised by Caritas Zambia, Kabimba said the debate on whether or not to keep the death penalty in the current constitution-making process would depend on what Zambians would say.

Kabimba, however, said President Sata did not want to see people die either from road traffic accidents, domestic violence, murder or execution.
"Government will not interfere with either the ongoing process or the submissions that people are making," he said.

Kabimba said the death penalty was not a deterrent against capital offences but stood only as a moral justification that society could avenge death on behalf of those killed by others.

And Joint Policy Action Support Grants (JPAS) chairperson Bishop Innocent Silwamba said there was need for the country to move from retributive to restorative justice.

"We see a paradigm shift in many parts of the world moving from retributive justice to restorative justice; we ask ourselves why Zambia has not followed suit," he said.

Bishop Silwamba said the death penalty was a violation of a fundamental human right.

Labels: GBM, GEOFFREY MWAMBA, TIZ, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 4:57 PM