PF govt won't be held to ransom over campaign contributions - Kabimba

PF govt won't be held to ransom over campaign contributions - Kabimba
By Allan Mulenga
Thu 11 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT

SOME senior government and party officials are engaging in corrupt activities to recoup the money they pumped into PF, says party secretary general Wynter Kabimba.

And Kabimba says President Michael Sata does not owe a 'thank you' to anyone for the money that they put into the party or into the campaigns ahead of last year's elections.

In an interview yesterday, Kabimba, who is also justice minister, urged all members who put money into the PF with intentions of reaping when the party gained power, to submit their bills so that they are compensated.

"Mulongoti is not the only one. Like I said some of them are senior members of government, some of them are senior members of the party.

They are going round singing the song that they can engage themselves in corrupt activities in order to recoup the money which they put into the PF. We can't accept that as government and we can't accept that as a party. So, to save the situation, let them tell us how much they put into this party and we shall pay them back as the party," he said.

Kabimba said President Sata did not owe a 'thank you' to all members who put money into the campaigns.

"I have heard what my dear friend Mike Mulongoti has said. He said he risked his life for PF, he put in money; I didn't see that money myself, and that he put in his time'; yes, I saw him putting in his time. But there are many more people like Mulongoti, some of them are senior members of our party.

Some of them are serving in government today," he said. "I don't think that the party of His Excellency Michael Chilufya Sata owes them a 'thank you' because of the money that they put into the party or into the campaigns."

Kabimba said the party would not accept people to hold the PF government to ransom on account of the money they allegedly put into the campaigns.

"The position of the party is that, can anybody - or I want to ask everybody that put in money into this PF - where their intention of putting money into PF was to reap when PF comes into government, please let them give us their bills, so that we can pay them back.

We will not accept people to become corrupt in the PF government or to hold the PF government to ransom on account of the money which they allegedly put into the PF as a political party during the run-up to the elections," he said.
Kabimba urged members engaging in corrupt activities for the sake of recouping their money to leave the party.

"That is not why we fought the MMD. We want to have what is referred to as "separation" between that group of people and those of us that are in this party and in this government to serve the people of Zambia," Kabimba said.

"Instead of them tarnishing the image of this government, they must leave those of us who want to serve the people of Zambia in a selfless manner."