By Mwala Kalaluka and Agness Katongo
Tue 14 Jan. 2014, 14:01 CAT
FORMER defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, members of his family and associates had monopolised Zambia National Service (ZNS) business contracts.
And Mwamba's younger brother, George Muma Mwamba, says his brother has no principles and he does not agree with the way he does business.
Twenty one local companies supplying ZNS, a military unit which was under the control and direction of Mwamba as defence minister, are either owned by him, his family or by people connected to him in one way or another.
The companies include Elgrezad (Z) Ltd whose contact director is Mwamba Sefuke but PACRA documents show that Grem Newa and Magret Namwinga are the company directors and shareholders; Thosims Suppliers and Contractors whose contract director is Mwamba's daughter Sibongile, who is also the contract director for New Dawn Processors Limited; Multi Trade Investment; Arizona Marketing and Distributors.
The other companies are Mwalama General Dealers, where Sibongile's ex-husband Mwalama Mwansa is the contact director and Sibongile is a shareholder ; CKM Limited with the contact director being Stella Kanyanta Mwenso, who is related to Mwamba through his wife, Chama; Dakwa General Dealers and Kwange Trading whose respective contact director is Chilekwa Munkonge, a cousin to Mwamba; Chantika Food Suppliers whose director is Mulenga Chikwanda; Destiny General Dealers with Joseph Mercine Mwamba as the contact director.
F.M.M Enterprises is another of the companies with Musonda Sosala as the contact director; Yesk General Dealers with Mr and Mrs Ng'andu as the contact directors and the couple are also the contact directors for Limichi Enterprises and Rather Peasant; O'C Zones Enterprises whose contact director is Ms Chanda G. Kasamanda; Mulyata General Dealers and Suppliers with Mwamba Kasangwa as the contact director and this also the contact director for RINOC Enterprises.
F.O. Bs Scientific Limited with Pike Mwamba as its contact director is also one of the companies; Glimpse General Dealers with Cordella C. Mwamba as its contact director is the last on the list.
But when reached for a comment over the list, Mwamba Sefuke, who was listed as director for Elgrezad Z Limited said it was a fraud because she had no knowledge of such a company and that the only company she was in-charge of was Lone Rock Construction.
Asked how she obtained a tender to have her four companies supply to the ZNS, Sibongile referred queries to another mobile phone number saying the owner of that number would be able to give The Post the information they wanted.
"I am not in court," said Sibongile when pressed to name the owner of the mobile line. "I have given you that number so find out what you want to hear."
The person that answered the call to the other mobile line said Sibongile was in a meeting and she refused to disclose her identity.
Mwalama General Dealers and Suppliers Limited's Mwalama confirmed that he was a supplier to ZNS and that he got the business after participating like any Zambian.
He however, asked to be met personally rather than being interviewed on the phone.
CKM Limited's contact director Stella Kanyanta Mwenso said she hails from Munkonge area in Kasama and that she is Mwamba's relative but that she did not get the supply contract with ZNS because of that relationship.
Mwenso said she started doing business with ZNS a long time ago during president Levy Mwanawasa's reign.
Dakwa General Dealers and Kwange Trading's contact director Chilekwa Munkonge said he had stopped supplying to ZNS but that he could explain the details later because he was not feeling well at the moment.
Efforts to get to the other contact directors failed.
And Mwamba's brother, Muma, who walked to The Post offices to give their side of the story over the indication to Mwamba Sefuke as contact director of Elgrezad (Z) Limited, said their relationship with Mwamba was frosty because they do not agree with the people that surround him and his way of doing business.
Sefuke said her family had kept a distance from the entire family following a small financial understanding that ensued between her and Mwamba in January 2011 such that even during her mother in-law's memorial they could not attend because of the same issue.
"No, my husband was not there. The son to the late mother he was not there. We didn't attend the ceremony. That is how distant away we have been from this family," said Sefuke as Muma said: "We do not agree."
The couple said they even foresaw the differences that have arisen between Mwamba and President Michael Sata because they know their brother very well.
"We had fought for a meeting with the President through Mr Katema Mutale, the nephew to Mr Sata. Many times, we attempted soon after elections. I am the young brother, I follow him behind. So we wanted to advise him on how he can advise our brother. So when he heard that we had sought an audience with the President he proceeded to block all our businesses. We do business with RDA. So through him and Mr Nsanda, they blocked all our businesses," Muma said. "Because we didn't support him in Kasama when there were elections."
Muma said he had not seen Mwamba in the last two years despite being his blood brother from the same mother and father.
"He is surrounded by wrong people and power got to him," he said. "He is my elder brother, how can he tell people not to do business with me? And stopping me from seeing the President...I have suffered anguish and isolation because of GBM."
Muma said he could vouch for his wife that there was no way she could do business with Mwamba and Sefuke also added that she now understood why she was having problems in her businesses since Mwamba resigned from his Cabinet position.
"It is these companies that were made which were aligned to me when I have never dealt with or when I have never supplied ZNS," she said.
Muma said unless Mwamba and his cohorts stop humiliating his family they will drop a bombshell on him because they are privy to a lot of things that he had been up to as defence minister.
"That is why we have come to mention to you that it is not fair to mistreat us like this. We are genuine contractors and we have been successfully winning bids but these bids have been cancelled. One of them was Vubwi, GBM went to Mr Nsanda and instructed that 'please do not give to my sister in-law, meaning her because I don't want her to be successful,'" Muma said.
"That is the reason I never went close to GBM. I was not in agreement to the full licence that he was given. He could direct FRA, 'do this'. I am also a transporter with FRA but I don't do it. You know why? The purchasing manager there said 'if you want to transport here go and see your brother.' I said 'no, but he is an individual.' He said 'no one of my relatives should do business with FRA except myself.'"
Labels: CORRUPTION, GBM, ZNS
posted by MrK @ 5:12 PM
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