Matongo advises against defending corruption
By Florence Bupe
Thu 11 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
PEMBA UPND parliamentarian David Matongo has advised the government against defending corruption in the public service. And Mazabuka Central member of parliament Gary Nkombo has urged information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha to direct his energy toward ensuring that the public media is not used for MMD propaganda instead of worrying about the operations of The Post.
Contributing to a debate arising from Vice-President George Kunda’s budget policy statement for the Public Service Management Division, Matongo said the country’s public service sector was marred by corruption and weak controlling systems.
He cited the Road Development Agency (RDA) as an example of the public sector that had for a long time failed to account for resources but the government could not admit flaws in the system.
“There were many weaknesses in RDA but some top ministers were defending the undefendable because they are not in touch with the public service workers,” he said.
Matongo charged that the weaknesses in the public service were a result of a dysfunctional government.
And contributing to debate on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting policy statement issued by Lieutenant General Shikapwasha, Nkombo wondered why the government was preoccupied with The Post and its news coverage when state controlled print and electronic media were clearly forwarding propaganda of the ruling MMD.
This was after Lt Gen Shikapwasha complained that The Post was promoting selective reportage of the corruption that was going on.
“It’s surprising that the whole government can dwell on one private paper on Bwinjimfumu Road when they are using their private money to get whatever news they carry? Much as there are ethics, I feel if I’m in my private business I can choose who to cover and report as I feel as long as I am in the realms of legality,” said Nkombo.
Meanwhile, Luena member of parliament Charles Milupi called for professionalism in the media and cautioned the ruling MMD against using public media as their mouthpiece.
He observed that the media was a critical tool in the dispensation of democracy.
“The media should learn to separate development from propaganda. Government has turned the public media into propaganda tools for those in the ruling party,” charged Milupi.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DAVID MATONGO, GARY NKOMBO
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Differences in PF, UPND Pact deepen
By Kombe Chimpinde, Chansa Kabwela and George Chellah
Thu 23 Sep. 2010, 04:00 CAT
GARY Nkombo has challenged the Patriotic Front (PF) to state their position on the pact following party secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s pronouncement over the forthcoming Chilanga and Mpulungu by-elections.
But PF leader Michael Sata has said his party will not be intimidated and advised UPND against hunting for faults to break the pact. And Kabimba has observed that it is clear the UPND proposed to enter into a pact with the PF in absolute bad faith.
In an interview with Radio Phoenix yesterday, Nkombo, who is Mazabuka Central UPND member of parliament, advised Sata to counsel Kabimba who he labeled an enemy of the pact.
“I would like to respond to the comments attributed to the secretary general of the PF Mr Wynter Kabimba to the effect that the working group for which I belong did not sit over the Mpulungu and Chilanga constituency seats,” Nkombo said.
“I find it extremely annoying and also astonishing for Mr Kabimba to say that the working group did not sit when he knows that Jean Kapata, Gerry Chanda and Silvia Chalikosa sat with us UPND on Monday to discuss Mpulungu as well as Chilanga and five elections at which meeting in no uncertain terms agreed that Chilanga was going to be contested by UPND… I think that by his own revelation he has expressed himself to be an enemy of the Zambians who have continued advocating for the pact.”
Nkombo accused Kabimba of misconduct and challenged him to state whether or not he was interested in the pact.
“Those who are in the pact are tired of what Mr Kabimba has continued to say. I now call upon the PF leader to counsel Mr Kabimba.
It is unfortunate that this is coming from a senior person like him. He is talking like he is representing the views of the MMD,” he said.
Nkombo wondered where Kabimba drew his strength to continue displacing the spirit of the pact.
“He should learn to tame his mouth. Is there no other human being in the PF? It appears that he is uncontrollable in there PF. He needs to know that we are trying to be methodical, I have got in my hands the minutes of the meeting. I was the secretary at that meeting.
It’s not good for members to start doing things according to their wishes. We must learn to be participatory and not just taking a unitary stance,” said Nkombo. “It is really insulting for Mr Kabimba to do things according to the wishes of his mind.”
But Sata defended Kabimba’s position on the issues raised by Nkombo.
“Wynter is secretary general for the PF he is not secretary general for the pact, he is not secretary general for UPND and Wynter Kabimba represents the views of the party in absence of a the Central Committee,” Sata said. “What I am saying is the question of what our brothers and sisters are saying, the Central Committee decides on what to do. The point is first of all, where did we meet?
The Central Committee makes the decision not a small committee... small committees are advisory and can only present a report to the central committee. So if some small committee met they have not reported to the Central Committee. The Central Committee sits and decides but the Central Committee has not sat to decide on anything.
“It’s only the Central Committee, which has the final say. Where did we sit and decide that the pact had agreed to field a UPND candidate in Chilanga? The Central Committee makes a decision not a small committee.
The small committees are advisory and can only make a report to Central Committee.”
He urged UPND not to look for faults.
“The point is don't look for faults. Our brothers should not look for faults to break the pact.
I have been insulted, the vice-president has been insulted by some leaders from UPND but I have never heard any public pronouncement not even private denunciation. No one has even written a letter to us so who is breaking the pact, is it us or them?” he asked.
He said the Chilanga by-election was a very small issue which people should not even fight over.
“Chilanga is a very small issue, very, very small issue. Chilanga is just as small as Luena was and Chilanga should not be what people should be fighting about. They are coming out in the open and if they are coming out in the open Wynter Kabimba also spoke the position of the party. We PF have not met. We are not going to be intimidated by UPND. We have a party to run.
The party was registered in 2001 and the party is run by our Central Committee,” Sata said. “If you look at our party symbol what do you see first?...A boat before you see a person. And you can only tell the type of person when the boat is nearer. PF came first UPND came second. And I will abide by the decisions of PF. The pact is subsidiary, a small body to PF. PF has been existing for ten years and I cannot appease anybody contrary to the thinking of PF.
And my function here is to strengthen Patriotic Front just as my friends are trying to strengthen UPND by geographical strength. That's what it’s all about because if you talk about geographical strength all the stories going round and round over this geographical strength.”
And Kabimba wondered how Nkombo could question his understanding of the pact when he was part of the meeting that consummated it and drafted the communiqué on June 4, 2009.
Kabimba said he did not know why Nkombo was left out of the UPND delegation that met the PF to discuss the formation of the pact.
He said it was very clear that UPND did not enter into the pact in good faith.
“And the indicators that UPND did not come into this pact in good faith are the following; the fact that they have refused to acknowledge just the mere fact that PF has more MPs than UPND.
They have also refused to acknowledge the fact that Michael Sata going by the 2006 and 2008 elections came out to be more popular than Mr Hichilema,” Kabimba said. “They have to date been dragging their feet against these facts to discuss the issue of who should be the president of the pact and also the presidential candidate in 2011.
Instead what they have done is to instigate their junior officers like Joe Kalusa to be continuously attacking Mr Sata, Dr Guy Scott and myself as secretary general of PF. And against these attacks I have not heard Mr Hichilema condemn these consistent attacks by junior members of UPND against the PF senior membership. Certainly, this cannot be an organization that is in this pact in good faith.”
Kabimba said UPND was appealing for public sympathy in the hope of changing next year’s voting pattern.
However, he noted that the PF was too big and had strong membership and could not be swayed by public sympathy.
“For me it is not a question of being in support of or against this pact. It is about who is able, from the PF, to see the bad faith projected by the UPND. The views I have projected have not been different whether in UPND or PF meetings and in one on one meetings with Mr Hichilema himself,” Kabimba said.
“For as long as I believe that the pact is working to weaken PF I will not support it. Neither will I pretend that it is working to the benefit of the country. UPND is riding on the horse of duplicity, which I cannot support.
I am not a Chola boy of anybody whether in UPND or PF. I have a very independent position whether in UPND or PF. I don’t look over my shoulders when I am expressing a view. I just express my view.”
Kabimba said Hichilema was aware of his views over the relationship between the PF and UPND and Nkombo would do well to ask him.
He said the differences that surrounded the fielding of candidates during the Luena, Chadiza and Chama by-elections appeared to be an isolated incident but the issues surrounding Chilanga were now proving otherwise.
“I wrote a letter this morning telling them that their position on Chilanga does not represent the position of PF.
I wrote the letter to their secretary general and there is nothing secret about it. The correlation between Luena and Chadiza and Chama, issues precipitated to this level where you The Post were even accused of having fueled the confusion that was there at the time.
But this time there was meeting on Friday September 17 and the UPND had put a conditionality that the working group cannot address the issue of who fields in Mpulungu Constituency unless the issue of who fields in Chilanga is also part of the agenda,” Kabimba explained.
“But the PF group had no mandate to discuss that matter because we have not held any internal consultations up to now. So that meeting was deferred to Tuesday and PF gave in to discuss Chilanga when we had not done any consultation internally.
On Luena, the impression was that it was a one off. I was clear in my mind that this was not a one off and this issue of Chilanga goes to prove that.”
Kabimba said there was no memorandum of understanding between PF and UPND but a communiqué drawn last year.
“It is very clear that they didn’t come in good faith and Hichilema thought that he would come into this thing like they did in UDA. They thought they would walk in and subdue all of us and appear as champions and get Hichilema to the helm. That is why they find a guy like me as being anti-pact,” said Kabimba.
“Up to now they are avoiding to discuss the presidency. We have said let us appoint a mediator but they don’t want to pick mediators. I have had one on one meetings with Hichilema and he knows my position.
I have told him that ‘if your main objective is being president of the pact, then that is impossible’. It’s not like I vacillate or shift positions depending on who is standing in front of me. My position has been very consistent and nothing can shock anybody.”
Labels: GARY NKOMBO, MICHAEL SATA, PF-UPND, WYNTER KABIMBA
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We’re with you, Mazabuka UPND officials tell M’membe
By Fridah Zinyama
Sat 03 July 2010, 14:30 CAT
UPND Mazabuka Central constituency and ward officials on Friday visited Post editor Fred M’membe to offer him solidarity following his release from prison last month.
The UPND Mazabuka Central Constituency leadership had visited Lusaka to see how Parliament works and then later decided to pass through The Post to show their Solidarity to M’membe and see how The Post operates.
Heading the delegation was Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo who said the officials from his constituency had felt the need to show solidarity to M’membe.
“The essence of this visit Mr M’membe is to come and give you solidarity from the UPND organ in Mazabuka...the people you see here comprise of party leaders from Mazabuka Central,” Nkombo said.
“These are the people who lead the people I represent. They are coming from four wards in Mazabuka but unfortunately we do not have representation from the fifth ward due to logistical problems they could not be here with us.”
In his introduction of M’membe to his delegation, Nkombo described M’membe as a tribal cousin because he was Lozi.
“In many ways, he is connected with us because he is our tribal cousin and is also married to the late Mazoka’s daughter, Mutinta...so he is one of us,” Nkombo said.
And one of the party leaders, Ronald Simukonda, offered a prayer asking God to protect M’membe in his time of trials and tribulation. Simukonda asked God to continue watching over M’membe and his family and strengthen him even as he goes through the trying times.
And Mazabuka Central Constituency chairman David Namundamana thanked M’membe for afforded them an opportunity to meet with them.
“We came to show our solidarity to you, as Mazabuka this is the newspaper that we read widely, because it continues to provide hope for the country and it writes about the issues that relate to the masses ...and this will be the case for generations to come.” he said.
Namundamana assured M’membe of the UPND Mazabuka organ support even as he goes through tribulation.
“We just wanted to let you know that in all that may be your tribulations, the Mazabuka Constituency is behind you and the support we are giving you now will continue in the years to come,” Namundamana said.
“You have our support at all times. Even if you are going through hard times we are with you and even if you go through good times, we are with you.”
Namundamana expressed hopefulness that come next year’s election, the PF/UPND Pact could deliver the Zambian people from the current sufferings and assured M’membe of the UPND support even when they are in power.
And M’membe thanked the officials for the time they had taken to pay him a visit.
“I would like to extend our thanks to our area member of parliament Honourable Gary Nkombo. I say our MP because as The Post we have an office in Mazabuka and we just recently purchased a building as we were operating from rented properties,” M’membe said.
“One cannot buy property in a place that he does not consider home. We are in Mazabuka to stay.”
M’membe also thanked the UPND officials for their prayers. He said it was important for one to be spiritually sensitive in these times.
“…we are very lucky in Mazabuka that you have represented us very well,” he said.
M’membe praised Nkombo for the role that he has continued to play in parliament as a legislator. He said even though he was not sure of what Nkombo had accomplished in his constituency in terms of projects, he was sure that Nkombo had conducted himself with sufficient honour and integrity as a people’s representive in Parliament.
“I know that there are elections coming next year. One would assume that I am campaigning for him. I am not. I am just stating that which has to be stated,” M’membe said.
He said though he was meeting the UPND party officials for the first time, they were doing a great job.
“What you are doing is very important. Politics is not a dirty job. It is in actual fact a very noble call, as it involves the lives of many people,” he said. “The decisions you make today will affect future generations.”
M’membe said multi-party politics was demanding but like everything that was good it was also very costly.
M’membe said the job of a councillor was as important as that of an MP.
“Without you, the MP will not be able to do what he is doing,” he said. “Take seriously what you are doing.”
M’membe then quoted Confucius: “He who secures good has already secured his own good.” He further encouraged the councillors to continue the good work that they were doing as it was benefitting a lot of people.
“You have decided to play a part in politics, you have a responsibility to all the districts in the country,” M’membe said.
“Take care of your country, unite to give us a future that we deserve to raise our children, dry our tears and take away our despair and replace it with hope. It takes sacrifice to save others and we will just give you our respect because we do not have resources to support your good work.”
And Nkombo said councillors in his constituency had been agents of change and their leadership had been serious and unwavering.
Labels: FRED M'MEMBE, GARY NKOMBO, THE POST, UPND
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Nkombo cautions Mangani against abusing his office
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sat 08 May 2010, 04:10 CAT
MAZABUKA Central UPND legislator Gary Nkombo has cautioned home affairs minister Lameck Mangani that Zambians shall punish him when he leaves office if he continues abusing his office to persecute political opponents. Nkombo accused Mangani of ruthlessly targeting perceived opponents of President Rupiah Banda.
“Home affairs minister Mr Lameck Mangani, Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde and President Mr Rupiah Banda are dangerously coming very close to fit the text book definition of the Gestapo agents that wreaked havoc under the dreadful Hitler regime in Germany as he ruthlessly targets those he perceives to be critical of the way they are managing state business and governance,” Nkombo stated on Tuesday.
“I would like to caution you minister that if you continue this abuse, people shall remember to punish you with the same venom when you are no longer holding public office and please do not forget this that whilst human beings come and go, institutions remain and the only thing that is constant in life is change.”
He stated that Mangani should not think that he could jump on a high horse, drunk with ill-gotten power and think he could cower people with divergent views into silence.
“It is extremely ridiculous that this scandalously politically base man masquerading as a public servant can even be allowed to be minister of home affairs, a ministry that is supposed to be in the fore-front of protecting citizens not threatening them with arrests or investigations,” he stated.
“Under Mangani as home minister, no one has been spared of a threat of either an investigation or an arrest as long as they are perceived to be enemies of Banda and this is unacceptable behavior. It must be condemned by a large section of the Zambian community that pay Mangani through tax contributions.”
He stated that Zambians would not remain silent and watch MMD abuse public office at the expense of taxpayers’ money in a bid to shut perceived enemies up.
“They must be warned that the same tactics they are using against the oppositions now will be used against them when the MMD falls in 2011,” stated Nkombo.
Labels: CORRUPTION, GARY NKOMBO, LAMECK MANGANI
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Rupiah has launched red card campaign in Mazabuka – Nkombo
By Mwala Kalaluka
Mon 29 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda unknowingly launched the ‘red card campaign’ on behalf of Fr Frank Bwalya to the people of Mazabuka’s Mugoto area last Friday, area UPND parliamentarian Gary Nkombo has stated.
Nkombo stated in a press release yesterday that President Banda forgot his main purpose of re-commissioning the Albidon Nickel Project and launched the Red Card Campaign to people of Mugoto who had never heard of it.
“Bickering has become the order of the day,” Nkombo stated. “The President in his quest to remain in power forgot the purpose for which he went there and opened his speech by seeking re-election in 2011, and then unknowingly launched the ‘red card campaign’.”
Nkombo stated that Mugoto people were asking him what the President’s business was talking about Father Bwalya; a man they had never heard of.
“I say well done Sir for now they know what the campaign is all about as I was duty bound to explain a little further to them, being their faithful servant,” Nkombo stated. “Bravo Your Excellency, Father Bwalya’s job was done so articulately.”
Nkombo pointed out that the people’s expectations during the re-commissioning ceremony were very clear.
“We thought the President would insist to Jinchuan, the new majority shareholders of the investment, to immediately commence the fulfillment of the social obligations that went with the displacements of the traditional owners of the land at Mugoto,” Nkombo stated further. “Alas, our head of State was seen on National TV at Munali relishing admonishing Mr. Sata and calling Mr. Hichilema and the UPND that he leads as a tribal party.”
Nkombo charged that this was an example of poor leadership on President Banda’s part.
Nkombo stated that US President Barack Obama was an inspiration to the UPND-PF Pact as he had just realised his political dream barely a year into office.
“President Obama’s latest historic triumph in pushing the health bill through the senate must inspire leaders around the world, especially Zambia to concentrate on issue-based politics rather than rhetoric,” he stated. “Under the landmark health bill, up to US$950 billion will be spent immediately on capturing an estimated 32 million previously uninsured Americans over a period of 10 years.”
Nkombo indicated that these are the politics the Pact wants to play ahead of the 2011 elections, not trivial and personal issues.
“We shall beseech people to give President Vasco Da Banda Red Card constitutionally in the next polls and bring sense to politics,” Nkombo stated.
Nkombo condemned the vehement manner the government shot down a private member’s motion to streamline health delivery in the nation recently.
“These are the issues we ought to be discussing ahead of the 2011 elections, not whether our Pact partner Mr Michael Sata was arrested 50 years ago or not; it’s a waste of time and a campaign in futility,” Nkombo stated.
Labels: GARY NKOMBO, RED CARD CAMPAIGN
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Nkombo reveals Kunda’s covert scheme
By Chibaula Silwamba
Sat 06 Mar. 2010, 04:20 CAT
MAZABUKA Central parliamentarian
Gary Nkombo yesterday claimed that
Vice-President George Kunda asked him with his Siavonga counterpart Douglas Syakalima to covertly work with the UPND in 2008 as he had no confidence in then acting President Rupiah Banda.
Reacting to Vice-President Kunda’s continued allegation that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was earmarked to be replaced by Nkombo and Syakalima would be appointed vice-president of the party, Nkombo said he had resorted to reveal whatever Vice-President Kunda, then justice minister, told him in confidence.
Nkombo said in September 2008 at the Parliament balcony, Vice-President Kunda asked to covertly work with the UPND because he had no confidence in President Banda, whom he described as a dictator.
“Mr Banda must know, and I have proof to this effect that Mr George Kunda did not even have confidence in him at the time that he ascended to the office of the Presidency.
During the campaign, George Kunda came to Douglas Syakalima and I to usher his officials from the MMD in Muchinga to start working with us covertly because he did not have any confidence that he will be retained in the new Rupiah Banda government. That is the fact and I challenge George Kunda to refute,” Nkombo said.
“At the balcony of Parliament, George Kunda, myself and Douglas Syakalima spoke about this matter. But you know luck favours fools, he already forgets that we also have a lot of information that can be backed by evidence that George Kunda was going to usher his entire Muchinga Constituency committee to start working covertly with the UPND.
Mr Mwanawasa died on the 19th August 2008, right? Kunda approached us in the first week of September 2008. He was dead scared. He called Mr Rupiah Banda a dictator. Mr George Kunda did not support Mr Rupiah Banda’s candidacy and everybody knows that, it should not even be a secret. Mr Banda called him maybe to start galvanising the MMD.”
He said there was a lot he knew about Vice-President Kunda.
“He Vice-President Kunda said he wanted to be with the UPND if Rupiah Banda threw him out. So he is a double- tongued fellow and not to be trusted. If George Kunda has got what it takes, let him stand up and challenge that statement.
There is a lot that we can say about our interaction with George Kunda when he was justice minister, how scared he was with Rupiah Banda, how he called Rupiah Banda a dictator. We have got that information. We have had several meetings with George Kunda, Douglas Syakalima and myself.
But he forgets that politics must remain politics. But since he has started now making these stupid innuendoes, we have no choice but to expose him.”
He said Vice-President Kunda had no confidence in the systems he works with.
Nkombo said he had a lot of respect for the office of the Vice-President but not Kunda.
Nkombo said Vice-President Kunda was concocting lies about the UPND that never existed.
Labels: DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA, GARY NKOMBO, GEORGE KUNDA
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It’s irresponsible for govt to trivialise contaminated diesel issue – Nkombo
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Sat 27 Feb. 2010, 07:20 CAT
ENERGY parliamentary committee member Gary Nkombo yesterday advised people to seek compensation from the government if their vehicles and machinery develop faults as a result of using contaminated diesel.
Commenting on the matter where TAZAMA supplied diesel on the market, which had impurities such as water and dust particles, Nkombo said it was irresponsible for the MMD government to trivialise the incident as a simple matter.
“The Ndola Fuel Terminals which are operated by TAZAMA were closed for a very long time to undergo rehabilitation works worth millions of dollars and we expected that all problems had been resolved but how come there are leakages resulting in fuel contamination and it is not a simple matter to separate fuel from water,” said Nkombo.
“Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have been inconvenienced and I urge those people who have used this contaminated diesel and developed faults to seek compensation because it is the failure and irresponsibility of this government and also TAZAMA should explain in no uncertain terms how many quantities are contaminated.”
And energy parliamentary committee chairperson Percy Chanda said the MMD government was not serious with what it was doing.
“People should not be inconvenienced in this way especially that fuel drives the economy in general and why should people be given a commodity that did not pass through quality control system and who is going to pay for the damages to equipment and vehicles?” asked Chanda.
“If TAZAMA does not have a quality control system, let them install it now and if they have, why didn’t people follow the guidelines because this is the second time that fuel is being recalled but the damage has already been done.”
On Monday, TAZAMA offloaded large quantities of diesel on the market, which was later found to contain excess water and mud and concerned OMCs had started returning the contaminated fuel to the terminal.
Energy permanent secretary Teddy Kasonso described the contamination of diesel as a simple matter that would be resolved soon.
Labels: DIESEL, GARY NKOMBO, TAZAMA
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Rupiah is mocking Zambians – Sata
By George Chellah and Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 23 Oct. 2009, 04:00 CAT
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday said President Rupiah Banda was mocking Zambians with his insincere apology over the current fuel crisis.
And parliamentary committee on energy former chairperson Gary Nkombo charged that President Banda must have taken a punitive action against energy minister Kenneth Konga. Reacting to President Banda’s apology to the nation over the fuel shortage, Sata observed that President Banda thinks Zambians are very foolish.
“Rupiah is just mocking the people of Zambia, he is not apologising. He is not genuine with his apology on the fuel crisis. He thinks that Zambians are very foolish,” he said.
On President Banda’s statement that nobody believes that he Sata goes to queue up for fuel, Sata wondered whether President Banda’s government had ever advertised for filling stations that were exclusively for ‘big people’ the President referred to.
“Since he is a ‘big man’ like he has said it himself, let him tell us where ‘big people’ are supposed to go and queue up when there is no fuel,” he said.
Sata said it was difficult for President Banda to appreciate the fact that he was able to move with a container and queue up for fuel like anybody else because the President lacks humility.
“Rupiah doesn’t care about the people because he is a ‘big man’ and as a ‘big man’ he is not affected by the current fuel shortage. That’s why I am saying he wasn’t even apologising, he was merely mocking us for being on the queue for fuel whilst ‘big people’ like him were calmly waiting for their tanks to be filled,” Sata said.
“He says since I would like to be the next President why should I go to a filling station with a container? Probably let me also ask him what sort of a President he is who is not concerned with the suffering of the masses. He is so detached from the problems people are facing that’s why he doesn’t care. He only loves flying on his presidential jet leaving problems and all such issues back home. ”
He said President Banda was aloof.
“Rupiah is having difficulties of queuing for fuel because he has never been close to the people. I have always been close to the grassroots…the masses, that’s why I understand the difficulties they are facing. This is what distinguishes me from him and his colleagues,” Sata said.
“But for him, he is always close to the ‘big people’, no wonder it’s only the ‘big people’ that are advising him on this fuel crisis.”
Sata warned that the fuel situation if left unattended would have serious effects on the country’s agriculture sector. And Nkombo, who is also Mazabuka Central UPND member of parliament, said President Banda was brave to apologise over the fuel crisis but that was not the solution to the problem.
“I think it is only proper to give him the necessary accolades for his bravery to make a public apology for the mess they have caused. But I am sure he realises that he cannot go on masquerading forever,” Nkombo said.
“He President Banda has demonstrated that the levels of sincerity are not as high because this matter required not only a corrective action to demonstrate his disappointment with his minister but a punitive one because I mean this is terrible. I keep saying that a lot of man-hours have been lost in the economy because all that people do now, their preoccupation is to queue for fuel.”
He said the current fuel crisis was affecting production in the country.
“Who is going to compensate for those lost hours of work, of productivity? So it’s not sufficient for him to just say sorry and yet nothing is still correct. You cannot imagine a situation where the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. And every so often I am sure he exchanges notes with his minister. So I think they have failed, they must just admit,” Nkombo said.
“However, it will be unfair to just condemn the man completely, better late than never.”
Nkombo said the fact that President Banda apologised showed that he admitted the mistakes but it did not mean that he had solved the problem.
On Wednesday, President Banda apologised to the nation over the fuel crisis the country has been experiencing for two weeks now.
Labels: GARY NKOMBO, KENNETH KONGA, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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Rupiah’s approach is wrong – Nkombo
Written by Mwala Kalaluka and Joan Chirwa
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:00:16 AM
MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo has said the approach that President Rupiah Banda has taken over the genetically modified organism (GMO) maize saga is wrong for a head of state.
And Pelum Zambia research and organisation development officer Martin Bertram has warned that allowing GM maize into Zambia will have far reaching consequences on crop production.
Meanwhile, Zambia Agricultural Commodities Exchange (ZAMACE) executive director Brian Tembo has advised the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to purchase maize through the exchange to promote transparency.
Featuring on Muvi TV's The Matter at Hand programme on Monday night, Nkombo said the recent questionable importation of GMO maize by the FRA may have been an 'organised' crisis.
"I think that the truth has no disguise, no matter how much you want to conceal it, the truth will always come out," Nkombo responded to questions from the programme's presenter Augustine Lungu.
"Government officials tend to have a syndrome of not willing to give full disclosure. They forget their core responsibility that they have a duty to answer to the people who put them there...when you light a fire you have to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt that something is going to burn."
Nkombo said President Banda should have kept away from the matter as much as possible instead of coming to the defense of the people behind the procurement of the GMO maize.
"There is a difficulty in the manner in which the procurement of what was supposed to be non-GMO maize was procured. The procurement may have been an organised crisis. Who is fooling who? Under five months ago, and I have got documents and it is now public knowledge, the government exported maize to a foreign country. Come on, what type of foresight is that?" he asked. "Mark Daniels and GIA International started tying up in the month of December...is it not coincidence that already the head of state, I saw him on TV saying that him and his other family members had nothing to do with it. Come on, it is close to call."
Nkombo said there should be no room for fooling people on this matter, which could have serious and unascertained health implications on the Zambian people.
He urged President Banda to allow the people that had created the mess to answer for themselves.
"What the head of state should have done is to allow the direct players defend themselves. When something has gone wrong, it has gone wrong. There is no disguise to the truth," he said.
"President Banda should have kept his dignity and keep away from this matter, clearly from this matter because the individuals who are involved in this matter are old enough to answer for themselves."
Nkombo said it was vexing that despite Ministry of Agriculture officials travelling to South Africa to ascertain the quality of the maize, no independent superintendent was taken before transportation of the consignment.
He pointed out that it was extremely difficult to manually detect GMO maize, as it tasted just like any other maize, and he commended the local laboratory specialists for acting quickly and effectively.
Nkombo said it would be imprudent for President Banda's administration to backtrack on the country's non-GMO consumption stance just to please their friends in GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited, who are the suppliers of the maize in question.
Nkombo said the policy not to allow the consumption of GMO, especially in the Zambian staple food, was a machination of the MMD government and he recalled that the late president Levy Mwanawasa, on whose legacy President Banda had ridden onto his presidency, had put his foot down on GMOs.
"I heard the President say we have to open the debate on GMOs, for expediency's sake. I think the answer is no. I think we need to be more transparent," Nkombo said. "You cannot U-turn on your own policy."
Last Friday, FRA board chairperson Costain Chilala disclosed that over 75 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes imported last week by the agency had been sent back to South Africa because it was GMO type. However, Chilala could not state the exact quantities of maize that had been sent back.
Sources at Ministry of Agriculture linked President Banda's son, James, to the maize importation but when contacted James said; "I don't care what anyone prints."
And President Banda said he was not aware of his son's involvement in the importation of maize.
"I've checked because I have seen in the papers. So I understand it has nothing to do with my son. This particular maize, which is coming in now, I don't know who brought it in and how. Regarding my son, as far as I'm concerned I gave you all my sons. Does it mean that anybody who is related to me should cease to participate in whatever is happening in this country? Is this the first time my son has lived? He's been around for a long time and I think quite successful even when I was not President or Vice-President," President Banda said before departure for Tanzania on Monday.
Labels: BRIAN TEMBO, GARY NKOMBO, GMO, MAIZE, MARTIN BERTRAM, PELUM ZAMBIA, RUPIAH BANDA, ZAMACE
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Nkombo reveals suppliers of rejected GMO maize
Written by Allan Mulenga and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:58:22 PM
MAZABUKA UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo has said the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) maize which was rejected by Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was supplied by GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited.And agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo yesterday rebuked FRA executive director Dr Anthony Mwanaumo for referring all queries on GMO maize to him, saying he was not FRA spokesperson.
Briefing the press on Friday, Nkombo challenged home affairs minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa to quickly institute investigations, so as to establish people who were behind the two companies engaged for the supply of maize.
"We have declared the matter a scandal and we therefore, challenge Dr Kalombo Mwansa to find out who GIA International and Mark Daniels Zambia Limited are and their associates in the country because we shall not accept a situation where people close to the corridors of powers would want to benefit at the expense of poor Zambians," he said.
Nkombo hoped that no money had been wasted through the importation of GMO maize.
"It is extremely important because the food we eat forms part of our life. We have heard that Choma Milling Company has suspended its operations because of shortage of maize and there have been reports of mealie-meal shortages in major towns of the country," he said.
Nkombo said the government was to blame for the deficit in the staple food in the nation; saying they could have sourced non-GMO maize from other countries.
And Dr Chituwo said it was the duty of FRA to release information on the GMO maize importation as they were the implementing arm of the government.
"My advice is get to FRA. We make policy and they are our implementing arm. This whole process is in implementation stage and Dr Mwanaumo will be able to ably update you," Dr Chituwo said.
When reminded that Dr Mwanaumo had vehemently refused to comment on the matter insisting that only the agriculture minister could make a statement on the matter, Dr Chituwo said: "But how can you believe him? He is not my boss, but now he is directing me to be his spokesperson? Let me talk to him then I will get back to you."
By press time yesterday, Dr Mwanaumo could not be reached as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda observed that the current scandal on the importation of 35,000 metric tonnes of GMO maize clearly showed that the country would see more scandals in President Rupiah Banda's administration than in the Frederick Chiluba regime.
Lubinda challenged Dr Chituwo to clearly state the circumstances under which the maize was imported rather than referring the matter to FRA.
"But when government enters into under hand methods when they are caught, they fail to disclose what their course of action will be," Lubinda said. "At the rate things are going, we are bound to see even bigger scandals than the ones we ever saw in Chiluba days. The Rupiah Banda regime has been in office for less than 100 days but we have heard of so many scandals. You saw today in your newspaper the story you carried about the minister deciding to go against the advice of the Attorney General's chambers...we are bound to see more scandals than this country has ever seen."
Lubinda also challenged Dr Chituwo to admit the GMO maize scandal and not to put the blame on FRA.
"FRA is an agency of the government of the Republic of Zambia and they perform the functions of the Minister of Agriculture and there is no way the minister can say that he is not able to comment because he is not the spokesperson of FRA," Lubinda said. "FRA is just an agent and therefore the minister has all powers to comment. It is his duty. When FRA comments, they are actually commenting on behalf of the minister. So he [Dr Chituwo] should not run away from his responsibilities and putting the blame on the shoulders of FRA. That is not correct. The minister should own up."
Lubinda also warned of massive shortages of mealie-meal in the country owing to the manner in which the maize importation was being handled.
"I do not know but I am very sure that once you follow this up, it won't be shocking that there are some big shots involved in this deal," said Lubinda. "We didn't hear of the government change on the position on GMO products. As a result of attempts by this company to cheat the Zambian people by bringing cheaper GMO maize under the guise that it is non-GMO, there is going to be a huge shortage of maize and therefore mealie-meal in Zambia will go up purely because of the greed of the people who were contracted to bring in non-GMO maize."
Last Friday, FRA board chairman Costain Chilala disclosed that over 75 per cent of the 35,000 metric tonnes of maize imported last week by the agency had been sent back to South Africa because it was GMO type.
Chilala claimed that all the trucks that had GMO maize had been sent back to South Africa where it was sourced. However, Chilala could not state the exact quantity of maize that had been sent back.
Labels: GARY NKOMBO, GMO, KALOMBO MWANSA, MAIZE
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Munkombwe urges Mazabuka teachers to vote for Rupiah
By Lambwe Kachali in Mazabuka
Sunday October 19, 2008 [04:00]
Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe on Friday suspended classes for pupils at St Edmunds Secondary School when he held a closed-door meeting with teachers from all schools in Mazabuka in a bid to convince them to vote for MMD presidential candidate Rupiah Banda. And Munkombwe said late president Levy Mwanawasa fired pastor Nevers Mumba as Republican vice-president because he is politically overzealous.
Meanwhile, Mazabuka UPND member of parliament Gary Nkombo condemned Munkombwe's political desperation by quarantining teachers, thereby denying pupils time to learn at the expense of winning the October 30 presidential election.
Addressing the closed-door meeting, Munkombwe attacked Heritage Party president Brigadier Godfrey Miyanda, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema. The meeting lasted about four hours.
Munkombwe described Brig Gen Miyanda as a loner who had nothing to offer to Zambians. He wondered how Brig Gen Miyanda could win the election when he struggled to raise 200 supporters during the filing in of nomination papers.
At this point, the teachers murmured and wondered whether the essence of the meeting was to hear Munkombwe's attacks on other political players.
“Please, I don't think I am worth murmurs because I have not said anything,” Munkombwe responded. “…So far we have General Miyanda, I think you know him. If you think he is the best person to run this country, you should know that he is a loner. Democracy doesn't allow murmuring and shouting.
And for me to qualify that thing of democracy, I have to talk about individuals. If I don't talk about General Miyanda, how are you going to vote for him? Let me talk about him. He is a loner. To get 200 supporters, he had to struggle.”
Munkombwe said he was a UPND founding member but quit because the party did not have a national tag.
“In politics you must have a vehicle to carry you to State House, and that vehicle is a political party,” Munkombwe said. “Now, there was a formation of UPND and people don't know how UPND was formed. I know. It was me and Jeremiah Munang'andu and two others.
Because we didn't like MMD that time, we went to see Levy Mwanawasa. We told him that ‘look we are not happy with some people in MMD and can we form a party'? He said to us, 'me I have a programme in MMD. I have a vision, which I want to achieve in MMD. You go and see Jack Chama.'
“We drove to Jack's house and we agreed with Jack. And we went back and told him president Mwanawasa that Jack is ready. But he was very agitative against us. It was him who said, 'you go and see Anderson Mazoka'. We told Mazoka but he said he was not ready to leave his job that time. Later on, Mazoka came up and proved to be a national leader.
He took Western Province in parliament; he took North-Western Province in parliament, Central Province in parliament and all the 18 seats in Southern Province. So Mazoka had 49 seats in parliament. When Mazoka died, there was a pronouncement that the party UPND was going to be run by a Tonga and a Tonga only. So Mazoka's national colours were erased.”
Munkombwe urged teachers to differentiate between a national leader from a regional leader. He said if Hichilema loses the October 30 election, he would be of no value even in 2011.
“Now in 2006 the man who followed us unfortunately, I don't like him and you don't like him perhaps, was Michael Sata. He lost terribly. And Hakainde, when he loses now on 30th October, he will have lost three times and that will mark the end,” Munkombwe said amid murmurs from teachers.
“Please, if you have no time to listen, you must listen even if it's something you don't like it, even if it's something you don't like to hear about. That is what leadership means. Irrelevant of a political party is based on parliamentary results.”
On pastor Mumba, Munkombwe said the late president Mwanawasa fired him because he was politically overzealous.
“President Mwanawasa settled on Nevers Mumba. I think the country knows what happened,” Munkombwe said. “He became so overzealous to the fact that even when the president was away, he would call a press conference and therefore he didn't have the capacity to be number two to anybody.
He was behaving as if he was number one. When you are a deputy headmaster, your role is to advise your headmaster effectively without being a sellout. So Nevers Mumba was unceremoniously retired.”
Meanwhile, Nkombo said it was ridiculous for Munkombwe to quarantine teachers on a working day for political expedience. He said it was clear that the MMD government did not care for education in the country.
“To hold a meeting with teachers on a Thursday and suspend school business is uncalled for. Munkombwe wants to take the country back to the old days of UNIP. I would like to advise Rupiah Banda to be careful with Munkombwe because he will worsen his already wrecked image,” said Nkombo.
Labels: DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, GARY NKOMBO, RUPIAH BANDA, TEACHERS
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