Chingola PF councillors differ with mayor over plots
By Mwila Chansa-Ntambi in Kitwe
Sat 18 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
IT had to take the intervention of Rebby Chanda, the Patriotic Front Copperbelt Province chairperson, to thwart Chingola PF councillors' attempt to impeach their mayor Ventor Kalebaila for allegedly not giving them plots, The Post understands.
According to well-placed sources in Chingola, PF councillors were up against Kalebaila and had even collected signatures to the effect that he should be impeached for not only failing to give them plots but also allegedly siding with management on a number of issues.
The sources disclosed that Chanda counselled the councillors against impeaching the mayor on trivial grounds because the mayor was just a law-abiding citizen who was following the law in the discharge of his civic duties.
The source added that some PF councillors in Chingola were after plots as could be evidenced by the disagreements that had began emerging in some wards in the district over illegal allocation of plots.
"The councillors are saying the mayor is not giving them plots and that he is weak because he is siding with management, so they wanted to impeach him. But the mayor insisted that the councillors should also follow the same process other citizens are subjected to; as in plots should be advertised and then people should apply," the source said.
"Recently, there was even a meeting at Chingola Basic School on instruction of the provincial chairman to the district officials to discuss the same issue. The councillors were told that the mayor is on the right path."
When contacted, Chanda confirmed his intervention in the disagreements over plots.
"That's right. You can't know, maybe it's overzealousness on the part of our people councillors," Chanda said.
Chanda added that Chingola residents expected a lot from the councillors in terms of addressing the many social challenges the district was faced with and not fights over plots.
He however said all the issues had been resolved.
Chanda said plans were underway to sensitise the councillors on the duties of a civic leader.
Labels: CHINGOLA, IMPEACHMENT, LAND, PF
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Sata can go ahead with impeachment if he wishes - Rupiah
Written by Joseph Mwenda
Tuesday, August 04, 2009 3:18:38 PM
President Rupiah Banda was this morning taken by surprise to hear that Patriotic Front (PF) President Michael Sata has not withdrawn from the impeachment call. Answering questions from journalists at the Lusaka International Airport before his departure for South Africa, President Banda said he was not scared of being impeached.
The journalists wanted to get his comment on Sata’s statement who earlier refuted the lead stories in the Daily Mail and Times of Zambia which quoted the PF leader as having withdrawn his MPs from moving an impeachment motion in Parliament.
“He has refuted? Well, he can go ahead, I have been calling for the impeachment we have received calls from him… but he can go ahead. He is very welcome to impeach, the laws of Zambia allow it. Let’s see how he will do it,” said President Banda.
Vice President George Kunda, Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa and Chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Livingstone were among the delegation that saw off President Banda.
Full story coming up…
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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We’re left with no option but to impeach Rupiah – HH
Written by Patson Chilemba
Saturday, July 18, 2009 9:35:03 PM
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said the UPND and PF have been left with no option but to impeach President Rupiah Banda because he has completely failed the country. In an interview, Hichilema said the PF and UPND would use all the legal provisions at their disposal to remove President Banda and the "corrupt" MMD out of office.
On information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha's statement that Hichilema and PF president Michael Sata were desperate politicians who wanted to go to State House at all cost, Hichilema said he and Sata never created impeachment provisions but were merely being responsible citizens applying the law to remove a corrupt government from office.
"I have always told you that Shikapwasha has a shallow mind. That is a legal provision, which is part of government, and when they are excessive like this government, you are left with no option. You are aware that Frederick Chiluba has no immunity. Was it not this same government which applied the law to remove that immunity?" Hichilema asked. "We are invoking any other democratic avenue to deal with a government which is impervious, which is irresponsible. And if we wanted to go to State House at all cost, would Shikapwasha stop us? Because the conditions are ripe for that. He wants us to send cadres on the streets? The biggest impeachment is 2011. If we do not achieve now, we won't be discouraged."
And Hichilema said allowing the finance minister to be the paymaster for the executive, the judiciary and the legislature would only help in compromising all the arms of the government.
Hichilema said it was disgraceful for the government to want to make the minister of finance a paymaster for the politicians, civil servants and the Judiciary.
He said already there were complaints that the Judiciary was compromised.
Hichilema said allowing the minister of finance to be the paymaster would be a negation to the separation of powers.
Recently, Sata said the government wanted to introduce two bills to create different salary structures for politicians and those for civil servants.
He said the government would introduce the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Emoluments) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
The Bill states as follows: "(a) empower the Minister responsible for finance to prescribe, by statutory instrument, the emoluments payable to the holder of the office of Vice-President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Minister, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Private Member of the National Assembly; and (b) provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing."
Sata said there was another salary structure aimed at making the minister of finance a paymaster for those in the judiciary.
Sata said the practice in the Commonwealth was that salaries for politicians and those for the judiciary should go through parliament.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, IMPEACHMENT, RUPIAH BANDA
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Impeachment will succeed – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba and Mwala Kalaluka
Friday, July 17, 2009 5:15:25 AM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday asked President Rupiah Banda to resign in order to avoid the embarrassment of an impeachment.
But chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha charged that Sata was a desperate politician whose only preoccupation was to get to State House. In an interview, Sata said President Banda should not underestimate the move to impeach him.
"He can avoid impeachment by resigning. He can follow the example of former United States president Richard Nixon when Congress wanted to impeach him over the water gate scandal. Rupiah Banda can do the same. He should avoid this embarrassing episode by resigning because the impeachment will definitely succeed," Sata said. "PF and UPND are now busy talking to friendly MMD. The only draw-back over the two-thirds is because of the rebels who will be bribed. By the end of the debate, there will be very little left of Mr Rupiah Banda. In fact those in MMD are even complaining that he is paying more attention to the rebel PF MPs than them."
Sata said he had instructed his members of parliament to oppose the draconian laws President Banda wanted to introduce over the Zambia Tanzania Pipeline Act and the other bills seeking to make the finance minister a pay master for the politicians, the Judiciary and civil servants.
"If they [members of parliament] want to be treated like garden boys, let them go ahead and accept these bills," Sata said.
He said because President Banda was highly irresponsible, the police had not yet been paid their June salaries.
He wondered where President Banda had taken the money.
"For the first time in history of Zambia, police are being treated like former Congolese soldiers, ba kaboke. If people at NCC [National Constitutional Conference] do not collect their money, that is not a problem. But a policemen will be forced to order a one-man road block if he is not paid," said Sata. "Those are reasons why Rupiah Banda should be impeached. On the midterm gratuity, it is not law, so let him and the MMD show leadership by not collecting that money. They will have our support when they show leadership."
But Lt Gen Shikapwasha said Sata was just desperate because he had seen that President Banda was performing.
He advised Sata to wait for 2011 if he really wanted to be President.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said President Banda had ensured peace but Sata had failed to contribute towards the well-being of the nation.
"It is inconsequential for him to call for an impeachment because he has not given the people of Zambia reasons. How can he say he is working with MMD members when he is not our member? Let him not try to shift the problems of his party to another party. People are resigning in his party," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said. "President Banda is doing a lot of things without the support of you The Post or the opposition. He is undemocratic. There has never been a time when you have written a story that Sata is undemocratic. As the adage goes, birds of the same feather flock together."
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said if the UPND and PF pact was worth its salt, they should shoot down the bills government would present to Parliament.
He said the bill regarding TAZAMA was meant to protect Zambians and not foreigners.
Lt Gen Shikapwasha said the government intends to streamline the payment of allowances through the bills to be presented to Parliament.
On the appointment of Dora Siliya and Michael Mabenga as education minister and lands deputy minister respectively, Lt Gen Shikapwasha said Siliya was cleared by the courts, and so there was nothing wrong with her appointment.
He also said there was no court ruling that Mabenga should not serve as minister or member of parliament.
MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba described Sata's claims that some parliamentarians in the ruling party support the opposition's bid to impeach President Banda, as extreme wishful thinking.
Kalumba said no MMD parliamentarian had approached him openly or privately to intimate to him, as the party's chief executive officer, that there was an internal rebellion against President Banda.
" I think that my big man may be dreaming and I would like to say my big man, because I do not like to use abusive language," Kalumba said in an interview. "If it is wishful thinking, it is only one of the extreme kind."
Kalumba said no MMD parliamentarian in their right sense could even entertain thoughts of impeaching President Banda.
"I can confidently say that all our members of parliament are fully behind the President," he said. "It is a time-wasting exercise. I do not know for what political capital they want to do that but I see it as a fruitless exercise."
Kalumba urged the opposition politicians to behave in a statesmanlike manner and avoid situations that would enhance tension in the country.
"Talk of impeachment of a sitting President does not come easy. It is a very serious matter. It sends some signals not only to the political community but also the investor community, both locally and internationally," Kalumba said. "When you begin to talk about impeachment you are signifying a political legal impasse has been reached."
On Wednesday, Sata said President Banda had created several scandals since assuming office eight months ago.
He said President Banda had breached the Constitution by appointing corrupt people like Siliya and Mabenga.
Sata said President Banda's government wanted to introduce a bill in Parliament to amend the Zambia Tanzania Pipeline Act to provide immunity from execution of judgments against the assets of the Tanzania Mafuta Pipeline Limited as well as provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.
He said the government wanted to run away from paying the US$100 million dollars debt owed to ABSA of South Africa.
Sata said the government wanted to introduce two bills to create different salary structures for politicians and those for civil servants.
He said the government would introduce the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Emoluments) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
The Bill states as follows: "(a) empower the Minister responsible for finance to prescribe, by statutory instrument, the emoluments payable to the holder of the office of Vice-President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Minister, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Private Member of the National Assembly; and (b) provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing."
Sata said there was another salary structure aimed at making the minister of finance a paymaster for those in the Judiciary.
He said the practice in the Commonwealth was that salaries for politicians and those for the Judiciary should go through Parliament.
But Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba said he hoped the introduction of the bills was not aimed at awarding politicians hefty allowances.
Hikaumba said there should be a system to scrutnise salaries and allowances for politicians and those in the Judiciary rather than just coming up with statutory instruments.
He said recently several people had raised observations that the Judiciary was compromised and it should not be left to the minister of finance to determine their allowances.
"As the adage, you can't bite the finger which feeds you," said Hikaumba.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, SATA
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Let the truth be said always
Written by Editor
IT is frightening that after the strong opposition Rupiah Banda and his government faced over increasing the salaries of ministers and other politicians, today they have decided to introduce a bill in this sitting of Parliament to empower the Minister of Finance to prescribe, by statutory instrument, the emoluments payable to the holder of the office of Vice-President, Speaker, deputy speaker, Cabinet minister, leader of the opposition, chief whip, deputy chief whip, deputy minister, deputy chairperson of committees and private member of the National Assembly.
If they could ignore public opinion and all that opposition and go ahead to increase their salaries through an Act of Parliament, what will happen when they are free to quietly and secretly increase their emoluments through a statutory instrument? Whose opposing voice are they going to listen to when they have all the powers to simply pass a statutory instrument and increase their salaries? This is corruption.
And corruption is a serious indictment to level against our politicians. It is important therefore to define what we mean by corruption here, so as to place their actions in a proper perspective.
In general life, we associate corruption with bribery, kickbacks, or misappropriation of public funds and property. But corruption can also be defined as impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle; a departure from the original or from what is pure and correct. To what extent can we therefore say that the actions of our politicians over their emoluments fall within the parameters of this definition?
It is no doubt that politicians, that is the President, ministers and members of parliament, are among the highest paid people in this country, especially those drawing a salary from government. Furthermore, the high emoluments of our politicians compare poorly with the low per capita economic figures in Zambia and the poor performance of our politicians all the way from President to councillor. Their huge emoluments compare grimly with the dismal pay Zambians get in general and the fact that most of the population lives on less than US$ 1 per day.
Our cost of government is too high. Our cost of running the ministries, and the National Assembly, all of which are current, and the benefits of which deliberately relate to certain persons and do not indeed really benefit the generality of Zambians is too high. And because of that very high cost, there is little left for capital projects. Again of course, we know that the level of efficiency in even utilising that capital sum over the years has been questionable. We only hope that better things will be done.
Even if not documented, it is there for all to see, feel, live and experience in the daily lives of the majority of Zambians. Clearly, there is need to shrink this incredible cost of governance in the country.
We should all be alarmed and fearful. What is going on in all the three arms of government are tantamount to, if not worse than, bold-faced, daylight robbery of the people of Zambia. We were recently told by Rupiah at his last press conference that 50 per cent of government's domestic revenues are spent on one per cent of the population which includes, among others, ministers. It is clear that our rulers consume such a high percentage of the total revenue that accrues to it in the name of governance. If this is not daylight, brazen robbery, please tell us what it is. This issue again highlights that our politicians are highly irresponsible and insensitive, and hence the reasons we find ourselves in the mess we are in today, and to which escape seems very impossible, unless very drastic measures and actions are really taken.
One of the crux or factors that are gulping our income is the emoluments of public office holders. The emoluments of public office holders and the judiciary amounts to half of our country's annual budget. And if we add the daily allocation to each of these officers for biscuits and tea, the choice of cars in the convoy of these political appointees and the fuel that propels them, the cost of governance becomes monumental. Surely, this cannot be right and is unsustainable. It also shows that our political office holders are not serving us, but serving their own pockets, and we are serving them too. It is a master-slave relationship. In effect, Zambian politics is self-servicing instead of a call to service. Public office holders live far above the citizens they are expected to serve, thus becoming disconnected from the sufferings and yearnings of the people.
With all these waste and profligacy, corruption, mismanagement, it is no wonder that the government - in all the three arms - hardly has any money left to carry out infrastructural development or maintenance, hence the poor and moribund state of our roads, healthcare system, schools and even public buildings. The government simply does not have enough money to do anything about provision of basic amenities to our people, because the money has gone into individual pockets.
Unless the existing government system is reviewed and restructured to promote greater accountability, optimal performance and drastic reduction of the current astronomical cost of operating the system, the yearnings of our people will be unwarranted. This is why we do not take the words or speeches of our politicians seriously. They like going to press conferences or briefings accompanied by the best speeches and rhetoric in the world, and full of promises, but as soon as they leave, that is the end of it. No wonder even monkeys are annoyed with some of them and urinate on them to express their displeasure because of their lies. Nothing even comes out of them to better the lives of Zambians.
Government, at any given level can be treated as a typical example of a natural monopoly. And like any other unchecked private monopoly, government and by extension governance, can produce sub-optimal units of public good in which it has comparative advantage. Thus, we see the substandard public service that our government has been rendering to Zambians without care. Nothing is done right because they have no competition, and most instructively, because they are never held accountable by the public. In fact, we seem to urge them to perform worse each time. Furthermore, this irresponsible, corrupt mode of governance is put even more under pressure as the scale of the global financial crisis becomes clearer, and its repercussions are felt in every corner of the world, and the extent to which entire societies will suffer will depend partly on the quality of their governance systems. Those countries with governments that enjoy the respect and confidence of their people are likely to weather the stresses more easily than countries where politicians are viewed with disdain, Zambia being one of the latter.
We suspect that Zambia will be hard hit by the crisis, for several reasons. The main one is that Zambia has not risen to the challenge of responsible governance by developing economies based on productive industries and other economic sectors. Our economy and politics have been largely based on a platform of monumental and unchecked official production and inefficient bureaucracy and other result vices that accompany such. Zambia's economy is headed to a crash currently, and we find ourselves particularly weak and vulnerable, given our lack of economic and financial sovereignty. This is not a problem we can blame on anyone else, other than ourselves. It is an economic management problem at one level, but deep down it is failure of political governance. Not surprisingly, the politics of our time in Zambia does not seem to have answers to this problem either.
This is the moment of potentially historic change for courageous and honest leaders who will stand up and tell other political leaders and Zambians the truth about their failures, and suggest a more rational path to national revival and wellbeing. The current global crisis will hurt, but what will hurt more is to respond to it with the same combination of technical incompetence and political irresponsibility that has guided Zambian national development for sometime now.
But our clueless and inept leaders do not care or seem to understand that they are steering the country towards anarchy and mayhem. In fact, they are not even steering at all, because they are busy squabbling over the looting of the treasury, thereby leaving the ship rudderless. This is how best we can view it. Just to take a look at what happens every day at the National Assembly. Our 'elected' representatives wake up in the morning, go to the assembly, sit down, hurl abuses at each other, shout 'hear, hear', then collect their ridiculous sums of money at the end of the day. That is their business done for the day. That explains why in Zambia, politics is a " do-or-die" business. Those who are there, mainly as a result of election malpractices and manipulation never want to leave while those who are still out and want to get there will do anything to get there.
But where do all these live the ordinary Zambian who is simply asking for basic facilities to enable him or her survive in the world? It is really grim prospects for them. There seems to be no hope. And this is why we said that the high cost of governance in Zambia, mainly because of corruption and inept management practices, is not only costing us an arm and a leg but it's costing us our lives as well.
So where is the solution? Our suggestions are not new. They are common sense and everybody knows this is what should be done. In fact, our politicians are aware of what should be done; only they do not want to do it, because it may not be worth their while, or it may simply be that they do not know how to do it.
Frugality and better governance are good places to start. However, with our unabated and unchecked corruption, we don't have a hope in hell. We do not need to be told that working and living in the Zambian bureaucracy long enough and one realises the level of waste, ineffective spending, corruption, lack of transparency and impracticality of the modus operandi. There is no doubt that our bureaucracy is made up of talented, well-meaning and visionary leaders who need to tone down on their ceremonies, rhetoric, workshops, seminars, conferences and other official trips and foreign jamborees, excessive publicity and propaganda campaigns and focus on tapping best practices and ingraining their departments with a way of planning and thinking to optimise each kwacha of state revenue and start thinking less of their own pockets, but of the people they are supposed to serve.
There is urgent need for a comprehensive governance reform to cut down the bloated cost of governance, which has starved essential welfare projects of funds. We are of the opinion that the most important thing is that government must be made unattractive to people who think getting into government is a means of making money. When people know that being in government, either as a politician or as a civil servant is not a lucrative way to make easy money, then we will be able to separate the maize or the grain from the chaff. We will then know that those who are in government really do want to serve. It used to be like this a long time ago under Dr Kenneth Kaunda's leadership. Second, the salaries and allowances of public office holders must be drastically slashed. Third, the bloated civil services and political bureaucracy must be reduced and the number of political jobbers called aides, special advisers, special assistants and so on and so forth must be pruned to the minimum possible.
All these may sound utopian and overly optimistic, given the prevailing state of the country, but all we need is a few good men and women to start it. It is not impossible to turn things around even in the seemingly almost hopeless situation that we have found ourselves.
One thing for sure, Zambia cannot afford to spend up to 50 per cent of its budget oiling the wheels of corruption in the form of useless, unproductive, greedy public office holders. It is outrageous and unsustainable. It is robbery. It is a waste of resources. It is now patently obvious that Zambians have to make the initiatives themselves, in any way, to correct this system of wasteful and retrogressive governance, because the ones at the helm of affairs are unconcerned. Let the truth be said always.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, RUPIAH BANDA, SALARIES
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Most MMD MPs want Rupiah impeached – Sata
Written by Patson Chilemba
Thursday, July 16, 2009 5:12:25 AM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday said most MMD MPs want President Rupiah Banda impeached because he is a danger to the nation if allowed to continue in office.
In an interview, Sata said President Banda was very vulnerable because PF and UPND had the support of some MMD members of parliament who were annoyed at the manner he was governing the country.
"Rupiah Banda warrants an impeachment because of the several scandals that he is committing. Allowing Rupiah Banda to continue for three years, there will be nothing left for Zambia. Rupiah
Banda should not rely on the assurance from Vernon Mwaanga. Mr Rupiah Banda at the moment is very vulnerable. Most MMD members won't behave as MMD when the impeachment comes," Sata said. "There are several members who don't want to speak now. There are several who want us to start moving."
Sata said President Banda had created several scandals since assuming office eight months ago.
He said President Banda had breached the Constitution by appointing corrupt people like Dora Siliya and Michael Mabenga as education minister and lands deputy minister respectively.
Sata said President Banda's government wanted to introduce a bill in Parliament to amend the Zambia Tanzania Pipeline Act to provide immunity from execution of judgments against the assets of the Tanzania Mafuta Pipeline Limited as well as provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.
"Rupiah Banda is worrying me. He is going beyond what UNIP used to do. Government contracted debt on behalf of TAZAMA during Frederick Chiluba, and it's criminal for Rupiah Banda to use Parliament to ... US $100 million from ABSA. IMF is looking; World Bank is looking when government is stealing. What happened was when Levy Mwanawasa took over, the country had difficulties with petroleum products, then government successfully negotiated with Trans Sahara Trading who borrowed 100 million United States dollars from ABSA in South Africa to buy oil to fuel Indeni," Sata narrated.
"In 2003, Levy Mwanawasa cancelled relations with TST and brought in Total. So what Rupiah Banda is doing is, instead of pushing the Zambian government to pay because even George Kunda was justice minister then, he wants to run away. Government owes money on behalf of TAZAMA because the principle share holder is government. All we Zambians have chewed that oil and I will not be part of a government that supports plunder."
Sata said the government wanted to introduce two bills to create different salary structures for politicians and those for civil servants.
He said the government would introduce the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Emoluments) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
Sata said the object of the Bill would be to amend the ministerial and parliamentary offices Act.
The Bill states as follows: "(a) empower the Minister responsible for finance to prescribe, by statutory instrument, the emoluments payable to the holder of the office of Vice-President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Minister, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Private Member of the National Assembly; and (b) provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing."
Sata said there was another salary structure aimed at making the minister of finance a paymaster for those in the Judiciary.
He said the practice in the Commonwealth was that salaries for politicians and those for the Judiciary should go through Parliament.
"But Rupiah Banda is changing that because he will decide how much will be given to each person. When it comes to critical issues, he will give ministers and deputy ministers and other politicians more in order to bribe them, so that they don't make noise. With what is going on in the Judiciary, the quarrels, and then their salaries are not subjected to Parliament, we are in for worse leadership," Sata said. "The policies he is bringing are derived from China where the politburo decide the salaries for civil servants, politicians and the Judiciary."
He said Zambia was in for worse dictatorship than what had been seen elsewhere in the world.
Sata said the scandals President Banda was committing justified the move to impeach him from office.
He said President Banda had been in office for eight months but without anything to show for in terms of performance but just scandals.
Sata said President Banda warranted an impeachment because he would be a big danger to the nation if allowed to continue in office.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, MMD, MPs, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA
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PF, UPND will move impeachment motion against Rupiah – Simuusa
Written by Mutuna Chanda and Mulimbi Mulaliki in Solwezi
Monday, July 13, 2009 7:35:49 AM
NCHANGA Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa has said his party and UPND will move an impeachment motion against President Rupiah Banda when Parliament reopens tomorrow.
During the newsmakers forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post in Solwezi on the sustainability of the PF and UPND pact last Saturday, Simuusa said President Banda's reappointment of Dora Siliya as education minister was an impeachable offence and that the PF and UPND would cooperate over the matter.
"We are bringing an impeachment motion when we open Parliament and we shall use our numbers," Simuusa said. "The President swore to protect the Constitution... Supreme Court judges made a ruling that Dora had breached the Constitution, meanwhile Rupiah Banda appoints her as minister and disregards the Constitution! That's an impeachable offence."
He described as arrogant and incompetence for President Banda to have claimed that he did not need the students' approval to appoint Siliya as education minister.
"Rupiah Banda appoints Dora Siliya as minister when Supreme Court judges have said that the minister made a mistake and he says I don't have to consult anybody; that's arrogance. When somebody speaks like that ninshi atutola [he has looked down on us]," he said.
Simuusa pledged to forward concerns raised by members of the audience over how their interests would be protected in the pact.
And UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa said it would be folly for the two parties to feature as single entities in the 2011 elections.
He charged that the MMD stole the 2001 and 2008 elections and that it would do the same in 2011 if PF and UPND participated as single entities.
He urged Zambians not to focus on Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema if they wanted to progress but to instead look at their sufferings.
Kalusa also urged UPND and PF members not to worry about who was going to be the presidential candidate in 2011.
He said it would work to the pact's advantage not to reveal the presidential candidate until such a time when elections were near.
Kalusa said what was important now for UPND and PF members was to sell the pact such that even if a frog were to be put as presidential candidate, it would win an election.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, PF, RUPIAH BANDA, UPND, WYLBUR SIMUUSA
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Prospect of impeachment proceedings against Banda cheer C/belt residents
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Monday, May 04, 2009 12:23:36 AM
COPPERBELT residents yesterday cheered the prospect of commencing impeachment proceedings against President Rupiah Banda. And police officers in Kitwe disturbed the Patriotic Front (PF) peaceful demonstration, which was held to show displeasure at massive job losses in the mines and the increase in mealie-meal prices, after they prevented the crowd from passing through the city centre.
About 300 police officers were deployed in Kitwe to ensure order during the PF’s peaceful demonstration.
PF parliamentarians based on the Copperbelt and party vice-president Guy Scott led the protesters who were under strict guard by police officers in riot gear.
The protesters marched from Kitwe Fire Brigade offices to Freedom Park where PF leaders addressed them.
A horde of police officers blocked the demonstrators from proceeding to the town centre before going to Freedom Park.
At Freedom Park, PF president Michael Sata addressed the demonstrators, urging them to be united and not to be intimidated by police.
"We should continue working together, I heard that the police wanted to block you," said Sata through the phone.
He also condemned Kitwe district commissioner McDonald Mtine for trying to frustrate the peaceful demonstration.
When Kantanshi Constituency member of parliament Yamfwa Mukanga remarked that President Banda and his vice George Kunda should be impeached, the crowd at Freedom Park went in wild cheers.
He said when Parliament resumes sitting, the PF parliamentarians would begin the impeachment process of President Banda.
He demanded that President Banda and his Vice-President George Kunda must resign for supporting corruption.
Mukanga said those who died during the independence struggle would not accept to die again for Zambia if they came back to life because of the way things were being run in the country today.
Mukanga said Zambia needed credible investors to run the mines and not bogus investors who were just after making profits and not caring about their workers.
And Scott said Zambia was a very unfortunate country because it had no President.
"In our country, we are very unlucky; our friends in Zimbabwe, they are very lucky. They have three Presidents: President [Robert] Mugabe, [Prime Minister] Morgan [Tsvangirai] and President Banda," he said.
Scott condemned the police's behaviour to block the protesters who wanted to pass through the city centre and thereafter head to Freedom Park where they were to be addressed by their leaders.
"They think they can destroy PF, they can destroy Fr Bwalya... bacepa sana [they are too small]. They [police] came dressed like nyau dancers," he remarked.
Scott said the country had in the recent days heard a number of scandalous stories involving government leaders such as the Dora Siliya saga and now the US $53 million deal to procure mobile hospital units.
He said next week the nation would hear how some leaders in government gave their friends road maintenance contracts.
Scott urged the people of Copperbelt Province to remain strong.
"All we say to people of Copperbelt is be strong, we will reach there even with the gong’a [fake] Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), even with these police," Scott said.
And former Radio Icengelo station manager Fr Frank Bwalya, who was the guest of honour, said Zambia was contaminated.
He said the spirits of people who died from depression because they never got their benefits from companies such as United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) were haunting the nation.
"Because they died complaining, because they never got their money, their spirits are haunting us," he said.
Fr Bwalya, who asked people to observe a moment of silence in honour of those who died because of depression as they never got their benefits, urged people to help bring change in the country.
Fr Bwalya warned that the country risks going into chaos after the 2011 elections if the ECZ was not replaced with a more independent electoral commission.
"What happened in Kenya would not have happened if they had changed the electoral commission, people should not have been killed," he said.
"Ifi ndelanda fishinka ulefwaya ese anjikate [what I am saying is the truth, whoever wants, let him come and arrest me]," he dared.
Fr Bwalya said government leaders should have asked the mining companies to reveal the losses they were making due to the global financial crisis and the low copper prices on the international market before they could start retrenching workers.
And Roan member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili said government should not make a mistake to sell the Luanshya Copper mine to the Chinese investors.
Kamwbili wondered why President Banda fired Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) director David Kapitolo.
Nchanga Constituency member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa said there was no justification for job loses in the mines.
He observed that the price of copper had started going up.
Simuusa said as long as things continued going bad, PF would continue with its demonstrations.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, PF, RUPIAH BANDA
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MMD slams impeachment maneuvers
Friday, May 1, 2009, 20:53 Politics 490 views 43 comments The ruling MMD in Lusaka Province has strongly condemned efforts being made to try and impeach President Rupiah Banda.
Provincial Chairman Cleophas Chimembe says the scheme will not succeed as the republican president was elected and mandated by the people of Zambia to rule the nation.
Mr. Chimembe told ZANIS in an interview that such actions are meant to disrupt the peace and tranquility the nation is currently enjoying.
He charged that failed politicians are trying to incite Zambians to rise against the government through civil disobedience and other such anti social activities which are against the norms of democracy.
Mr Chimembe warned that such actions are treasonable under the law and urged law enforcement agencies to move in quickly and arrest the perpetrators before they cause any serious damage.
Mr Chimembe said all well meaning Zambians should give their full and unquestionable popular support to President Banda.
He appealed to Zambians to take note of civil wars taking place in some African countries adding that Zambians risk falling in the same trap if the current peace is lost.
The Lusaka Province MMD Chairman also appealed to opposition political party leaders to show maturity by accepting in totality the verdict of the people and learn to engage constructively with the government of the day.
He said it is regrettable that some opposition leaders are only out to fight the government when the truth of the matter is that the MMD Government has implemented many serious and effective programmes which are benefiting the majority of Zambians.
The Lusaka Province MMD Chairman said the MMD general membership is solidly behind President Banda and will do whatever it takes to protect the presidency and the nation.
ENDS/CM/AM/ZANIS
Labels: CLEOPHAS CHIMEMBE, IMPEACHMENT, MMD
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Servants and masters
Written by Editor
When political leaders, as servants of the people – and not masters, are called upon to account for their actions, they should be prepared to do so without hesitation. This is their duty. Anyone who does something for another person or who acts on behalf of others has a duty to account.
Being called upon to account is not a punishment, it’s not an insult on the integrity of anyone. Whenever one is using resources that belong to other people, he has a duty to account to those people, to his masters who have sent him to do what he is doing.
The President of this country and other political leaders are not masters of the people. And they should never think they are masters of the people simply because the people give them respect and other privileges that are not given to others. They are not like our chiefs who are not servants but masters of the people. But even our chiefs have to still account for their decisions and actions to the people. For instance the Litunga, as master of the people of Barotseland, cannot go around doing whatever he wants simply because he is the king.
He accounts to the people, the humblest of the people of that kingdom. The Litunga can’t just go grabbing land that doesn’t belong to him and dealing with it as he pleases. He is king but with accountability to the people; he is master but with responsibility to his subjects. In fact, this is the way almost all our chiefs are operating and those who have tried to depart from this line have faced resentment from their subjects. But these are chiefs, these are masters, not servants. If the masters can behave this way, can be made to account in this way, what more our political leaders who apply for employment to the people and go round the country begging the people to employ them as their servants?
There can be no democracy without accountability. There can be no rule of law without leaders being made accountable to the people they are elected to serve. The absence of accountability is a definite recipe for disaster, for anarchy. Only corrupt people, mischievous elements, thieves hate accountability. Those who want to do wrong things, the first things they attack and destroy is accountability, its controls. They don’t want anybody to ask them any questions about their decisions and actions because doing so will expose their crimes. Anyone who dares to question them, anyone who attempts to expose their dealings becomes an enemy.
It seems Rupiah Banda and his friends have a problem with accountability. They are confused about the role that they are supposed to play in our country. They don’t seem to know who they are: whether they are servants or masters of the people. In their political rhetoric, they say they are servants of the people but in their decisions and actions, in their behaviour they are masters who should only account to themselves and to those they want to account to. This is an unfortunate trait because it makes their work much more difficult than it should be. If Rupiah and his friends decided that they would only do those things which are in the interest of the people, their work would be much simpler, more straightforward. We say this because if one goes into public office with the idea that he is going to be guided by the principle of service to the people, by the interests of the people, by what the people want, leadership becomes much more predictable.
If following tender processes is in the interest of the people, why should a leader have problems with it? Rupiah and his friends seem to have a problem with transparency and accountability in procurement. But what does one expect from people who have lived a good part of their lives earning a living from government contracts and commissions? Today they are in charge of awarding the same contracts they used to chase after. Their Christmas has come; what they sought most is under their control. If one goes around government offices, most people still remember how these leaders, their children and friends just a few years ago were following them for contracts to supply this and that. But today they are their supervisors and their sons and friends are in charge. This is part of our problem in the government procurement system.
When all a leader is interested in is benefitting himself, his family and friends from government, it is difficult to give priority to the interests of the people. This is because their personal interests, their own deals take precedence over those of the people. Again, this is the problem we are today facing in Zambia.
In such an environment, work accountability becomes a nuisance, a hindrance, an insult to those in leadership. Such leaders view anyone asking them to be accountable as a threat to their interests. They don’t look kindly on those who emphasise accountability and transparency. But what such leaders forget is that the problem is not the people asking for accountability, it is their failure to respect the public trust that they possess that is a problem.
With such leaders, it is easy to understand why GMO maize could be imported into the country by the sons and friends of those in leadership against standing government policy. And when this is done, the President stands up to defend the indefensible, even making the most ludicrous suggestions that the GMO maize can be milled at the borders. This is what lack of accountability, greed and vanity does even to the minds of intelligent people. They can start suggesting things that wouldn’t make sense even to a five-year old simply because they want to protect their interests, they want to put some money in their pockets – self-interests propel them far ahead of public interests.
Leaders who see things this way cannot fail to defend clearly wrong deals like that of RP Capital Partners Limited. A deal that is going to cost the Zambian taxpayer at least US $2 million, in their eyes was only worth US $50,000 and they defended it with everything at their disposal – corrupt civil servants, compromised state-owned and government-controlled media editors, hired corrupt elements purporting to be civil society leaders and so on and so forth. This was the behaviour of Rupiah and his friends. And even his son Henry was all over trying to advance this rotten transaction.
This is what Rupiah’s problem is today. He is not a servant. He wants to be a master. Rupiah is not there to serve but to rape. With this kind of attitude, his presidency will be a troubled one. Scandals are going to be unfolding every day. Rupiah and his friends should not blame The Post, the civil servants and their political enemies for the exposure of the wrong things they are doing. If they were doing correct things, there would be nothing to expose. Indeed those who say Rupiah is running a corrupt and heedless regime are very right.
A lack of accountability obviously thrives in an opaque environment. Leaders like Rupiah who don’t want to be accountable, who do not wish to operate in a transparent fashion have a problem working with honest people. Many honest people are going to have problems working in Rupiah’s government.
We are not surprised that David Kapitolo has been dropped from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority. If his conduct at the recently-ended tribunal is anything to go by, he seems to be an honest man. Even when faced with forceful interference in the procurement function by the then minister for transport and communications, Dora Silya, Kapitolo in the documents available to the tribunal seemed determined to give honest professional advice.
How can it be a crime for a civil or public servant to advise a minister honestly? How can it be wrong for a public servant to appear before a tribunal and tell the truth on oath? But it seems this is not what Rupiah and his friends expected. They expected civil and public servants to come and lie on oath in defence or protection of Dora and their dirty deals.
This is what happens in a nation when leaders lose sight of what is in the interest of the people and start to give priority to their own personal schemes. This is what happens when dishonesty takes over the management of public affairs.
We have spoken about this in the past, what is happening is known as “state capture”. Corrupt elements work to ensure that the state machinery only works if it delivers according to their personal needs. This is what is happening. We have no doubt that if Kapitolo was ready to work according to the dictates of the long queue of corrupt elements who no doubt visited his office every day, he probably would still be in a job today.
This is not about Kapitolo, this is about our country. There are many Kapitolos out there, public servants who are striving to do an honest job who will end up paying by being fired. This is what Rupiah wants Zambia to be. We are determined to ensure that he never blames us for not telling him. We are telling him again: his behaviour, his conduct of public affairs will land him in trouble. Our system is not yet perfect but there is a growing desire for the respect of law in our country. The fact that Rupiah is President does not make him above accountability. He shouldn’t think he is a law unto himself. Frederick Chiluba used to think that way. And now that the two are very good friends, maybe Rupiah should learn something from Chiluba. Dishonesty does not pay. What Rupiah has done to Kapitolo will not end at Kapitolo. He will be trying to do this to many other public servants, trying to hammer the whole nation into submission, into the service of their personal schemes. Some will be co-opted into this corruption but some won’t and will fight back.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DAVID KAPITOLO, GOVERNANCE, IMPEACHMENT, ZPPA
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Rupiah stands on fertile ground for impeachment, says Lubinda
Written by Chibaula Silwamba and Joan Chirwa
Monday, April 27, 2009 3:30:46 PM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda has charged that President Rupiah Banda stands on fertile ground for impeachment for dismissing government officials that testified in the tribunal constituted under the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct. And newly-appointed director general of the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA), Samuel Chibuye, yesterday said he will execute his duties professionally without being compromised.
But sources have disclosed that Chibuye was under qualified to perform duties of the director general as required under the current Public Procurement Act of 2008 and was also not a member of the Zambia Institute of Purchasing and Supply (ZIPS), the professional body.
Commenting on President Banda’s termination of the contract for ZPPA director-general David Kapitolo following his testimony in the judge Dennis Chirwa-led tribunal that probed former communications and transport minister Dora Siliya, Lubinda disclosed that the PF had instructed its lawyers to give an opinion on the ramifications of President Banda’s dismissal of witnesses.
“President Rupiah Banda’s desire to protect Dora Siliya at all costs is exposing him and preparing him for an impeachment. His arrogant and blind defence of Dora Siliya’s actions which were found to be unconstitutional by the judge Dennis Chirwa-led tribunal is very good and fertile ground for the first-ever impeachment of the President in Zambia,” Lubinda said. “The threats against civil servants and the action of dismissing Mr Kapitolo from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) are but symptomatic of the reign of tyranny by President Rupiah Banda.”
He said the PF would not stand by and watch President Banda and his government abusing public office in persecuting innocent citizens.
“On behalf of the party, we are calling upon our team of lawyers to immediately investigate the legal ramifications of the vindictive dismissal of Mr Kapitolo and we have given instructions to them to take up this matter as quickly as possible,” Lubinda said.
“While they do that, we want them to form an opinion as to whether President Rupiah Bwezani Banda is not working against the tribunal which called upon witnesses such as Mr Kapitolo, the Solicitor-General and the Attorney-General, Mr [Robinson] Misitala, managing director of National Airports Corporation and many other public servants who were called upon by the tribunal to provide information to assist the tribunal in making an informed position and, therefore, recommend to the President in accordance with the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct and the Inquires Act of the Laws of Zambia.”
He observed that it was clear that President Banda and his government were extremely bitter with the tribunalís report that Siliya misconducted herself in the awarding of a US $2 million contract to RP Capital in the valuation of the Zamtel assets and especially that she breached the Constitution, the supreme law of the land.
“That is the reason they are spitting so much venom at all those who testified before the tribunal. The second reason why Mr. Rupiah Banda is intimidating and victimising civil servants is because he, on the advice of George Kunda, though as Vice-President and minister of Justice and the de facto legal advisor to Cabinet would like to instill fear in the citizens in general and civil servants in particular so that they donít appear in testimony in future tribunals,î Lubinda said. “This is a well orchestrated ploy to gag everyone so as to allow President Rupiah Bwezani Banda and his regime to continue with their quest to plunder Zambia’s resources. We know that President Rupiah Banda and George Kunda have a strong tenacity to breaching the law.”
He urged Zambians to be in total solidarity with the defenders of the Constitution and institutions of governance.
While, we have issued instructions to our lawyers to study this matter of unwarranted attacks on the civil servants who appeared before the tribunal, we would like to publicly offer our legal and financial support to Mr Kapitolo and any other person that will fall victim of Mr Banda’s paranoia,” Lubinda said.
He said the PF would stop President Banda from doing wrong things while he was in State House.
“The act of accepting Siliya’s resignation after she had been cited by the tribunal as deserving punishment is in itself a serious breach of the oath of office that Mr. Rupiah Bwezani Banda took when he swore before the bible that he will defend the Constitution of the land,” Lubinda said.
“It ought to be made very clear to the citizens that the tribunal did not have the mandate to convict or to issue punishment. Its role was to present its findings to the Head of State who, on behalf of Zambians, is expected to mete out befitting punishment.”
He said President Banda might feel comfortable because the MMD had the majority representation in Parliament and an impeachment motion could not succeed.
“Nonetheless, he ought to be made aware of the fact that he is faced with serious challenge of the moral impeachment,” said Lubinda.
“The public and posterity will forever consider him as a President whose morality was impeachable because of his strong egoistic desire to defend wrongdoers and to reward the defenders of the Constitution with dismissals.”
And Chibuye, who was until his appointment heading the procurement department at the Ministry of Education, said he was currently pursuing a masters degree in procurement.
ZIPS, a regulatory and licensing body for procurement professionals in the country, recently withdrew membership from Chibuye and other affiliates heading procurement departments for not having qualifications in purchasing and supply as required by the law.
However, Chibuye said ZIPS had not given them a timeframe in which to undertake procurement related studies and did not understand the manner in which his affiliation was withdrawn.
“I am now studying with one of the universities, Iam doing masters in procurement. The institute [ZIPS] is just being a bit unfair. When they gave affiliation, there was no condition; they said you can take your time”. It was an open-ended thing which ZIPS gave,” Chibuye explained. “So they called me and told me about the withdrawal of affiliation but I didnít want to say anything. They [ZIPS] would have said ëlook, before we withdraw your affiliation, tell us how long you are likely to take to finalise your training in procurement?” “The best thing I can do now is to try and do good in my profession. I have one year to go before I complete my masters in procurement.”
But sources said it was unacceptable for President Rupiah Banda to appoint someone whose membership with ZIPS had been withdrawn because they were not qualified to head departments of procurement.
“It is very surprising that now Chibuye, who doesnít have any qualification in procurement, is now heading the ZPPA. That is totally against the law. We know that ZIPS withdrew membership from people like Chibuye but this is the same person that the President has appointed to take over from [David] Kapitolo,” said the sources.
President Banda has terminated the contract of former ZPPA director general David Kapitolo, replacing him with Chibuye.
According to well-placed sources, Kapitolo’s contract which was due to expire in a yearís time, was terminated because he allegedly testified against former transport minister Dora Siliya during the tribunal sessions.
Chibuye further denied that his appointment to head the ZPPA was a reward from President Rupiah Banda for assisting one of President Banda’s sons to get contracts at the Ministry of Education.
“There are three levels of verification for tenders to be given. We have a tender verification committee, a tender committee at the Ministry of Education itself. And if that tender is beyond the threshold of the ministry, it is forwarded to the Tender Board [now ZPPA] for action,” said chibuye.
“It is therefore malicious for anyone to suggest that I gave contracts. When awarding contracts, you donít look at who is behind which company; we look at whether the company is registered and whether they have adhered to the legal requirements. Otherwise, my hands are clean, I have a free conscious.”
Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, IMPEACHMENT, RUPIAH BANDA, SAMUEL CHIBUYE, ZPPA
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Impeach Banda, Lukuku urges MPs
Written by Mutale Kapekele
Saturday, February 21, 2009 6:51:33 AM
MEMBERS of parliament should impeach President Rupiah Banda for condoning corruption, former New Revolution Party (NRP) secretary general James Lukuku has said.
In an interview yesterday, Lukuku said it was clear from the events that happened during last year's presidential campaigns and the recent developments in the Ministry of Communications and Transport that President Banda condoned corruption.
"I was the first person to come out in the open to expose corrupt activities that President Banda and his campaign team were involved in during the run up to the presidential elections last year and I did warn the nation that this government was not going to be transparent and corruption-free," Lukuku said.
"From the way President Banda is supporting Dora Siliya, it is clear that he does not take corruption seriously and it is high time that Zambians passed a vote of no confidence in him and his government. My appeal is to the members of parliament to impeach President Banda and come up with a transitional government to run the country until 2011."
He said when President Banda supported Siliya in the Zamtel and RP Capital Partners deal, without considering the advice from the Attorney General, he supported corruption and should therefore be impeached.
"President Banda has demonstrated gross misconduct by supporting the Minister of Communication and Transport [Siliya], even when it is clear that there was corruption and abuse of authority involved," Lukuku said. "That is solid ground for the President to be impeached."
He said Zambians in the civil service would not allow corrupt leaders to take them for granted and he appealed to those with information about corrupt activities and abuse of authority to come out and tell the nation.
"From what has happened at FRA [Food Reserve Agency where GMO maize was imported in the country], at Zamtel and National Airports, it is clear that not all Zambians in the civil service condone corruption and they are becoming responsible by exposing corrupt vices," Lukuku said.
"We don't know what is happening in other ministries and I am urging civil servants to come out with information because it is clear that we are in a mess and we need to restore leadership of integrity to the nation."
He recalled that President Banda said it would be difficult for him to rule this country in his inaugural speech because he knew that Zambians would not just sit and watch the government do wrong things.
"President Banda acknowledged that it would be difficult for him to rule this country because he knows that Zambians no longer condone wrong things," Lukuku said.
"Everything is going wrong in the country now. We don't know the future of the kwacha, jobs are being lost every day and we are not hearing a strong voice from the government as to what they are doing about all this. To make matters worse, our President is always going out of the country as if issues wherever he goes are more important than what is happening here."
And Lukuku disclosed that he was approached by suspected government agents to fabricate stories against The Post.
"The government is always looking for a way of sorting out The Post and I can confirm that they have formed what they are calling the Lukuku factor," he said.
"I was approached by a man, who I suspect is from the system, and he told me that I could make a lot of money if I agreed to work against The Post. He told me to go to the media and claim that The Post paid me money to speak against President Banda and Mike Mulongoti during last year's presidential campaigns. We talked for a long time but in the end I refused to take up the offer because I was looking at the future and not just financial gains."
Lukuku said the government wanted to use the fabricated stories to discredit The Post and compel them to join the Media Ethics Council of Zambia (MECOZ).
Last year prior to the presidential elections, Lukuku revealed that President Banda had given the NRP K15 million for them to endorse his candidature for the elections. However, President Banda denied the allegation but on the same day, his campaign manager then and now works and supply minister Mulongoti said the money given to NRP was just a donation from the big brother party. After the elections, Lukuku was arrested more than once on charges he claimed were politically motivated.
Labels: IMPEACHMENT, JAMES LUKUKU, NRP, RUPIAH BANDA
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