Judiciary is being used, says Kalala
By George Chellah
Tue 18 Jan. 2011, 10:45 CAT
THE Judiciary is being used and should not take people for granted, says Jack Kalala. And Kalala advised the Judiciary not to use court privileges to frustrate free expression in the country and defend their bad decisions.
In a walk-in interview, Kalala, the former State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring, said the Judiciary should know that the politically influenced judgments they had been making were creating frustration and anger in the nation, which was not good for stability and peace.
“I wish to advise the judiciary that they should not take people for granted. And they should not take them people for fools because people know what is happening in this country. They know that there is a scheme to launder the plunderers and the judiciary and other government institutions are being used for this purpose,” Kalala said.
“It’s not long ago that a Cabinet minister went public to state that ‘some people should go to prison and others should not’. And what followed thereafter was that some people were being acquitted, Chiluba was acquitted and his wife was acquitted… These things, the acquittals did not come as a surprise because people were told.”
He said the Judiciary was being used.
“Terry Musonda Judiciary of Zambia public relations officer should not blame The Post for the wrong judgment. People know it is a wrong judgment. Can he tell us who are the shareholders in that company registered in Panama?” he asked.
Kalala said the Judiciary should know that Zambians know about offshore companies.
“It’s leaders who are dishonest to their countries who create these offshore companies. If somebody was honest enough why should he decide to put money outside the country? What is he trying to hide? These are the questions that Zambians are asking and they want answers to these questions. They want to know who owns this company that bought these flats. I want to tell people like Terry Musonda that what is being said in the compound among the people is a lot,” Kalala said.
“There is a lot of information circulating and their judgment and other reckless actions and decisions which are being done in this country are annoying people. Anger is building up in this country and it will take a small spark to set this country on fire. So let us be responsible in what we are doing.”
He said the Judiciary should not use court privileges to frustrate free expression in the country.
“The Judiciary is an institution, which is there for the people. It belongs to the people; just like any employee, if he makes a mistake he will be taken to task. He will be made to be answerable to that, the Judiciary is answerable and responsible to the people of Zambia and the people of Zambia have got a right to demand justice and fair play,” Kalala stated.
“If the Judiciary starts working against the people then they are going to react in one way or the other. They Judiciary can manage to get one or two people in jail but what will happen if the people rise? Will there be space in jail for everybody?”
He said intimidation would not help.
“Intimidation is not the right way to build justice, to build fair play in the country, no. It actually works to the opposite. It creates frustration. It pushes the people in the corner and when you push people in the corner just like a snake or a dog it will react to bite. So we demand the truth from the Judiciary,” Kalala said.
He wondered why the judiciary was reacting on behalf of those mentioned.
“It’s not the Judiciary that should react, it’s Chiluba who was mentioned, it’s Sonny Mulenga who was mentioned who should react, not the Judiciary. Why are they reacting on behalf of these people? Has the Judiciary been employed, …has Terry Musonda become the spokesman of (former) president Chiluba and Sonny Mulenga?” Kalala asked.
“Let Sonny Mulenga come out and explain and tell the nation who are the shareholders of this company and how did they engage him? Let these people come here. People would like to know them. People would like to know the people who are investing in this country? The people of Zambia don’t want ghosts.”
He said it was the right of Zambians to analyse a judgment.
“That should be the intellectual and sensible approach to issues. Unless you take the people to be foolish, to be dunderheads, yes, they will not analyse. You are dealing with educated people, with enlightened people. The people of the 1950s who rose against the colonial government are different from the people of today. People of today are more enlightened, so they will question,” he said.
Kalala said justice must be seen to be done.
“The Judiciary should not allow itself to be used by other people for their own ends. They should remain the mirror of this country. People should continue to repose hope, trust and confidence in the Judiciary. But I don’t think this is the case now, it’s very, very difficult for the people of Zambia to trust the Judiciary,” said Kalala.
Labels: JACK KALALA, JUDICIARY
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Windfall tax should be reinstated - Kalala
By George Chellah
Sun 26 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT
WINDFALL tax should be reinstated, says
Jack Kalala. In an interview, Kalala, who is
former State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring, said Zambians needed to benefit from their natural resources.
“The windfall tax should be reinstated with some modifications to accommodate the concerns expressed by mining companies but not to the detriment of Zambians,” Kalala said. “Zambia should get a fair share, 50/50 share because we are partners with these investors. Zambia’s contribution is the resources, and the investor’s contribution is the investment.”
He dismissed Musoko-twane’s statement that the scrapping of the mining windfall tax was initiated by president Levy Mwanawasa’s administration and that President Banda was just executing that decision.
“If this is what he said, I am sorry to say that it was a misrepresentation of facts. To the best of my knowledge, at no time did president Mwanawasa make a decision to scrap the windfall tax. What had happened was that the mining companies did not object to the windfall tax. They had concern with the method of calculating that tax,” Kalala said.
“The last meeting that the president had with KCM was in London, with the chairman of KCM. He wrote a letter from there to direct the Minister of Finance who was Mr Magande to constitute a team of technocrats to meet the mining companies to discuss on finding the best method for the windfall tax.”
He said there was no way president Mwanawasa would have wanted to reverse that decision because the mining companies did not dispute the windfall tax, their only concern was on the method of calculating the tax.
“And what they had proposed was that it should be calculated after certain production costs have been taken out,” he said.
He said president Mwanawasa took a bold decision to introduce the windfall tax so that Zambians could benefit and that the decision was taken after wide consultations within and outside the country.
“A team of technocrats was constituted and sent to visit some countries such as Sweden and Chile among others. It was only after their report that the decision was made. Dr Musokotwane who was the economic adviser including others like President Banda are aware of this,” he said.
He said Musokotwane’s claims suggest that President Banda is merely implementing the decisions made by the Mwanawasa administration.
“Is he telling us that it is president Mwanawasa who had made the decision to prematurely disband the Task Force (on corruption)? Is it president Mwanawasa who had decided on the dubious acquittals of selected plunderers?” Kalala asked.
“Is it president Mwanawasa who had decided to do away with the abuse of office clause? Is President Banda merely implementing the decisions made by president Mwanawasa to do away with the government of laws and not of men, zero tolerance to corruption and the questionable sale of Zamtel?”
And Kalala has advised to defend President Rupiah Banda’s policies and actions decently and not turn himself into a cadre.
“Remain professional and jealously guard your integrity. Remember a good name is better than gold and silver. Preserve the good reputation which has taken a lifetime to build,” he said.
Labels: JACK KALALA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, WINDFALL TAX
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Kalala urges Thandiwe to persuade Rupiah in resolving health crisis
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 11 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT
JACK Kalala yesterday asked first lady Thandiwe Banda to prevail upon President Rupiah Banda on the health crisis in the nation, particularly maternal health.
Commenting on FDD president Edith Nawakwi’s revelations of the crisis affecting the health sector where expectant women were being asked to carry buckets to the clinic to be used for the disposal of waste such as placentas, Kalala - who served as special assistant for policy, implementation and monitoring in late president Levy Mwanawasa’s administration - asked the government not to consider the matter political, but instead give it serious attention.
“Unless people tell me that she Nawakwi is going crazy, I am sure there is some truth in it, and it requires to be investigated and if found to be true, the situation needs to be corrected. We can’t be having such things in Zambia this time and age,” he said.
Kalala said he was shocked at the silence of women over the matter, saying Thandiwe should prevail over President Banda.
“Do we need to see the buckets for us to believe? We have got means to investigate and establish the truth, and if it’s happening, we take action, corrective action instead of just denying and refuting this and that,” Kalala said.
“And I would like to appeal to the first lady to prevail on the President to get people to investigate and report directly to him. Yes, to investigate quietly in the clinic, there are agencies, institutions that can do necessary investigations.”
Kalala said what was being written in the newspapers was read worldwide.
“And it’s an embarrassment for people to read in these newspapers that these things are happening here in Zambia at this time and age, and we can’t take action. Do we want a bucket to appear in the newspaper for us to take action, or are we finding a reason to arrest Nawakwi?” asked Kalala.
“So let’s please act. It is an embarrassing situation. And I am also appealing to other women in the country to support Nawakwi. They should not leave this fight for Nawakwi alone. It involves all of us.”
Nawakwi has in the recent past revealed the crisis in the health sector where expectant women were being asked to carry buckets to the hospital, while others were asked to carry Jik and chitenges because of the shortage of linen.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, HEALTHCARE, JACK KALALA, THANDIWE BANDA
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Kalala urges E/Province chiefs to be truthful
By George Chellah
Tue 12 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
FORMER State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring Jack Kalala yesterday challenged chiefs in Eastern Province to lead by example and speak the truth over their directives to President Rupiah Banda to purge the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen. But paramount chief Mpezeni described Kalala as a liar.
Reacting to the chiefs' statement that his remarks were likely to divide the nation and bring their names into disrepute, Kalala said saying the truth and exposing tribalism did not make someone a tribalist.
“If I expose a thief, it doesn't make me a thief or a criminal. So what I said had actually taken place, it is the truth. It happened at Luangwa House during the last visit the President made with Gabriel Namulambe before he was moved to science and technology,” Kalala said. “In fact, it's because of this issue that Namulambe was moved to science and technology from State House.
What happened is that the chiefs were on the programme to meet the President and the President went where he was meeting the chiefs with his delegation. But the chiefs said that they wanted to meet the President alone. Now since he was already there with his delegation it, was going to look awkward so the President refused to ask his delegation to leave the room.
“So after they discussed other issues at the end of the discussion, then paramount chief Mpezeni is the one who brought up this matter. He asked the President why he had not implemented what they had discussed before the elections to get rid of the late president's tribesmen. Now the President became apprehensive to discuss the issue because Namulambe was there. And he President Banda pointed at Namulambe saying 'he is one of them. I can't get rid of them because am President of the nation'.”
Kalala said Mpezeni insisted that President Banda should carry out what they had discussed.
“There were other chiefs in there and other chiefs had no objection to what paramount chief Mpezeni had said. Perhaps, this is the reason why they wanted to meet him President Banda alone. And after they returned from Eastern Province, there was a senior management meeting at State House,” Kalala said.
“Namulambe raised concern over the issue to say 'how are we going to work if some people are going to be segregated against on the basis of their relationship with the late president?' Namulambe said 'we are all Zambians and we must work as a team to develop this country'. The matter was later brought to the attention of the President…Namulambe's concerns. The President was not amused with that and that's how he subsequently moved Namulambe to science and technology although their intention was to fire him for having said that.”
Kalala challenged the east chiefs to speak the truth.
“As our traditional leaders, they should lead by example, to say the truth and not only that, but also to unite us because they are not only traditional leaders to Easterners. They are traditional leaders for all Zambians. If indeed their royal highnesses are concerned about tribalism in Zambia, why didn't they condemn what the President had said during the campaign before the elections when he said 'people from other areas should not come and campaign here?'” Kalala asked.
“Was that statement not tribal and regional for somebody vying to become head of state? And again he said some other things when he said 'they want to take this thing from you people'. Mr Banda's presidency belongs to all of us. He is our head of state. He is President of those who voted for him like myself and he is President of those who didn't vote for him and even those who didn't vote at all, to borrow president Mwanawasa's words.”
Kalala wondered what more evidence the chiefs were demanding from him.
“They are asking me to provide evidence but I mentioned earlier on that Namulambe was in this meeting. I have also mentioned that Namulambe raised this during a meeting at State House and that this is what led to him being removed as presidential affairs minister. And I have also mentioned the venue where they met the President so I don't know what evidence they are referring to,” Kalala said.
“Why I was forced to answer was that when Namulambe spoke, he was not being tribal. He was merely reporting what was obtaining on the ground. Had Namulambe been tribal, I would have spoken against that. People there lambaland have observed that the government is shifting away from the policies of president Mwanawasa. What the government should do is to address the concerns of the people. That is good leadership because our success depends on what they do as leaders. If you are in a bus and you see that the driver is not driving properly, will it be wrong to advise him to take care of the bus?”
But when contacted yesterday, Mpezeni said: “Nuviziba lini neo weo. I don't know that… Lomba kaili kuti nikokambanaye wamene uyo nkhani ikoingo pitilila pitilila. If I respond to him that will mean that this story will be going on and on. Anabozayake uyo. Niwaboza. That one is a liar. He is a liar.”
Labels: CHIEFS, EASTERN PROVINCE, JACK KALALA
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Rupiah under pressure to purge Levy’s tribesmen
By George Chellah
Sun 10 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
FORMER State House special assistant for policy implementation and monitoring Jack Kalala yesterday disclosed that traditional leaders from Eastern Province instructed President Rupiah Banda to purge the late Levy Mwanawasa's tribesmen from his administration.
In an interview, Kalala, who challenged President Banda to deny his revelations, said former science and technology minister Gabriel Namulambe's initial statement over the late Mwanawasa's legacy is deeper than meets the eye.
“This game of divide and rule is going to worsen the situation. What they want is to alienate former defence minister George Mpombo and Gabriel Namulambe from the chiefs and the people. But it won't work, my advice to them is to work to develop the country and unite the people of Zambia instead of dividing them,” Kalala said. “The issue that Namulambe talked about is deeper than what meets the eye.
It was started by President Banda and the chiefs in Eastern Province for no apparent reason. Before the elections, the chiefs in Eastern Province had a meeting with the then vice-president Mr Banda where he was told that when elected President he should get rid of all the Mwanawasa people, the people from Central, Coppperbelt and North Western provinces.
“After the elections, Mr Banda visited Eastern Province where he had a meeting with the chiefs in Chipata. He was asked by the chiefs why he had not implemented their advice. The President was very embarrassed because Namulambe was there. The dismissing from government of people who are perceived to be Mwanawasa's people is a premeditated programme, an agreed upon programme, which Mr Banda is carrying out. This is what happened, it was said and I am not cheating. If I am cheating let the President deny this. I challenge him to deny that, we knew about it and we just kept quiet.”
He said the late Mwanawasa's tribesmen did not understand why the Eastern Province chiefs and President Banda resolved to purge them from the government.
“Mwanawasa himself never segregated, no wonder he even appointed someone from Eastern Province as his Vice-President in the name of Mr Rupiah Banda. His first ADC was from Eastern Province as well. So we don't understand where this hatred is coming from,” he said.
He said the people and traditional leadership of Copperbelt rural were very much aware of these manoeuvres.
“People didn't want to react then because we believe in the unity of the country. If President Banda chooses not to work with the Lambas and Lenjes he will not be forced to do so. Since this matter had already been agreed upon, it's wrong for the same people to turn around and start dividing the victims and to try to show that the chiefs do not care about their people,” Kalala said. “These double-standards which are being played are not correct. If the chiefs on their own had expressed support for the opposition, the government people were going to cry foul that chiefs should not get involved in politics. In this case because it suits them, they drive to the chiefs to force opinions out of them and out of courtesy they said what they said.”
He said President Banda should address issues they had agreed upon in Eastern Province, which had actually offended the people from Copperbelt rural.
“Why should they be segregated in their own country and by their own President and by their own government. Is it illegal or is it unconstitutional for someone to belong to the same tribe as Mwanawasa?” Kalala asked. “What wrong did Mwanawasa commit against this country? Is developing a country wrong, is implementing the fight against corruption wrong? And is promoting good governance wrong? In fact, most of the things they are boasting about now if not all were done and initiated by Mwanawasa's administration.”
He said the projects being commissioned now were started by President Mwanawasa.
Kalala said the people of Copperbelt and Central provinces knew the origins of the anonymous documents that were posted on the Internet and only ended up in the state newspapers as summarised versions.
He explained that the articles in question malign the late Mwanawasa's administration.
“For the sake of this government and to allow this government to work for the people of Zambia we have kept quiet. But our quietness should not be mistaken that we lack the capacity to hit back. We have sufficient deadly missiles in stock. If we have withheld them it's because we want this government to work for this country and succeed, we don't want to be the cause for its failure,” said Kalala.
“My advice to the President and his team in the government is that they should work towards uniting the 73 tribes of Zambia. Mr Banda is the President of all the people in Zambia not to divide them. I should also say that what Namulambe said did not come from him. It came from the people on the ground and what they are trying to do to him is worsening the situation. It's not helping the situation.”
Labels: JACK KALALA, RUPIAH BANDA, TRIBALISM
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Chiluba has proved to be extremely selfish – Kalala
By George Chellah
Thu 05 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT
CHILUBA has proved to be an extremely selfish and self-centred individual, former State House special assistant to the president Jack Kalala has observed.
Commenting on Miko Chiluba’s attacks on Patrick Mwanawasa’s observations on former president Frederick Chiluba, Kalala dismissed Miko’s statement.
“In his statement written for him, Miko Chiluba made unsubstantiated and unfair claims which bordered on insulting members of the Mwanawasa family instead of addressing the political concerns that Patrick had raised in his statement. Similar claims have been made on a number of occasions by Miko’s father, president Chiluba, about late president Mwanawasa and members of his family,” Kalala stated.
“Miko’s claim that members of president Mwanawasa greatly benefitted from Mr Mwanawasa’s position as president were not only insulting but an attack on their reputation and integrity. Miko owes them an apology if he has any sense of decency in him.”
Kalala stated that the Mwanawasa family equally assisted Chiluba.
“Miko claimed in his statement that Mwanawasa could not have become president of Zambia if Chiluba had not played the pivotal role he did in the late President’s life. Yes Chiluba had made decisions to evacuate Mr Mwanawasa to South Africa for treatment. Similarly, president Mwanawasa did the same for Chiluba.
But Mwanawasa was grateful and acknowledged it publicly whereas Chiluba has not done so,” Kalala stated. “Instead, he has openly confessed that he hated Mwanawasa. Because of his intense hatred for Mwanawasa, he even parted company with Sata for reconciling with Mwanawasa. It should also be recalled that, in addition to saving Chiluba’s life, Mr Mwanawasa had provided free legal services to Chiluba when he was arrested for treason by Kaunda.
“This was long before Chiluba became president. In 1990 and 1991 Mr Mwanawasa played an important role in the political activities, which eventually led to Chiluba becoming Republican President in 1991. He fought so many legal battles, which earned him names such as Ichibumba…”
Kalala wondered whether Mwanawasa and others that contributed to the 1991 campaign that enabled Chiluba to become president demanded to be thanked by him.
“No, because they considered their contribution to be a national duty. This was not the case with Mr Chiluba who considered it a personal victory and an opportunity to enjoy himself. Mr Chiluba has proved to be an extremely selfish self-centred individual. He claims credit even for other people’s achievements,” Kalala stated.
“He thinks Zambians owe their existence to him and that they should forever be grateful to him for that. He even thinks that God owes him gratitude for having declared Zambia a Christian nation. Each time he opens his mouth, he is always praising himself: I…I…I… Whereas his fellow former president, Dr K.D. Kaunda, when he opens his mouth he wants to say something about the achievement of UNIP, it is: We…We…We…”
Kalala stated that Chiluba’s corruption case was in court when Mwanawasa took up office.
“President Chiluba had himself taken to court. The people he had been working with had accused him of having plundered national resources. They had called him a thief,” Kalala stated. “When president Mwanawasa looked at the evidence available and the extent of the plunder, being a lawyer and president, he decided to have the people involved to account for their deeds.”
Kalala stated that Miko should know that, unlike his father, Mwanawasa used his position to serve the country.
“He did not consider his position as a means to enrich himself and members of his family. He had actually made it clear to them that they should in no way use their relationship to him to benefit themselves,” Kalala stated. “It will be proved beyond doubt that he honestly gained the assets from his sweat and toil before becoming President, which has not been the case with president Chiluba.”
Kalala stated that Miko’s claim that Patrick owed what he is to Chiluba demonstrates dishonesty and malice on his part.
“President Mwanawasa had a vision and a plan for his children. He also had adequate means to support his family and to educate his children. Patrick and Chipo were already studying in South Africa before he became president.
The others were in private schools in Zambia. Before he became president, Mr Chiluba could not afford this for his children. After he became president, Mr Mwanawasa continued to pay for the education of his children using his private resources.
Another ridiculous claim Miko made and his father has been making is that Mwanawasa should be grateful to president Chiluba who made it possible for him to become President,” Kalala stated.
“Let us look at this scenario. If your house is on fire and you call firemen to help you to extinguish it, would it be logical for you to ask them to say thank you to you for having given them the opportunity to extinguish the fire and save your house from total destruction?
It would certainly be considered absurd and silly to do so. Let us face it. MMD was under siege and under intense pressure and serious threat of total defeat at the general elections following the aborted third term attempt by president Chiluba.
“The party needed an eminent person of good standing, which Mwanawasa was, to salvage it. No one in NEC and Cabinet could redeem the party after the third term debacle and the subsequent exodus of credible people from the party. The only hope was Mr Mwanawasa who had done so much for the party before and after its formation and the only one with the necessary credentials to defeat the formidable opposition posed by UPND and FDD candidates.”
Kalala stated that Chiluba should have known better that there was no way Mwanawasa could have accepted to defend corrupt deeds.
“The man profoundly loathed corruption… president Chiluba, Miko and their sympathisers should be reminded, lest they have forgotten, that president Mwanawasa had made it very clear during the 2001 campaign that between personal interests, including friendship and national interests, national interests would take precedence,” Kalala stated.
“This is what exactly happened. To understand better his stance and feelings on the actions he had taken on the cases of corruption, I advise these people to read his last testament, which was read after his burial and written in 2005, long before his death, and indeed his mission statement.”
Kalala warned the so-called pastors who are on Chiluba’s side that Mwanawasa’s loyal supporters stand ready and on firm ground to defend his legacy.
“We will not fear them as even the Bible has no kind word about them. This is what it says about them: ‘You become the friend of every thief you see and you associate with adulterers. You are always ready to speak evil; you never hesitate to tell lies. Psalms 50:18-19.
‘You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness. You make what is bitter sweet, and what is sweet you make bitter.” Isaiah 5:20. “You people hate anyone who challenges injustice and speaks the whole truth in court.” Amos 5:10,” stated Kalala.
Labels: CHILUBA, JACK KALALA, MIKO CHILUBA
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Luapula chiefs’ stance on Chiluba not in Zambia’s interest – Kalala
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Monday, October 12, 2009 7:45:45 AM
THE position by Luapula chiefs that those opposing the acquittal of their ‘son’ Frederick Chiluba should leave him alone is not in the interest of the nation, late president Levy Mwanawasa’s chief analyst for policy implementation and monitoring Jack Kalala has said.
Kalala said in an interview last Thursday that the stance taken by the chiefs who met in Mansa recently over demands that the government appeals against the acquittal of former president Chiluba, was not in the interest of Zambia today and tomorrow.
“The royal highnesses of Luapula should appreciate that former president Chiluba is a Zambian and he is subject to Zambian laws. He was taken to court not as a person from Luapula but as a citizen of Zambia, like any other citizen of this country,” Kalala said. “The royal highnesses should also appreciate that the people of Zambia made Chiluba their president because he was a Zambian and not because he came from Luapula.”
Kalala said the people of Zambia reposed their trust in Chiluba to run national affairs on their behalf.
“At the time when president Chiluba was president, their royal highnesses were proud of him. They were proud of him because the people of Zambia made him president,” Kalala said. “Now that the people of Zambia are demanding their former president to account for his acts while he was in office their royal highnesses should not complain because it is within the rights of Zambians to demand accountability from their former presidents.”
Kalala said it should also be appreciated that Chiluba was elected in 1991 and 1996 on the platform of transparency and accountability.
“The people of Zambia wanted and still want their government to be transparent and accountable to them. Now the people of Zambia, the people of Luapula inclusive, want president Chiluba to show transparency in how he ran national affairs and be accountable to them as he promised before he became president,” he said. “It is important that there should not be interference from anywhere in Chiluba’s case, as doing so would create a dangerous precedent for the nation.”
Kalala pointed out that in future, the country might have a president who would commit worse crimes against the people or a section of the Zambian population.
“The province and the chiefs where this person would come from will refuse to have him prosecuted in the same way the chiefs of Luapula want to do with Chiluba. This will divide the country,” Kalala cautioned.
“It will also give future presidents the impunity to abuse the office of the president for personal interests at the expense of development and the welfare of the people, including those of Luapula. So as can be seen, their resolution is not in the interest of Zambia today and of Zambia tomorrow.”
Kalala said another point to appreciate was that one of the parties to the Chiluba case, in this case the people of Zambia, was demanding an appeal.
“It will therefore be wrong for the people’s agent, which is the government or their royal highnesses from Luapula to say that their son should be left alone and why him alone? What about the others who have been convicted and those who are still appearing before the courts?” he asked. “Is there a secret arrangement that has been made that all cases of corruption would be dropped?”
Kalala said if such calls were tolerated, institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Task Force on Corruption and the National Policy on Corruption should be dissolved, because allocating funds to these areas would just be a sheer waste of resources.
Kalala said it seemed that in a way the Luapula chiefs were not interested in the development of the province.
“But I do not think this is the position of the people of Luapula. The people of Luapula who are the subjects of these chiefs, like anybody in Zambia, want development and if public resources are abused by leaders the people would be deprived of development, particularly those in rural areas where there are no investors to create jobs. They will be condemned to perpetual poverty,” he said.
Kalala advised chiefs in Luapula in particular and Zambia in general to be advocates for development in their respective areas for their subjects to benefit from their leadership.
Kalala said if the chiefs in Luapula benefited from Chiluba, it does not mean that all their subjects benefited.
“They should not stop the demands of the people,” said Kalala.
Labels: CHIEFS, CHILUBA, JACK KALALA, MMD
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Chiluba is a hypocrite – Kalala
Written by George Chellah
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 4:27:26 PM
FORMER State House chief policy analyst Jack Kalala yesterday described former president Frederick Chiluba as a hypocrite whose insinuations about the death of president Levy Mwanawasa are a pack of nonsense. In an interview, Kalala said Chiluba had been trying to insinuate that late president Mwanawasa's death was a punishment.
“These claims are a pack of nonsense as they are a misleading. By so doing, Chiluba is demonstrating that he is heartless because he is not taking into account the effect that his utterances would have on the bereaved family and particularly the children,” Kalala said.
“And it goes to demonstrate that he does not believe in God because if he believed in God he will be sensitive and alive to the feelings of the late president and those who have lost and he would sympathise with them. And in addition, if he believed in God he would also be alive to the fact that after the fall of man in Eden, every human being is destined to die just like Christ did. It's only after death that man will live forever.”
Kalala said it seemed Chiluba prayed for late president Mwanawasa's death.
“When president Mwanawasa fell sick and his illness was announced, there were prayers around the country to pray for his recovery and Chiluba's church where he goes and his pastors also held the prayers. It seems these prayers were not for the recovery of president Mwanawasa, they were praying for his death and this has given them joy and cause for celebration,” Kalala said.
“But let me tell them that the Bible says 'the death of one that belongs to the Lord is precious in his sight,' that's in Psalms 116 v 15. What they are trying to imply that president Mwanawasa's death is punishment is just nonsensical.”
He said late president Mwanawasa had achieved his mission on earth that God had given him.
“That cannot be considered to be a punishment. The fight against corruption is not ungodly, it's Godly! It's written in the Bible to fight for the poor, Proverbs 31 v 8-9. President Mwanawasa was doing God's work, he didn't say he was president to protect the interests of an individual,” Kalala said. “Chiluba at his level should not use the church to mislead people that president Mwanawasa's death is punishment from God, it's not true! He is attributing his acquittal to God. In my view, that is blasphemy because there is nothing Godly or Christian about his acquittal.”
He said Chiluba's acquittal raised more questions than answers.
“There are many people who have been acquitted but has this become controversial? There is nothing Godly or Christian about his acquittal. Acquittals should not be attributed to prayers but facts. Criminals have been acquitted before. It's misleading to claim that if one has been acquitted it's because he is a Christian,” Kalala said. “In the Bible, Barabus was acquitted, was he innocent? Jesus Christ was convicted was he guilty? It's not always that if a person is acquitted then he is innocent, no! Not necessarily. There are people who have been convicted and long after they are dead it is found that they were innocent. I am not saying he is guilty but why is he resisting the appeal?”
Kalala said it was not everyone who claimed to be a Son of God who was a Christian.
“Jesus said, 'you will know them by their fruits'. President Mwanawasa was not wrong in the action he took on this matter, on his stand against corruption. I worked with him closely; he had nothing personal against Chiluba. My advice to Chiluba is that he should stop abusing the word of God, he should stop abusing the death of president Mwanawasa,” Kalala said. “If he wants to go on abusing president Mwanawasa's death then I, Jack Kalala will stand to defend president Mwanawasa because he is not here to defend himself. And there is nothing special to show that Chiluba is anointed. If he wants, I can take him on biblically to show that he is just a sinner like everyone else.”
He said the problem with Chiluba was that he thought Zambians forgot easily and would not remember his past deeds.
“Or maybe Chiluba himself forgets his past deeds. Is it not Chiluba who arrested Kaunda without lifting his immunity? He also invited Scotland Yard to investigate Kaunda without having his immunity lifted. He even exposed the tunnels to prove a point that Kaunda had been extravagant and abused people's money. He refused to give Kaunda his retirement benefits on the pretext that Kaunda involved himself in active politics,” said Kalala.
“But today, Chiluba is involving himself in politics and enjoying his benefits. He is a hypocrite. His declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation amounts to nothing, it's not something to brag about because even before he declared Zambia a Christian nation, it belonged to God. So what value did it add to Zambia? After all God says 'Heaven is My stool and earth is My footstool so what house can you build Me. Everything in this world belongs to Him, all the people in this world belong to Him. What is important is to do God's will, full stop! All human beings on earth are special in His eyes. To whom else can a country belong?”
Labels: CHILUBA, JACK KALALA, MWANAWASA
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