Mazabuka Radio callers lambaste Machungwa as a fool, sellout
By Staff Reporter
Mon 22 Feb. 2010, 03:56 CAT
CALLERS to Mazabuka Radio’s Live wire programme yesterday accused Luapula member of parliament Peter Machungwa of being a sellout and insulting Michael Sata after being compromised by the MMD. And Machungwa, who featured on the programme, accused The Post of hating Frederick Chiluba following his victory in the courts of law.
The callers to the programme said Machungwa was not the right person to comment on PF matters because he was a sellout who was recently paraded to attack PF leader Sata in Luapula Province during President Rupiah Banda’s visit.
One caller called Machungwa a fool while others ordered the presenter Joe Pandwe not to invite what he termed time- wasters to the radio station.
The callers said Machungwa was not sincere with the party that made him win the election by attacking Sata just because he had allegedly been bought by the MMD.
The callers, who also jeered and mocked him for playing double standards, told Machungwa that Zambians had already decided on their next leader whether he and his friends liked it or not.
One caller, Silvester Simayaba told Machungwa that he was disappointed with him for behaving like a person who had never been to school.
Simayaba reminded Machungwa that most positions in parastatal organisations were occupied by either party officials of the MMD or its sympathisers.
“Who are you trying to cheat? Are you not ashamed of telling lies on radio? I want to remind you that all those people serving in foreign missions are party cadres or sympathisers of the MMD. So what is wrong with PF doing that when it forms government?” asked Simayaba.
Simayaba’s comments came in the wake of Machungwa's assertion that the PF constitution stated that all appointments in key government positions particularly permanent secretaries would be drawn from the party.
Machungwa accused The Post of being trivial.
He said the amount of hate for Chiluba by The Post was evidenced by its reaction when magistrate Jones Chinyama acquitted the former president.
Machungwa said “that small paper”, in reference to The Post, had been attacking President Rupiah Banda over Chiluba’s acquittal because they thought they were capable of taking back the case to court.
He said it was not possible to take Chiluba’s case back to court whether there was a new government or not because such a decision could only be made by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and not the Republican President.
Machungwa said President Banda respected the independence of the Judiciary and would not interfere in the running of the courts. He wondered why The Post and other organisations that hated Chiluba were not comfortable with the decision of the court.
He also accused The Post of publishing what he called pornography which he said was corrupting the moral fibre of young people.
Machungwa said Zambia was a Christian nation and such materials were prohibited by most cultures in the country.
Labels: MMD, PETER MACHUNGWA, PF-UPND, SATA
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Chiluba has right to support whoever he wants’
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 08 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT
LUAPULA member of parliament Peter Machungwa has charged that those complaining about Frederick Chiluba’s campaigns against the PF-UPND Pact are just scared of losing next year’s election.
Addressing the media after Supreme Court judge Dennis Chirwa quashed the Lusaka High Court decision that granted the Patriotic Front (PF) an injunction restraining its Matero member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe from performing her duties, Machungwa, who was in a joyous mood, said Chiluba had every right to support whoever he wanted.
In apparent reference to the PF, Machungwa said some people who Chiluba supported in 2006 were now crying the loudest because they were scared of losing the election since Chiluba’s support had shifted from them.
“Now let me also mention the debate that has been going on in the papers that Dr Chiluba cannot talk about this because he’s retired. But, you see, the law in this country does not mean that a retired president loses his right to express his opinion on a political issue or in fact to support a given candidate; he has all the right,” Machungwa said on Thursday. “What retirement means is he cannot himself stand for political office like he wants to become president or vice-president or chairman of a party, that’s what that means. So it doesn’t mean that he cannot support anybody. Like he himself pointed out, in 2006 he came out and fully supported Mr Sata for the presidential election. And nobody was crying about it. But I think now others are crying because they are scared of the loss that they will suffer as a result of him supporting somebody else. Like anybody else he has a right to express his opinion.”
When asked if those rights allowed Chiluba to actively campaign for his prefered candidate in the manner he had been campaigning for President Banda on the Copperbelt, Machungwa defended the action.
“If people ask him for his opinion, president Chiluba went to attend to personal matters. And it is obvious as former head of state he meets a lot of people and he’s free to say yes I support this person or I cannot support this person. He is in his right to express his opinion, and you see like me when we debate it is my right to say I think we should not pass this law because it is wrong,” said Machungwa. “And he hasn’t lost his right to do that. So those who still are crying very loudly because they’re going to lose, yes they must know that he will not support them, but there are others who may support them, that’s what it is. What right he has lost is that he cannot stand for political office. If he tries to do that we ourselves will say no Mr former president you are wrong.”
Labels: CHILUBA, DENNIS CHIRWA, PETER MACHUNGWA
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Let’s defend our magistrates, judges
Written by Editor
It was frightening to listen to what Ben Mwila and Peter Machungwa were saying in Parliament the other day. It was equally shocking to listen to the favourable response and support they were getting from the executive side of the House. Mwila told the House that the Task Force on Corruption and some donor countries had hijacked the Zambian judicial system. And this has resulted in several injustices.
“I have observed that our justice dispensation started going wrong in 2001. Before that, the justice system in the country was well managed. We are bringing the Task Force to run this country with donors. Yes, they support our budget deficit but we don’t need them to run our justice system. These donors use the Task Force to target certain individuals they don’t like.
And if a political party is led by the person they don’t like, they will destroy him using the Task Force. But I have confidence in the Honourable Minister of Justice who is also the Vice-President, and I hope that he shall not let the donors run our country through the Task Force.”
This is what Mwila told Parliament amidst cheers of “hammer, hammer” from the executive’s side of the House.
And Mwila added: “The justice dispensation system has deteriorated now. I was privileged to have been minister of defence for eight years. And our own laws stipulate that matters to do with the defence forces have to be tried by a court marshal. But now we are abrogating our own laws where we try our military personnel in courts and not court marshals. That is total abrogation of the fair justice system. Things are totally going wrong and the Task Force is one way of avoiding our justice system. I hope his honour the Vice-President will have a stronger voice to rectify the situation.”
And Machungwa pulled the string a little further: “Indeed the fight against corruption is very important, but it must be done quietly. It is very unique in a country to find all defence chiefs convicted, especially in the middle of agreements signed with some countries who have been funding the fight. And have signed that these individuals be convicted, maybe. The fight should not be targeted against certain individuals, crime is crime. Certain people have become targets in this fight. Let us ensure that citizens are treated in the same manner, lest we endanger peace and security of the country. We know that our judicial officers are empowered by the law to sometimes use discretion. And they sometimes use this discretion to punish by giving unnecessary adjournments. Please don’t abuse discretions when matters are to be decided.”
This is what Mwila and Machungwa told the House on Wednesday. And this is what members of Rupiah Banda’s government were supporting and cheering.
But what do these utterances by Mwila and Machungwa amount to? What do they mean? And what are the consequences of what these two gentlemen were saying?
We don’t want to say what Mwila and Machungwa are saying amounts to contempt of court. But we will not hesitate to say that their statements are intended and have the consequence of undermining our courts of law, our magistrates and judges. They have the consequence of reducing the credibility of our courts of law and of our entire judicial process.
And we have no doubt Mwila and Machungwa know this. We also have no doubt that those who were cheering, those who were supporting them, know this very well as well. But why have they decided to take what clearly appears to be a reckless and irresponsible approach to these issues? The only discernible thing that they seem to be doing this for is politics and personal interest, greed and vanity. They all know very well that soon, it may be their boss, their friend, their relative Frederick Chiluba who may be convicted in a similar manner. But what is sad is that their behaviour, their attitude to all these things is similar to that of George Kunda and is being supported openly by members of Rupiah’s government. This confirms what we have been saying about George’s attitude towards the fight against corruption, and the Task Force in particular. Even Mwila and Machungwa are confirming this and see him as their ally, a sympathiser to all these people who are being convicted for corruption.
But for all their desperation, we beg them to leave the courts of this country alone and let them do their job without interference or undue pressure.
If they succeed in destroying the credibility of our judiciary, of our courts, of our magistrates and judges, then this country is in for very dangerous and difficult times. Right now, the judiciary is the only institution where people with all sorts of grievances, frustrations, displeasures are turning to. Even politicians with what are clearly political problems, and not legal ones, are turning to the judiciary. If we recklessly and stupidly destroy the credibility of our magistrates, of our judges, we will have so many conflicts that we will fail to resolve, and this country will be in turmoil, in flames. We will fail even to resolve simple electoral disputes.
The process that George and his friends of all hues have embarked on is very dangerous. If you start a process in which the key democratic or governance institutions of our country like the judiciary begin to be destroyed, that process is very negative, is very dangerous. They have unleashed a process that may destroy the authority, dignity and standing of our magistrates and judges. In this way, they are destroying one of the pillars of orderly governance in this country. If you destroy the standing, the authority of our courts of law, the consequences are terrible. And these characters are making an enormous mistake by failing to foresee the consequences of what they are doing. And when all the negative tendencies are unleashed, opportunistic elements will also be introduced, to further destroy this country.
There is need for our people to stand up and defend certain principles that are of tremendous value at a time of confusion and opportunism in our country, a time one might call the deification of politics.
There is totally nothing wrong or questionable with these corruption cases and the sentences that have been handed to those found guilty. After all, Chiluba is on record refusing to accept the London High Court judgment in which he was found to be a thief. Chiluba preferred to be tried by a Zambian court and today, his friends don’t want to accept the fact that the Zambian courts have conducted these cases in the best way possible and have handed the most appropriate sentences to everyone. There is no one who has been accused of corruption who can claim that he was not accorded a fair hearing and due process. Some of them have even appealed to the High Court and Supreme Court and have still been found guilty.
What Mwila and Machungwa are insinuating is that our magistrates and judges are corrupt. They are being given orders by donors and other forces to convict innocent people. Can this be said to be true? The answer is a categorical no. These people stole and that is why they have been convicted at all levels of our judiciary. It is stupid to suggest that our magistrates, our High Court and Supreme Court judges are under the direction of donors.
But this is what happens when top leaders of a country like George start to behave in such a treacherous way and opt to support and defend that which is wrong for political expedience and other petty reasons of ego and jealousy.
And this is what the electoral alliance of Chiluba and his corrupt friends and Rupiah means. Chiluba told the nation that he doesn’t support anything for nothing. They are panicking now. They can’t believe the convictions of their friends. And desperate people do desperate things. This group is not different from the group that is today facing corruption charges in our courts of law and is being convicted. That’s why they are friends. That’s why they are playing in the same league.
Well, it gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. The Zambian people should not surrender. Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint.
But we need a political leadership that squares up to these challenges, one that is true and honest.
The daily deeds of our leaders must produce an actual Zambian reality that will reinforce our people’s belief in justice, strengthen their confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all their hopes for a glorious life for all and not just for a few corrupt elements. We should all work to ensure that the fruits of the work that has gone on in our country since independence do not only benefit a few.
And we say all this with a full knowledge and belief that no section of our nation has all the virtues, neither does any have all the vices. We are quite sure that most people try to do their jobs as best they can, even if the result is not always entirely successful. He who has never failed to reach perfection has a right to be the harshest critic. There can be no doubt, of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t. But we are all part of the same fabric of our national society and that scrutiny, by one part of another, can be just as effective if it is made with honesty and understanding, and not with lies and malice.
We urge all Zambians to commit themselves to the construction of a complete, fair, just and humane Zambia. And the best way to do this is to join the fight against corruption and stop the likes of George from having their way. George has a record of stopping genuine and legitimate prosecutions of corrupt elements. He has a record of defending corruption, of supporting that which is wrong, that which is corrupt. And this is why Mwila and Machungwa are exalting his name in their defence of the corrupt generals who have been jailed for their evil deeds.
Let’s defend our courts of law, our magistrates and judges. If we fail to do so, the consequences will be devastating.
Labels: BEN MWILA, CORRUPTION, PETER MACHUNGWA, TASK FORCE
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Machungwa refutes being at MMD rally
By Maluba Jere
Thursday October 16, 2008 [04:00]
PF Luapula member of parliament Peter Machungwa yesterday said he was not at an MMD rally in Mansa last Saturday but was instead witnessing the commissioning of the Mwanawasa Bridge in Chembe. Clarifying a picture (one above) in yesterday’s edition where he was captured with Nevers Mumba, Sakwiba Sikota and Ben Mwila as being at an MMD rally in Mansa, Machungwa said the caption was wrong as he had not attended any MMD rally in Mansa.
“The caption on the picture is incorrect. The picture is correct but that was not Mansa, it was at Chembe Bridge during the opening,” he said.
He explained that he was present at the commissioning of the bridge because he had consistently pushed the government to complete the project.
“It was extremely important for me to support this bridge because we have pushed so much and we consistently harangued the government to ensure the programme is completed,” said Machungwa. “We also want to ensure the government does the second phase of the project which is the tarring of the Pedicle Road and other similar projects in other parts of the country and this has to be supported.”
Labels: PETER MACHUNGWA
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PF leaders risk being cited for contempt, warns Machungwa
By Lambwe Kachali and Patson Chilemba
Saturday March 15, 2008 [03:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Luapula member of parliament Peter Machungwa has warned that his party leaders risk being cited for contempt of court should it go ahead to expel six parliamentarians. The six members of parliament are Saviour Chishimba (Kasama Central), Faustina Sinyangwe (Matero), Reverend Sampa Bredt (Chawama), Marjory Masiye (Mufulira), Percy Chanda (Kankoyo) and Barnabas Chellah for Wusakile Constituency.
The six will appear before the PF central committee today to answer charges of resignation from the party. Machungwa, who is spokesperson for PF members participating in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), said party leaders should know that the targeted parliamentarians obtained an injunction restraining the party from expelling them.
“I don’t think our party would like to experience that (contempt of court), because it will show that the party is not obeying the law of the land. I think it would be unfortunate because one might be arrested for contempt,” he said.
Machungwa said the party should be frank enough by stating that the members were facing expulsion for participating in the NCC rather than raise trumped up charges against them.
“How come there are no charges against any member who is not attending the NCC?” asked Machungwa.
Chanda said the party was engaging into a long legal battle that would go beyond 2011.
Chanda said he was not surprised over the allegations because the party had been planning to do so immediately he went to the NCC.
He said he was ready to challenge the party’s decision should he be expelled.
“I have got evidence right from my constituency where PF officials had a meeting, saying that they should look for cases against me.
People are ready to come and testify in the courts of law. So it is not a simple matter. In this meeting, provincial and district officials categorically said that we have won the matter about participating in the NCC but now officials should look for other charges to rely on.
I have got people who will testify in the court, so I am not even worried, let them just go ahead,” said Chanda.
Masiye said whoever was fighting her for no cause would be fighting against God.
She said she was not worried about what her party might decide.
Masiye said PF members used to be very good “buddies”, until others chose to obey the law by participating in the NCC.
According to the letters dated March 14, 2008 addressed to the six members parliament, party secretary general Edward Mumbi directed them to appear before the committee in person.
Mumbi in an interview later said the committee would make the final decision over the matter.
He said it was sad that some party members were misbehaving instead of building and preparing the party for the 2011 crucial general elections.
He said PF was a respected party and would not condone any misbehavior especially from members of parliament.
Mumbi said serious measures would be taken to any members who disobeyed the party constitution.
And PF president Michael Sata said any measure that would be slapped on the six offenders would be welcomed by the party.
Asked why the party had chosen to discipline only six when many members of parliament especially those participating in the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) withdrew their subscription from the party, Sata responded: “If you belong to a club, you pay membership fee and subscription fee.
Now if the top leadership i that club insult you or use strong language on you, do you have to withdraw your money? If you withdraw then you are telling everyone that you have resigned to that club and so you are no longer a member of that club. The same applies to these MPs. They are no longer members of PF,” he said.
Reminded that the members of parliament stopped contributing because he told them that he did not want their “blood money”, Sata said the excuse was unfounded and inconceivable.
“All I can tell you is that wait for tomorrow (today) and the central committee will make a final decision. Whatever decision will be passed, these people deserve it. Tomorrow everything will be laid bare. It will no longer be a secret,” said Sata.
Labels: MPs, PARLIAMENT, PETER MACHUNGWA, PF
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