Deceased Zambian Prisoner Buried in Malawi
Mon 11 Feb. 2013, 13:10 CAT
A Zambian prisoner who died in Malawi's Kamuzu Central Hospital has been buried in Lilongwe. Richard Sakala, 27, of Chief Chinaka's area in Petauke was convicted of theft and burglary on December 16, 2011 by the Magistrates Court in Mchinji. He was jailed six years for burglary and two years for theft, both sentences running concurrently. Late Sakala was expected to be released from prison on December 15, 2017 but was given a remission of two years and would have been freed on December 15, 2015.
The deceased, who resided in Mchinji, Malawi before his imprisonment, was earmarked for transfer to Zambia where he was expected to complete his sentence in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed on September 13, 2009 between the Zambia Prisons Service and the Malawi Prisons Service.
Before the burial on Friday, February 8, 2013, a delegation of prison authorities from Zambia and Malawi and the deceased's relatives paid a courtesy call on Deputy High Commissioner to Malawi Henry Ngilazi in Lilongwe.
Ngilazi regretted the untimely death of Mr. Sakala.
"On behalf of the Mission, I would like to express our sincere condolences on the death of our brother Mr. Richard Sakala. We wish the family God's divine guidance and protection during this mourning period," Ngilazi said.
He thanked the Zambia Prisons Service, their Malawian counterparts and the Eastern Province administration for working hand in hand with the Zambia High Commission in locating late Sakala's relatives in Petauke and Chipata districts.
Ngilazi emphasised the need for closer cooperation and timely exchange of information to ensure that prisoners serving in Zambia and Malawi are properly served and well taken care of.
And head of delegation Chief Inspector Peter Chisanga of Zambia Prison Service Eastern region headquarters said they had travelled to Malawi with the relatives of the deceased because they had an obligation to ensure a decent burial for late Sakala.
Family representative Joseph Nyangu thanked the Zambia High Commission for the assistance rendered to late Sakala's family.
Later, Sakala was buried at Lilongwe's Biwi Cemetery.
Labels: MALAWI, PRISONERS, RICHARD SAKALA
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Prosecute Chipoya
By The Post
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 14:00 CAT
IT is said that justice begins at home and the leaders themselves must be the first to give witness.It is also said that we cannot call others to virtues which we ourselves do not make an effort to practice. We say this in the light of Michael Sata's timely and decisive action against the corruption of his senior private secretary Alfred Chipoya.
A few days after being sworn in as President of the Republic, Michael warned all those who were going to serve in his government not to sell government decisions. In short, he warned them against taking bribes or inducements from people for them to facilitate certain government decisions or actions.
And it seems Alfred did not take this warning seriously. It was not an empty warning. Michael knew exactly what he was talking about. He knew very well that government officials do sell government decisions.
To be forewarned, it is said, is to be forearmed. For a long time, State House has been the citadel of corruption in Zambia. Presidential aides did all sorts of wrong things for the president, including facilitating his corruption. In the process, they also started doing their own things, making money for themselves in the same way the president was doing. Some of our presidents lost their moral authority to demand integrity, incorruptibility from their aides.
In the process, State House aides became very affluent, made a lot of money for themselves and became really big-headed, as if they were very senior political leaders; some of them even lost respect for ministers and other elected representatives of the people.
Look at how big-headed Richard Sakala had become under Frederick Chiluba! Look at how big-headed Dickson Jere had become under Rupiah Banda! Even Levy Mwanawasa was dribbled by his own aides - they engaged in all sorts of corrupt activities, and made money on his back. Probably as our late comedian Sauzande would say, "those are those", Michael is "another".
Corruption at State House has gone on for too long and has in some way messed up the reputation of the presidency. And Michael seems to have cracked it. We have had a situation where presidential aides have manipulated the decisions and actions of the president for too long.
They have been the ones collecting CVs from people for all sorts of appointments in a manner that has been personally beneficial or profitable to them. They have been selling appointments to all sorts of scoundrels with cash or other favours they could exchange with them. Only those people the aides wanted to see the president saw the president. They have made the president inaccessible to the people the president needed to see or meet.
It's good Michael is doing something about it. We knew it was just a matter of time before the action-man got to it. These are people the president should have all the confidence in but if they behave in this way, where does it leave the president? How far can he rely on them and trust their advice?
This is a very serious betrayal not only of the president but also of the public that every day rely on the decisions and actions of the president. This is not a small matter by one indisciplined and greedy aide. It is a practice that has been perpetrated for a long time and has been widespread at State House and other institutions of the state.
Government or state decisions and actions are being sold every day. We have many people from the Chiluba days who have been convicted for selling government decisions and actions. Major General Wilford Funjika was one such public officer who was sentenced to jail for selling government decisions.
We don't see any good reason why Alfred should not be arrested, prosecuted and if possible convicted for corruption, for bribery, for abuse of his office as an aide to the president. It's not enough for Michael just to relieve Alfred of his duties.
Michael may not need to ask the law enforcement agencies to move in, they should be proactive themselves. Why haven't our law enforcement agencies moved in on Alfred? Are they waiting for an order from Michael? There is need to prosecute Alfred so that all public officers know the consequences of selling government decisions and actions.
They might have done it in the past and got away with it because they were serving compromised presidents who they could easily blackmail. We don't think Michael has gotten to that stage yet where some small aide of his can blackmail him. This is the importance of incorruptibility as the essence of self-respect.
If a president is sending his aides to steal for him, as some presidents have done in this country, one loses the authority to stop them stealing for themselves, receiving bribes from all sorts of criminals for themselves. We urge Michael to maintain eternal vigilance about this. So far so good. So far so commendable. So far so inspiring.
We ask our leaders and those working with them to respect themselves and to be exemplary in their daily lives. We say this because as leaders, as aides of our representatives, they cannot give to others that which they themselves do not have. If they don't have discipline, they will not be able to instil discipline in others.
If they themselves receive bribes or are corrupt, they will not be able to instil a sense of dignity, integrity, honesty, incorruptibility in those they lead, in those they have appointed to help them serve the people.
Alfred is an experienced State House aide. He served under Levy and should know very well what can be done and what shouldn't be done. Alfred knows the standards set by Levy and demanded by him. Alfred also had the opportunity to serve at State House under Rupiah Banda.
He knows what it means to have a corrupt president at State House. Alfred saw how State House was turned into a den of thieves by Rupiah. He had the opportunity to compare the two. Alfred has also seen what type of leader, what type of human being Michael is.
He should have known better what is possible or not possible under Michael. But he chose to ignore the character of his new boss and thought they could continue the Rupiah way of doing things. Alfred should face the temerity of his actions.
He has betrayed Michael and deserves no sympathy other than that which the law can give him. Let Alfred be arrested and prosecuted.
Labels: CORRUPTION, MICHAEL SATA, RICHARD SAKALA
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Let’s defend the rights of Chiluba’s supporters
Written by Editor
The protest at the British High Commission in Lusaka by Richard Sakala’s brother, Edwin and his friends, Charles Kafumbo and Langton Sichone, deserved to be protected.And it was good that this protest was not stopped by the police or anyone else for that matter. We certainly do not share their views on the issues they were protesting about; we hold totally opposite views.
But we strongly believe that Edwin and his friends have every right to express themselves on any issue in this world and also have that right to come together and protest, demonstrate whenever they feel they need to do so. And this right we will always defend not only for Edwin and his friends but for all citizens of this country, and indeed for all human beings.
And it is important that we learn to defend issues of principle regardless of how much we detest those behind them. It is said that whoever is incapable of fighting for others will never be capable of fighting for himself. We have a collective duty to defend the rights of every citizen of this country. And by fulfilling that duty, we are not doing a favour to anyone but simply fulfilling a duty. And this is why we have always thought that if a man cannot sacrifice himself for others, he is incapable of sacrificing himself for anything; a person that cannot sacrifice himself or herself for others is incapable of sacrificing himself or herself for his or her own sake; a person that is not willing to fight for the rights of others will never be ready to fight for his or her own rights when they are threatened or violated.
And there is need to make it very clear that by defending the rights of Edwin and his friends, the rights of people whose views and positions we detest, does not mean in any way that we are sympathetic to their views. We are not. What we are sympathetic to is their right to hold the views they hold and to be able to come together and express them without any obstruction or hindrance from anyone. What matters to us is not the correctness of the position taken or the views being expressed but the right to hold those views and express them, whether they are palatable or unpalatable. All these rights would be a farce if they were merely confined to pleasant things, to correct positions or acceptable ideas of the general public or those in power. The freedom we are championing is one that protects unpopular and even incorrect positions. These are human rights, these are constitutional rights which do not have to be earned by taking what may be seen to be correct positions or acceptable views. And this is why we hold that the greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong, that in the exercise thereof, people have an inviolable right to express their unbridled thoughts on all topics and personalities, being liable only for the abuse of that right. Of course, we all know that the right to express oneself does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.
We all know that Richard Sakala, the brother of Edwin, was Frederick Chiluba’s press aide for 10 years and was involved in all sorts of corrupt activities that made him serve a jail sentence. So here is a case of a brother of a corrupt element coming to the service of his brother’s former boss. Anyway this point doesn’t need to be belaboured – they are simply defending their benefactors.
What worries us most is that when it comes to people who are supporting views held by those in power, the police is very accommodating. Edwin and his friends were allowed to go and demonstrate at the British High Commission because they support Rupiah Banda’s position, they are in tandem with the government policy on this score. By contrast, look at how this same police has criminalised the activities of civil society organisations that are protesting the corrupt manner in which Chiluba’s case of corruption has been handled or is being handled! People are being arrested for honking, an act that Zambians perform freely so often or so repeatedly every weekend when there is a wedding, matebeto, soccer matches and all sorts of things. Today simply because this honking is against a position government has taken, then it’s criminal. This is a criminal abuse of the powers of the police. There is a political issue here that has arisen from the corrupt manner in which Chiluba’s acquittal and withdrawal of the appeal against that judgment has been handled. There is no issue of a criminal nature here that needs policing. The police should allow the opposing political forces to slug it out politically and let those with a fair, just and humane cause carry the day. But what we see is an abuse of the police in defence of the criminal manner in which Rupiah and his friends have handled the Chiluba issue. The police, in this case, is being used to defend crime and not to fight crime. Protests in support of Chiluba are being tolerated, are not being hindered by the police in any way. But the same is not being done for those seeking justice against the abuse of our judicial process to let Chiluba go scot-free.
The issue of peace and order is neither here nor there in this matter. We say this because peace is the fruit of that right ordering of things with which the divine founder has invested human society and which must be actualised by people thirsting after an ever more perfect reign of justice. And if peace is to be established, the primary requisite is to eradicate the cause of dissention, the cause of all this honking and whistling.
It is important to maintain and strengthen democratic structures if we are to enjoy a peaceful and developing future. Arbitrariness and repressive measures have never guaranteed anyone peace or order. The pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of all our state institutions, of our police. This is why we have always said that our politics need people with credibility because their presence in the political arena can bring good, authentic values to the political process. The participation of our people in political life should be guided by noble values of respect for human dignity, human rights, common good, social justice, solidarity, integral development, social concern for the poor and non-violence in resolving conflicts.
It is because of a lack of such values in our political leadership that today we see an entire government spending disproportionate time and resources defending a thief, a lazo like Chiluba – all institutions of the state (the presidency, the Ministry of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the police and even our courts of law) are today defending Chiluba. How can this be possible in a country with values and standards, a country with special concern for the poor, for a thief who has stolen from the poor to be so well defended by the institutions of the poor and the resources of the poor?
Those who respect human rights realise that the roots of all human rights are to be found in the dignity that belongs to each human being. And the rights of all individuals and organisations and their practical implementation must be acknowledged, protected and fostered, together with the public duties binding all citizens.
The measures that the police are taking against those who are protesting Chiluba’s acquittal and the withdrawal by the government of an appeal against that acquittal will not bring peace and order in this country. We say this because such measures cannot give any society peace. Peace is the fruit of honesty, truth and solidarity and not the abuse of the repressive capacity of the police, manipulation of the judicial process to let corrupt friends go scot-free. Peace is the tranquility of order and not the abuse or manipulation of state institutions. And to guarantee peace and order, all are called to maturity, tolerance and responsibility.
What the police is doing, it’s double standards, amounts to corruption. And in serious societies, those responsible for all this would have to answer for it in the future.
And to us, the way the police and the government in general are behaving over the decision by civil society to honk and whistle over Chiluba’s questionable acquittal, in some way, shows that the government is conceding powerful mass support against what they have done.
Clearly, what all this shows us is that how the forces of democratic governance and a civil society interact is the challenge we face and have to work through as a continuing and dynamic process as we try to improve the governance of our country. There is an old saying that freedom and order are constantly in tension with one another in society. Order without freedom leads to totalitarianism. Freedom without order leads to anarchy. It is also said that societies recover more quickly and more healthily from too much freedom than they do from totalitarianism.
If all this sounds too abstract, let us then put it in simpler terms. We would hope that our police develops a greater professional integrity and responsibility and refuse to be abused in the political schemes of those in power. We would like to see the police being honest guardians of democracy and freedom in this country and respect, above all else, its own integrity as a social institution.
Labels: CHILUBA, RICHARD SAKALA
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Lawyers unfit to practice worry Chief Justice Sakala
By Maluba Jere
Friday March 21, 2008 [03:00]
CHIEF Justice Ernest Sakala has expressed concern at the growing number of young lawyers that are not proper and fit to practice law in Zambia. And Chief Justice Sakala has told legal practitioners to expect to be criticised and attacked harshly for the decisions they make. Meanwhile, Chief Justice Sakala has regretted the growing gap existing between the bench and the legal profession.
Officially opening a one-day Access to Justice Bar-Bench conference held at Protea Hotel in Chisamba yesterday, Chief Justice Sakala wondered whether the young lawyers were being properly scrutinised before being recommended for admission to the Bar.
“At times I get baffled when I read some of the recommendations for admission to the Bar,” he said. “Perhaps time has come that we should follow up advocates who make improper recommendations; when they should know that a particular character is not a fit and suitable person for admission.”
He acknowledged having received complaints from some senior members of the legal profession that some adjudicators had or were not conducting themselves professionally in and outside court.
And Chief Justice Sakala said as long as legal practitioners continued serving in the arena for resolving contentious battles over emotionally charged issues of politics, business transactions, tribalism and crime; they should expect to be criticised.
“As Lord Denning once said, “we do not fear criticism, nor do we resent it. It is the right of every man to make fair comment, even outspoken comment on matters of public interest,” he said. “It is also true that fair criticism of judges may identify defects in the judicial system and protect the cause of justice. But the criticism or comments must be fair and not made in bad taste.”
He said the conference was an opportunity to find lasting solutions to problems besetting the justice system and urged the legal practitioners not to allow anything erode people’s confidence in the Judiciary and legal system.
Justice Sakala also said the success of the legal profession in its noble role of maintaining the rule of law was equally dependent on a strong and independent Bench.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice Sakala said the growing gap between the Bench and legal profession had affected the general practice and standards being exhibited in the justice delivery system.
“I strongly feel that non-interaction and consultation among ourselves has greatly contributed to the lowered standards being experienced,” he said. “Indifference and failure to communicate with opposing counsel in a matter has derailed many hearings resulting in increased costs and time wasting. In my view, some disputes can be resolved by simply lawyers talking to each other without rushing to court.”
He further said he had noted a growing tendency by some lawyers who storm out of the courtroom seemingly in annoyance after receiving a verdict not in their favour.
“If the commitment of the profession is to the cause of justice, then such behavior is not only unprofessional but undesirable,” he said. “Professional good manners demand that every lawyer must, at the end of any hearing, regardless of the outcome of a case, show courtesy to the court. What has happened to the much venerated phrase ‘much obliged’ if I may ask?”
Justice Sakala said complaints from the public about the slow pace of disposing of cases was genuine but explained that the Judiciary was currently working at improving staffing levels and training the existing staff.
“On the other hand, as a bench, I stand here to admit that indeed our own house has not always been in order. Some of our adjudicators do not put their best,” he said. “I have repeatedly said that as head of the Judiciary, it pains me when I read or hear comments coming from the public complaining about the slow pace at which cases are moving and complaints on delayed judgments. I have also come to accept that these comments and complaints are genuine and as a judiciary we cannot ignore them.”
Meanwhile, Law Association of Zambia president Elijah Banda said the manner in which advocates of the court conducted themselves before court had a bearing on the quality of justice dispensed by the courts.
Banda said he stood charged and guilty for the unnecessary adjournments to court cases.
“We’ve been discussing this issue for a number of years and we are concerned that there are no improvements,” said Chief Justice Sakala. “Sometimes we advocates get shocked that a long awaited judgment is just a page or two.”
Labels: COURTS, JUDICIARY, RICHARD SAKALA
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Administering justice without blemish
By Editor
Sunday July 08, 2007 [04:00]
The advice by Chief Justice Ernest Sakala to the newly trained magistrates should be embraced not only by the new members of adjudicators but also the entire bench. This advice is not new but it is very important and thus worth repeating. Justice Sakala is urging members of the bench not to become parties to those who delay the dispensation of justice in various ways.
He also advises them to be exemplary in their conduct both on and off the bench and most importantly, to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
It is this last point that we would like to emphasise because some magistrates and judges have failed to pass the test of honesty and integrity, qualities that are cardinal in the administration of justice. They have failed to resist temptations from various quarters to engage themselves in corrupt activities or activities, that bring shame and damn on their noble profession.
From available statistics, a good number of new magistrates succumb to corrupt manoeuvres as soon as they sit on the bench. A few have been dismissed for soliciting money from the people that appeared before them. In some cases, some magistrates have been dismissed even over little amounts like K200,000.
We know that the conditions of service in the judiciary, like is the case with the entire civil service, may not be attractive. But this will in no way justify corrupt practices by our magistrates or indeed all the people involved in the administration of justice.
So as our new magistrates take their positions on the bench, they should remind themselves of this challenge to remain morally and professionally upright. Temptations will always be there but it is the duty of a professional magistrate or judge to resist such temptations and put an end to them by taking corrective measures and actions.
More than ever before, the judiciary is today under a microscopic eye because there are so many cases before our courts on a daily basis that require justice from our adjudicators.
A corrupt magistrate or judge cannot administer justice because his or her sense of justice will be weakened by the bribe that they will accept to receive. But our adjudicators are expected to administer justice without any blemish.
At a time that the country is trying or struggling to fight against corruption, an independent and corrupt-free judiciary is very key to the success of the fight. Nothing will be achieved if our men and women charged with the responsibility of administering justice decide to compromise themselves for whatever reasons or considerations.
In saying all this, we are not in any way attempting to accuse the judiciary of anything but we are trying to remind both the new and old adjudicators of the challenges in their administration of justice. This is especially so because we have seen some very good judges and magistrates who have fallen on account of corruption.
As the country is well aware, justice Matthew Ngulube - one of the best Chief Justices Zambia has ever had - left the bench in a very embarrassing situation. He was tempted by the powerful who dangled a few thousands dollars in his face and justice Ngulube could not resist the temptation. His departure from the judiciary left a very big, if not an indelible, dent both on his career and the image of our judiciary.
If they do not guard against such temptations, our judges or magistrates can find themselves in such situations which have the potential to permanently ruin their noble career. These are the lessons that our new magistrates should not forget to learn from as they join the bench.
As justice Sakala pointed out, magistrates who fail to meet the high standards expected of them will be of no good use to the public and the judiciary as well. They should also constantly remind themselves that the public is watching over everything they are doing, whether they are operating in Lusaka or Shang'ombo.
That is why they should make a difference by ensuring that justice is not delayed by unnecessary adjournments occasioned either by the court or parties to cases. Sometimes, many cases take too long to be completed. Some accused persons even end up serving 'prison sentences' during their stay in remand so much that by the time they are acquitted, they feel like they have just finished serving a sentence. And the much talked about prison congestion is sometimes a direct effect of some unnecessary adjournments.
Labels: EDITORIAL, RICHARD SAKALA
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Standards set by thieves
By Editor
Tuesday July 03, 2007 [22:00]
It was a privilege for Richard Sakala to work for the government.
In exchange, Sakala had an obligation to perform honestly, efficiently, effectively and in an orderly manner all his duties and obligations. The main thing in public service or politics is integrity.
In public service or politics, true leadership requires choosing, in every instance, the position that allows you to sleep peacefully at night. If people abuse the public offices entrusted to them, they must be held accountable. And in trying to make a public servant accountable, the idea is not to disgrace him, or to harass him but simply to make him accountable.
We agree with Sakala when he says that “power should be used in a proper manner” and that “the people of Zambia repose power in the authorities so that they can use it for the betterment of society”.
We also agree with Sakala when he says that those in power should abide by the laws. This is exactly what his prosecution and conviction for abuse of office and theft of public assets was intended to achieve. How else can those in power be expected to abide by the laws if the laws are not invoked when there are transgressions?
There is a contradiction here. In one breath Sakala is calling for accountability and in another he is advocating impunity. This is simply because his is not a principled position. It is a position influenced by self-preservation, self-interest. The wrongdoings Sakala was convicted for and for which he served a jail sentence were correctly adjudicated and there is no impartial tribunal that would not have found him guilty or liable.
There is no doubt that Sakala abused his office and he stole public assets. He can appeal anywhere he wants, but he will not be able to overturn the decision that sent him to prison.
His petitioning Parliament is nothing but an act of desperation. Our Parliament is not part of the judicial process. There is a separation of powers in this country which is well defined in our Constitution. The role of Parliament is to make laws and that of the Judiciary to adjudicate. And this is what prevailed in Sakala’s case. Parliament made the laws under which Sakala was charged, tried and convicted. The Judiciary used these laws to adjudicate and sent Sakala to prison.
It is clear that Sakala, like all crooks and thieves, is trying to play smart but not necessarily being clever. It won’t do for him to try and assign to Parliament duties that our Constitution has assigned to the Judiciary.
Sakala’s general claim that the judicial system in our country is corrupt merits some examination. But if it is corrupt, who corrupted it? We know that it was the Chiluba regime, of which Sakala was part, that corrupted the then chief justice of our country, Matthew Ngulube. There is enough evidence on this issue. If there are any other judicial officers that were bribed, it is they who had bribed them and should just tell us who they had bribed and with how much. We say this because for now, there is no evidence of any judicial officer having been corrupted by those in power. The only evidence we have is of the Chiluba regime corrupting judicial officers like Ngulube. This is how they operated and probably they cannot believe that other people can do things differently. Is Sakala telling us that the magistrate or judge who handled his case was corrupt? We have no doubt that Sakala’s case was properly handled and there was no corruption whatsoever in the court’s decision to imprison him. The only corruption lies in Sakala’s own deeds or misdeeds. It is Sakala who is corrupt and not the magistrate or judge who heard his case.
Today Sakala is talking about justice and fairness in the treatment of fellow human beings. Is it because he is being made to account for his wrongdoing? We ask this question because there is nothing in the way the Chiluba regime conducted its affairs that shows any element of justice or fairness in the treatment of fellow human beings. We remind Sakala to look at the way the Chiluba regime treated the founding president of our country, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and other leaders of the UNIP government. Look at the way they were denied their benefits and left to die in poverty and destitution while Sakala and his friends were sharing the government and parastatal houses and other assets these same people had built or established! Look at the way opposition UNIP leaders were harassed and humiliated and their party destroyed by Chiluba and his minions! Look at how Dr Kaunda was harassed and humiliated at the hands of these same people who today want to deceive us that they are the champions of justice and fairness! Look at the way they nearly killed Dr Kaunda and Dr Rodger Chongwe in Kabwe without even being remorseful about that attempted assassination! What about Chiluba’s trumped-up treason charges against Dr Kaunda, Princess Nakatindi Wina, Dr Rajan Mahtani and the late Dean Mung’omba and their detention! We will not talk about the harassment and persecution we had to endure under the hands of this same Sakala and his boss, Chiluba. It is not necessary for us to talk about this because it ended up in a dramatic way, it boomeranged on them and as a result Sakala went to prison and Chiluba and other members of their league are today facing criminal charges in our courts of law and have been found liable for defrauding the Zambian government in the London High Court.
Sakala is praising Chiluba for being a very strong man, he should know better being a jailbird that Zambian criminals are strong, they don’t easily break. Yes, Chiluba is a strong thief. Chiluba has no alternative but to pretend he did nothing wrong even when the evidence against him is clear for all to see and is insurmountable in all respects. Is it justice for a people’s servant to take more than a million dollars from pubic coffers to go and buy designer clothes from boutiques in Europe when most of his fellow citizens live on less than a dollar a day and cannot even afford the cheapest painkiller? Is that justice? Is that fair? Is that how one should treat one’s fellow citizens? We ask these questions in the Sakala style and fashion seeking honest answers which we know we can’t get from Sakala, Chiluba and their tandem of thieves. But we ask them because we know the people of Zambia will answer them in an honest way by ensuring that they support all the moves and initiatives to make Chiluba, Sakala and other members of their criminal syndicate account for their misdeeds, for their crimes against the people of this country.
Lastly, Sakala has the audacity to accuse Zambian journalists of mixing facts and their personal opinions in news reports. Anyway, criminals are very daring people because they have nothing to lose. Everything positive they get is a bonus. Sakala has totally nothing to lose because he is a well-known crook who openly abused his public office and stole government assets. Sakala, when he was at State House, abused the state media in a manner no special assistant to a president in this country has ever done. So what schooling of the media can Sakala really undertake or champion? And what standards can Sakala teach the media – the standards of thieves and crooks? Yes, there is need to separate commentary or opinions from news or facts. Most of our publications in this country do that. Their comment or opinion pages are clearly distinguished as such from their news sections. In fact, if there are any violators of this, it is the same media that is owned by plunderers, by these same crooks and thieves.
We will continue to focus on Chiluba and his tandem of thieves so that impunity is eradicated from public affairs. And we do this in the name of justice and fairness in the treatment of our fellow human beings because where there is impunity, it is not possible to have justice and fairness.
This country will not be governed on the standards set by thieves, criminals and plunderers of all hues. The people will set their own standards to deal with thieves.
Labels: CHILUBA, EDITORIAL, RICHARD SAKALA
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Chiluba is a strong man, says Sakala
By Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday July 03, 2007 [22:00]
Chiluba is a very strong man, his former press aide at State House Richard Sakala has said. And Sakala advised journalists not to mix facts and their personal opinions in news reports. Featuring on MUVI Television’s Eye Ball 2 Eye Ball programme on Monday, Sakala said very few people would survive the pressure former Republican president Frederick Chiluba was going through.
“President Chiluba is a strong man; he is really, really a strong man. I admire his strength,” Sakala said. “You see, when the camera focuses on your failures, day-in-day-out, it’s your failure; very few people will survive that.”
He said it was wrong for people to concentrate on the failures of the Chiluba government.
“If you take your camera that now we are going to look at this group of people over this period of time, we don’t want to look on this side of the left hand, we don’t want to look at the right hand side, we only focus on the wrong doings of these people at this particular time. Is that justice? Is that fair? Is that how you should treat your fellow human beings?” Sakala asked. “No! I think there must be a better way.”
He complained that the use of the ZAMTROP account had been focused on the 10-year rule of Chiluba and his government.
“ZAMTROP has not existed for 10 years. ZAMTROP existed before the 10 years of the Chiluba government,” he said. “More importantly, how was ZAMTROP used before president Chiluba came in? How many people know?”
He also complained about the corruption in the judicial system in the country.
“There is a big problem with our criminal justice system. Right now, I can tell you that if it’s a political matter you have no idea what is going to come out. As long as there is political pressure things will happen,” Sakala said. “A lot of things happen before a person is taken to court, a lot of things happen while a person is in court, a lot of things happen when a person is out of court and when you talk about corruption, you must take the totality of these things.”
Sakala said some people did not deserve to be in prison.
He said there were some people who were on the death row for the crimes they did not commit.
Sakala said he always asked himself why he was the only aide to Chiluba who was imprisoned.
He said that he still thinks about the bad experiences he underwent in prison.
Sakala expressed optimism that Parliament would listen to his petition over his imprisonment.
“I really hope that the National Assembly can allow me the opportunity of going there and present my case with my documentations. Let them hear and make the decision,” Sakala said. “I am going to Parliament, I am going to go to the courts, I am going to go to the Judiciary Complaints Commission not because I expect anything from it but I expect that somehow we can change the mind-set, that people can have a more sincere approach to public policy issues.”
He advised that the governance system should not be personalised.
“Power should be used in proper manner. The people of Zambia repose power in the authorities so that they can use it for the betterment of society,” he said, adding that those in power should abide by the laws.
Sakala also said his book about his prison experience would be out before October this year.
“I’m so excited about it,” he said.
Sakala said journalists should not mix facts and their personal opinions.
He said presenting personal opinions in newspapers as facts was wrong because that was deceiving readers.
In apparent reference to media reports on national resources plunderers, Sakala advised journalists to minimise harm on the people they report on.
Sakala was imprisoned for three years and four months for abuse of authority and theft of a motor vehicle.
Labels: CHILUBA, RICHARD SAKALA
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