Government has advised members of the former ruling MMD to be remorseful and apologise to the Zambian people for allegedly engaging disgraced freelance journalist, Chimba Chimba the third, to discredit others on their behalf.
This follows revelations that Government will have to pay K500 million in legal fees incurred by the fugitive journalist, who produced hate-speech-laced documentaries sponsored by the previous government.
Chief Government Spokesperson, Given Lubinda is saddened that MMD’s insatiable appetite to remain in power will cost Zambians tax payers colossal sums of money.
He says some distraught MMD members should therefore apologize for wasting tax payers’ money, which should have been channeled towards poverty reduction programmes.
Mr. Lubinda, who is also Information Minister, is optimistic that his predecessor at the Ministry, Ronnie Shikapwasha’s refusal that he was never involved with Chanda Chimba will not backfire once investigations are completed.
MUVITV
Learn from this and never make the same mistakes as your predecessors. MMD left a very low benchmark in all areas which should be pretty easy for PF to overflow.
These MMD chaps are too pompers!!! Mr minister sir…leave them with their guiltyness.An apology should not be forced.they have alredy seen the difference.
May I suggest that the complainants in this case take their cases to court for determination of the actual damages.The govt should not just admit liability. In cases of libel, it is not enough to prove that the articles complained of were defamaatory. Of course the articles were defamatory but the national broadcaster can argue that they were true and published in the public interest. I din’t watch any of these programmes, but if, as I have been informed, they were intended to show contradicdtions between what someone said in the past and what he was saying now, then where is libel? I am very sure that if taken to court, the K500 billion earmarked for payment to the affected complainants will be saved unless the ZNBC is scared of fighting the case on behalf of the State!Q
Arguing like that will mean what chimba said about Sata is true. The PF isn’t that daft
#3 what re u talking about? You did not even watch the programme.
Use the K500m to pay a few retirees.
Look for Chanda Chimba and his sponsors,those are the ones who should be made to foot the bill not the Zambian people. By the way where is Banda i mean RB that is your man who should be made to foot the fee.
My concern here is that Sata might be the beneficiary. If this is money for the law suit from Sata, then it makes me sick. On the others and if it is to pay the lawyers then it is understandable. Nevertheless I would like to see the MMD pay for this. After all this was illegal in that the MMD were abusing state funds to advance their cause. Why is the PF not putting up a fight?
careless journalism always lands the country into problems.In future just acts of journalism should not be allowed.It a long time Journalist brought out real issues affecting the people. Zambia is very big and people are interested in knowing the happenings in different sides of the country than focusing on an individual.
how i wish we had legal ways of making mmd pay.
i dnt understand why we should pay for useless chanda chimbwi folishness when we need to move forward in the country.
Look for a fugitive Chanda Chimbwi together with RB and make them pay for this bill k500 million.Thats what you get if you become a gurf boy.
Pay who? Sata is shameless. 200billion budget for cases like this one to pay himself. Who’s fooling who? If you love Zambia u would not make tax payers give u 500million for damages that never were. CCiii built u in fact and effect. May be now is the time to stand up for Zambia because not even Chiluba could sink so low as to demand an apology from Shikapwasha for the money he is about to steal. Legal fees my foot. Don’t touch that money bakateka please… It is mine not Chandra Chimba’s.
Before you pay any bills get a legal opinion form the AG please dont make some lawyer rich over night this fee can also be taxed…by the way Chimba was not a public servant therefore he must be liable for any debts incurred including legal fees…
I thought that ZNBC used to deny the liability before and after the documentary. It was clearly stated that the views expressed were that of Chanda Chimba who was the author, presenter, director and producer and we were made to believe that he paid for the airtime a reason why most of the aggrieved people sued Chanda Chimba. Can Mr. Lubinda tell me why i (tax payer) should foot the bill for being insulted.
somebody pliz make me understand, whose to be paid this K500million?
#13 you are right those were the view of chimbwi so he should pay for that pliz ba lubinda 500million our parents died without geting their benefits and you want to pay for chimbwis appetite. mmd had no mercy for us pliz pf dnt pay that amount
The MMD should foot the bill! kalil they are the ones who benefited from that programme.they were busy de-campaigning sata but thank God, zambians had already made up their minds.
I really don’t understand the logic in this matter. Chanda Chimbwi was not a government employee. How does government come in to settle his legal bills.
Don’t settle the bills, let the lawyers sue so that we can hear the full the details in court!
No. 3 you are spot on. To the extent that i am concerned with, those documentaries did not contain any libel as they were reflecting facts. It is a matter of fact that SATA was involved in the CHAWAMA MASSACRES. Of course, the thruth hurts and people must admit that ZNBC told the Zambians the TRUTH. ZNBC should appeal to a higher court. PF are using this matter to gain sympthy while creating hatred for the MMD.
# 18 exactly my question. Just how does government become liable to pay the legal fees. Whose legal fees are they for? Can the spokesperson give full details some of us prefer detailed comments.
By the way, this money is going to SATA and his lawyers
Forcing the MMD to apologise is not a life and death issue. In any case a forced apology amounts to nothing! If they want to apologise that’s their business. The people of Zambia already punished MMD by voting them out of government. The PF should not waste time looking for flattery. Let them deliver on their promises and applause will be spontaneous and deserved. Respect is earned, not forced!
The taxpayer need not pay. The MMD has to pay because the expense comes out of illegal action by Ronnie. In fact he should be docked for that
Is it that the PF are trying hard to justify payment of “libel” suits arising from CC3s programs by saying MMD government accepted responsibility? Why else will they demand an apology? Just wondering…
am wondering why znbc as a public institution had to hire public lawyers; why not lawyers from ministry of justice?
This is cheap politics Mr Lubinda. How do you accept to pay fees to lawyers on behalf of an individual from taxpayers money?. PF govt pre-occupies itself so much to discredit MMD and forget to deliver services to Zambians, not even a single tangible result since in office. The fact that you agree to use taxpayers money constitutes failure on PF govt to handle national issues with high level headedness subscribing to the common tenets of justice.
someone to help me. What is this story all about. Cant make head nor tail out of this! I end here!
#19 can you please educate some of us about the ” Chawama massacres”? I have never heard of them.
This is how the stealing by the Pathetic Fools has started. Â Have damages been determined in a court of law? If so, how has been sorted out so quickly after 20 September when other court cases take years to be determined? Â This looks like a quick kill by these money-hungry bakolwe, going for easy meat – taxpayers’ money. Â Let them introduce the Abuse of Office clause. Â They will be the first to account for their wrong-doings, including giving Finance Bank back to Mahtani in contravention of the Banking and Financial Services Act.
I still do not understand. Why hasn’t anyone who felt injured taken chimba to the courts of law for defamation or libel? Why are campaign funders for the MMD being interrogated, for what? I thought the law was clear on sources of funding for political parties, that political parties need not disclose the source of funding. What about the PF funding, like helicopter hiring, should the funders be interrogated, for what? While then opposition PF saw wrong in what chimba was doing on znbc, no one saw wrong in what the Post was doing to RB. And i thought chimba solely based his tirades on the Post archives in the manner of ‘Then and Now’ on the credibility of then opposition leader. The best is to move forward because things were said in the heat of the political moment, from both side.
@28 Reader
You must have been away from Zambia for a very long time indeed!! Â @19 is referring to the chopping down of opposition supporters in Chawama, including scarring of Geoff Samukonga who was aspiring candidate, when Sata was Secretary General of MMD around 2000. Â The following day, the venerable The Post carried a picture of Sata surveying the mayhem that he wrought on the poor people of Chawama. Â Please check The Post archives for this factual story. Â The Butcher of Chawama now rules Zambia.
Gtfoh whose the beneficiary?y shud it affect taxpayers??? Dont get things twisted the money we”contribute” in form of tAxes is for developmental projects not lawsuits gtfoh
ok from my little understanding,when MCS took cc3 to court for deformation of character,cc3 hired defense lawyers from private firms but the courts ruled in favour of MCS and restrained ZNBC from airing the CC3 program.the courts also fined CC3 to foot all the legal fees .thus how the 500million come into .but i also dont understand as to why we(payers) have to foot the bill.because that was a private program aired on a public institution.it was not a ZNBC program.having said that this program would have been aired even on muvi -tv(private)cc3 would have paid for airtime.the problem is it was saving those in authority,the party and its govt(one entity)in reality.so the govt(taxpayers) has to pay the legal fees to those private lawyers.
MEMO TO LAWYERS
In law there is pro bono! Please ask the Zambian lawyers to forego the fees as a “gift” to the Zambian people
I have always advocated a Malicious Political Prosecution Law to make politicians to pay as individuals when cases like this or Clarke and Shikapwasha or Kabwela and George Kunda where it is clear politics or abuse of office. Sanity should prevail in politics , we need to act as Zambians and press for this. These people have cost this country as per budget K200bn in legal damages and expect more.
I tols this st/upid ZChimbwi not to mess with PF but he did not listen. Now he’s in self imposed exile somewhere in the Namib desert with his poor wife and children. Shiki ya Pwasha pwasha is confortable and feeling free after using this fuul. He’ll be back soon for he needs to pay the K500 Kwacha to those blood th.rsty lawyers
So where is Chanda Chimba??Â
Lesson to all “professionals”; politicians will come and go, you will be left in the Lion’s den alone if you take sides.
The President has in the recent past cancelled many contracts and agreements entered into by the previous regime. why cant he do likewise on this one than forcing it down to the taxpayer?
As I stated earlier, I didn’t have an opportunity to watch Chanda Chimba 111’s programmes but from what has bn stated, the K500 million is to be paid to lawyers for the complainants. Who are these complainants and who are their lawyers? How did they arrive at the K500 million figure? I have never heard of any person going to court over these articles to warrant his or her lawyer benefiting from the K500 million. I still feel that the complainants should take the case to court so that the nation is informed of what is going on.
The tourist attraction-Given Lubinda is at it again.Why is he not giving us full details of the recepient as well instead of just saying government will foot 500m zmk.This is another stupid alarming statement which has no substance.Sata,take it or live it is not consistent and predictable.CC3 stated the truth and was simply quoting from the archives.ZNBC chaps have the audecity to call cc3 as infamous,he is famous because you can talk about him.
Two questions only:
1. Who is the principal beneficiary here?
2. Why should it be the government to pay?
I thought the contract was really between Chanda Chimba and MMD and not GRZ.
Is there segregation of state and the party?
The truth hurts..just come back cc3 we will sot it out
Chanda Chimba is now reaping what he sowed…………….no one should feel pity for him!
Why interrogate CC3? We need creative reporter or journalists like CC3 in Zambia. Only fools do not appreciate what CC3 was doing in a democratic country like Zambia. PF did not take the guy to court. The question is- why now??????? I end here!
The questions are these; was Mr Chimba formally employed or contracted by government? And if so, was the legal process of public legal tender employed? Where there competing entities that vied for the position or contract he got? If the answer to any of these questions is NO then his engagement was illegal and government has no obligation to use tax payers money to pay him. The people of Zambia did not employ Mr Chimba, MMD did. let them pay him.The government has been able to annul the sale of finance bank because of its dubious nature. I do not see any reason why this should not be done in this case as well. In the same breath, if he was legally employed and the public legal tender process was followed dilligently, then he deserves to be paid. But we need to see these public tenders.
agree with moose… MMD should foot the bill if he was engaged in the interest of few MMD individuals. i am sure our president can use the famous statutory instrument or some other legal loophole that prevents taxpayers money from being wasted.
\:d/