Transaparency International Zambia (TIZ) has demanded that Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) Managing Director Prof. Clive Chirwa should step steps aside in order to allow investigations to remain objective and independent. In a statement released to the media and signed by Chapter President Lee Habasonda, TIZ said that it will not be fair that Pro Chirwa continues in office when he is at the centre of the allegations of impropriety raised by the dissolved Board.
TIZ also said that Republican President. President Sata should in part, shoulder the blame for the mess obtaining at Zambia Railways.
Below is the full statement
Monday, 22nd April, 2013
For Immediate Release
News Article
DEVELOPMENTS AT ZAMBIA RAILWAYS LIMITED
Transparency International Zambia has received the news of the happenings at Zambia Railways with utter disgust. The accusations against the Managing Director Prof. Clive Chirwa and his counter accusations against the dissolved Board are unacceptable.
These accusations and counter accusations bear the hallmark of a breakdown in corporate governance and a sad focus on personal benefits rather than public interest.
TIZ is on record having condemned the abuse of authority and resources during the period of the concession run by the Railway Systems of Zambia. It seems that this trend of using public assets for personal aggrandisement continues unabated.
TIZ demands a full investigation of all allegations of corruption including abuse of authority, conducted and complemented with a forensic audit whose results should be made public.
In order to ensure that these investigations remain objective and independent, we demand that Prof. Clive Chirwa steps aside for the duration of the investigation. It will not be fair that he continues in office when he is at the centre of the allegations of impropriety raised by the dissolved Board.
President Sata as the appointing authority should act expeditiously on this matter and restore confidence in the programme of revamping Zambia Railways Ltd. It is also important that President Sata learns lessons from this episode, namely that appointments of Chief Executives of Parastatals should not be done through State House but should be left to the respective Boards of Directors.
It is evident in the case of Prof Clive Chirwa that he feels that he is only answerable to the appointing authority who in this case is not the Board but the Republican President. President Sata should in part, shoulder the blame for the mess obtaining at Zambia Railways.
TIZ wishes to emphasise that the $120million Eurobond, which is earmarked for ZRL, stands at a risk if the accusations either way are proved right. This is because the $120million is not a grant but a loan which will undoubtedly be recovered from all citizens and residents in Zambia who pay tax.
These funds should therefore not be subjected to risky investments and unsustainable lavish spending- these funds should be employed in reviving the railway systems. We deplore what seems to be a calculated move of turning Zambia Railways Limited into a cash cow serving the interests of a few people.
It is preposterous for Prof. Chirwa can demand for such a colossal amount of salary as KR248 000 a month in a country where others live on approximately one dollar per day.
We also find it outrageous that the Board had 28 board meetings from January to March in 2013 spending over KR400 000 which is an allocation for Board meetings for one year. It is clear that in the final analysis it is the poor people who will bear the brunt of such wanton greed and disregard for good corporate governance. We challenge other public sector Boards to exercise their fiduciary responsibilities with the utmost care and ensure prudence in the utilisation of public funds.
Lee Habasonda
Chapter President
That’s true. This so called Prof Chirwa is here to milk the dead cow (ZRL) capwa. Let him go back. That’s why he found it difficult to work with HH because he too is boastful.
Prof. Chirwa and the dissolved board were all full of greed. It was sangwapo. They were at it like little kids at a candy store crying on who was getting the most candy. And when the guy with the most candy says you aint getting your increased sitting allowance they all cry and break the candy jar in the process. I especially lost respect when Prof Chirwa wanted to engage his company Clavel Incorporated Ltd without declaring interest. What a sham.
Cheap things are expensive.So people think that Chirwa`s salary which is less than what the Zambians football coach is getting is too much ? Ha ha ha.Probably explains why we are still poor almost 50 years after independence.Well let them bring in a cheap man who will do nothing more than run the whole railway company to its final resting place.
Lee Habasonda and his TIZ has not singled out any wrong that our beloved Prof has done. He is talked about the K248 million that was the initial demand of the prof during negotiations. The successful negotiation was concluded at K141 million. This allegation is misleading and unbecoming of the board to talk as if he is still making those demands. Chirwa found ZRL HQ were already relocated to Lusaka by Rails Systems of Zambia. Again the allegation that he is trying to shift the HQ are si.lly. Leave him alone to move Zambia Railways forward
@StickyFingers
I think the board can be exonerated from the allegations of meeting 28 times in three months if what they claim has any truth in it and it seems that so far they have more of a credible story than Prof Chirwa. It is evident that Chirwa has no experience of managing corporate affairs and dealing with a board as evidenced in his Cunning and overrated CV. With the flaws articulated by the board and specifically the attempt to use his dormant company, need to for him to be on procurement panels, moving HQ to Lusaka and K72m monthly rentals, you will need to meet regularly to draw sanity into a hyena ready to pounce on public money. Remember as a board member you cannot make decisions alone. If they can justify their meeting, the rules to claim allowances apply and in this case…
That is why we have Brain Drain in Zambia because we do not want to pay for good value. Ideas my friends are very expensive.Find how much the BOZ governor is getting and then come back here.It sucks to be a Zambian sometimes.
@Buffalo Soldier:
The Chirwa saga exposes the irregularity associated with his appointment. Ideally, a board should be appointed, which should then sets the parameters within which an MD is appointed, taking into account the financial,position and viability of the company as well as the value that the candidate brings to the business. None of this happened in POLOFESA Chirwa’s case. The moment one engages lawyers to defend or formulate his desired package, it means there is no policy framework approved by the board on the matter.
And the Saga continues
There is no Saga here at all. Chirwa made demands which were rejected by the board during negotiations. Why talk about those things now. The CEO’s house is under renovation and the govt accommodated him at Fallsway when he came to Zambia. What is the fuss all about?
I expected this would happen. We Zambians do not like to see our own succeed. The same thing happened to Kalusha Bwalya and his salary. Pipo criticized Kalu that he was making too much money as coach ($10,000 per month) while they have remained quiet when HR makes $50,000 per month if not more ….. becoz he’s a muzungu.
I am not for Clive, but this guy is demanding whats in his contract. He negotiated that contract and govmt agreed. So what is the problem? because his black? common pipo….u r better than this!
@Baffalo Soldier
We are lead to believe that the Zambian head coach (HR) is not paid through the Public purse, but paid by First Quantum Minerals, and if that is right, it should not be our concern who is prepared to pay a failure that kind of money. If Zambia Railways was in private hands, even with abnormal concessions from Govt, it would be little concern to us if they paid their CEO hefty sums of money.
Ba TIZ naimwe! This country will be going round in circles. Why don’t you give Chirwa a chance? Before he sits down in the chair, you are asking for a commission of inquiry! Kanshi caaba shani, lyonse finkunka?
Given him a chance to steal?
Typical of Zambians. Always wasting time to investigate. Our friends in other countries are advancing at an alarming rate and all we do is investigate. Leave Prof Chrwa alone. Someone is making headways and all you say is investigate. Too many social scientists in Zambaia. With this trend the country will go nowhere. Thats why engineers cannot stay in this country. You call K140m too much? How much does the Zambian coach gets? You lawyers and social scientists are a shear waste of time and development. Let Prof Chirwa work.
I find the remarks most of you bloggers are making most revolting. You want us to leave professor clive chirwa alone to operate without aboard to oversee his extravagance. The problem with zedians is that there is too much party cadre mentality. Just because he was a presidential appointee then you want to sing praises of him to please the man at plot one and put reasources of this country at risk. Mark my word we leave him alone now and two years later you will be the first ones baying for his blood. grow up people
In Zambia its all-over, the media has messed up Chirwa. Next he will be facing the ant-corruption. No one can succeed in Zambia, unless you are thug like PF things.
Pa Zed kanshi paliba umuzulu eiishhh! Ubwafya shakulya abachenjele!
Naine natina ni money proper But majority of our people cant even buy kapenta Shame
Learn from Civilized Kenyans who actually interview for such positions on National TV and the choice of Director will be open and transparent. Someone will pay back the money that Chirwa has been earning for doing nothing or for giving us plans and stealing the Euro bond from his left hand. Zambia our circus
TIZ sounds like UPND!!!
This matter cannot be resolved objectively through claims and counter claims expressed through the media. Let the fools behind this sit down quietly like mature competent adults. You are embarrassing all of us professionals!
What a Fking mess. Ba Sata needs to think through his appoints. Mwansa Kapeya, Kenneth Maduma. The way to develop a country is forward not operating on nostalgia.
What Kennth Maduma still works? hahahaha
Eurobond nitula twabane!
Ba Sata needs to think through his appoints. Mwansa Kapeya, Kenneth Maduma. The way to develop a country is forward not operating on nostalgia.
What do you expect working with an imbecile like Chirwa, the baord meetings increased
Professor, Chirwa’s demand is way too much! $560 000 that money in country like Zambia is abnormal. Even president Obama cant get that much per year. He only gets $400 000 per year so who is professor chirwa to get that amount in Zambia.The president must just send that guy back to UK.
exactly what i was looking at, even Obama don’t make such money Pro Chirwa was demanding.
Guys this Chirwa must go otherwise nothing good going to happen at Zambia railways. First all he lied that he was making 2 million pounds in UK and information so far shows that he was making 13,000 pounds. I can not trust pro chirwa anymore.
What the former board member are saying is true. How can the chief executive of a company in any corporate governance not be answerable to the board? single sourcing is a crime. Prof Chirwa is there to milk our money, the president is partly the causer.
i wish the toothles TIZ had given the same advice to kabimba and gbm.
For the record out of the US$700m only US$30,000 was spent on UTH. This is the money Zambia wants to pay a con man per month who has never worked anywhere as a salary and spend ZR money without a feasible business plan.
I don’t think he is asking much, from what I can see people who don’t have as much education as some of us still want to be paid like us?
Grow up people and get education
Thanks
We’re talking about the international conman Clive.
You don’t have much education….
…we all know that 🙂
Mushota i missed your ISKURU
Yaba naba TIZ ? Ololwanya ! Drama pa Zed ! Please give the professor a break kanshi chaba shani bane ? Looks like he is a threat to most of you down there.
I don’t agree with TIZ. Anyway you are entitled to your opinion. Too much social scientism pa Zed.
Let this maggot go back to Lancashire. $560 000 for a maggot who has no experience managing a railway company. If he wants to be paid for his teaching experience let him go to UNZA or CBU. This parasite is not even worth a quarter of the money he is asking for. 25% shares of ZRL at the end of your contract when you don’t even the house you live in the UK.
Dr Chirwa cannot be removed, he was put there to launder money to finance the PF elections.
I begining to think like you my dear!!
I think some organisation are over-reaching, when did TIZ become the watch-dog for corporate governance? Zambia Railways has been a mess for almost 18 years, what is TIZ talking about? Trying to put the mess of MMD handling of the concession and failure of ZR Systems on Prof Chirwa? Some organisations like TIZ have become useless, they got contaminated by MMD and are now making biased comments to anything the government does.
LOL!!!
That Board was quite the one…..
How many meetings in 3 months again?!?!?
Let some people from kabwe who understand the problems ZRL be part of the next board. The last board was just made of chatter boxes. Prof Chirwa is smart the whole board was envying his achievements. Some members of the dissolved board had never been clean since they started their carreer,
So for you, even proffesor oliver saasa was a chatter box??????? We need to have your head checked.
This just goes to prove that President Sata has failed to govern this country, but only succeeded to assemble the most deadliest team of plunderers that revolve around his government corridors. Sata has never respected honest persons but he is happy to be surrounded by well re-known crooks. God Hear Our Prayers.
I wished you guys knew how much Board Members in other parts of the World get paid for a single meeting. We are just a poor Country with so many educated people who are not being paid what there are worth. A foreman in other Countries gets 10 times a Registered Engineer in Zambia. I am not joking, this is real. There is something terribly wrong in our Country. Most of the people have Masters Degrees nut their salaries are not close to being competitive even in the SADC region. Can Hon. Shamenda carry out a salary investigation in the Region and find out for himself if you thing I am joking. Look at the brains that will not be used to revamp the economy just because of fighting over a salary and sitting allowance. Prof. Saasa, Mark Chona and others are the brains we need to grow.
Advertise such position so that Zambians who truly believe can do the job can apply. Being a proffesor with all research work is different from running a business. Its more than dreaming and emulating what one saw in other countrie. I honestly do not his education background or experience has to do with revamping ZRL. Its not like we looking to build trains. We need someone who can answer simple question amd help find solution. Why people and companies not using the train? How manyu people and companies are willing to use the trian if revitalized, how much will it cost and how do we break even? It doesn’t simply mean that bring expensive trains will encourage people to use trains.
YAAAAAA BA CLIVE ZOONA, VERY DISSAPPOINTING! THE WAY HE CAME WITH A BANG! NOW GOES BACK SO SHAMEFULLY! HE DITCHED RB, THEN DITCHED HH, NOW HE’S BEEN DONCHI KUBEBAAD!
HE THOUGHT HE COULD CON CHIEF CONMEN ULUSATO AND SUMMER!!! HAHAHAHA
I expected this would happen. We Zambians do not like to see our own succeed. The same thing happened to Kalusha Bwalya and his salary. Pipo criticized Kalu that he was making too much money as coach ($10,000 per month) while they have remained quiet when HR makes $50,000 per month if not more ….. becoz he’s a muzungu.
I am not for Clive, but this guy is demanding whats in his contract. He negotiated that contract and govmt agreed. So what is the problem? because is black? common pipo….u r better than this!
Zambians are really crazy pipo with their PHD syndrome. A couple of weeks ago, Ethiopian Airlines opened a 3 times per week connection, Ndola – Addis, today Kenya Airways wants to open the Nairobi – L’stine route, they are already in Ndola and Lusaka. What did we do with our airline??
Now here come a felow Zambia who wants to do somthing tangible, you are pulling him down!!! Are we Zambians mad or what???
From what I have seen on TV now Zambia Railways Systems is in TROUBLE. We are losing out as a country. The Chief Executive is behaving like a politician on TV. Only Politicians do that because they Pander to populism. A chief Executive works in the office and i ask the powers that be to fire this guy.
mwe achirwa koyani. we shall not let you guy go scot free. at baprofsor bacrash worthy. kashi chi colour came to plunder! am so anoid with PF. I will never vote for you. HH lets go forward you ve my vote. i hold a MSc degree working for boma & am paid board sitting allowance. you think we ae happy. Plse get on the nxt flight to UK. it will b good riddance. eish
I WISH I CAN MEET U STUPID EDUCATED FOOLS. THIS INCLUDES LEE HABASONDE -ANOTHER AFRICAN STOOGE OF DE WEST DEVILS.HONESTLY HOW DO YOU HUNDLE ISSUES LIKE THIS? DON’T EVEN BRING IN MCS ITZ DE WAY U HAVE DONE? IF KABIMBA FAILS IS IT HEMCS 2 BLAME?
Y SHOULD U BLAME THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY?IF FAILING CHIRWA MUST FALL ALONE. BOTH SIDES ARE USELESS THOUGH THE RESOLVED BOARD IS MORE USELESS. WHY BLOWING THE TREMPET THIS TIME ?ALL BECOZ U THOUGHT IT WAS SANGWAGOPO. ENERMIES OF THE POOR. SHAME ON U!
The board approved Chirwa’s salary, why then should it become an issue when he accuses them of seeking huge allowances?
In any case how much do we pay our football coach??
@Sondashi,yo observation is right. Dey approved his demands hoping 2 come nd have a bigger bite later. Educated crooks. leave Chirwa alone. U re buying utu mapullutants (2nd hand vehicles)so u don’t nid a rail. Y re u so against de poor u educated
Warning number 1: Dont play to the gallery.Both the board and Prof Chirwa are releasing too much information to the press in a self preserving effort so that the public can see who is right and who is wrong. this is silly. A good board would not engage in Cho-Chise with the CEO in the Press.
And CEO should really tone down and not be so discourteuos to his bosses the board as the board of a statutory organisation or paraststal is an agent body of the President…..this know it all attitude and boasting in the predd i shameful and unbecoming for a Professor of the standing of Clive James Chirwa.
Warning number 2: Dont use the kind of language you and the board are using to dare and tear each other up…you will need each other one day…..and please CEO you must by now know that…
@Sondashi,yo observation is right. Dey approved his demands hoping 2 come nd have a bigger bite later. Educated crooks. leave Chirwa alone. U re buying utu mapullutants (2nd hand vehicles)so u don’t nid a rail. Y re u against de poor u educated ?
ask Lee and other CEOS how much they get…pa zed kuli ma jealous kanshi, chirwa did not employee himself there is a contract in place.i think giving him another chance may not be a bad idea.searching for people to rejuvinate a dying company is a normal thing,even levy searched for fundanga to come and run BOZ,THAT BOARD AT zrl IN MY CASE WAS JUST GOOD FOR NOTHING…THOUGH CHIRWA MAY NOT BE PERFECT I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE TRIED TO REVAMP ZRL
Give him a chance, he will shame the critics for sure. You are just jealouse of him. how much does the Standard chartered Bank get? just shut up. all these CEO get big salaries, what is your problem. Leave him alone, he aint going anywhere
I have seen Chirwa’s CV and there is virtually zero experience at any corporate level the man brings to Zambia Railways. All there is in that CV are lectures and seminars at lousy second class universities in the UK. This guy is nothing but a serious fraud and to expose US$120 million to a fraudstar like him is wicked wrecklessness on the part of CNP Sata. Only time will tell but from all I can see, strikes to have the ***** booted are looming at Zambia Railways.
One wonders where the opposition is? Permanent Secretaries, Ministers and Gov’t company CEOs have been leaving in posh apartments and you don’t know. Unless you condone this lavish lifestyle.
Wake up!!
Man of action, the Zambian messiah, my president Micheal Chilufya Sata kwapula bantu. Too much talk and no work. Descipline these fellas my president in whom I trust.
The tug of war between Board and MD is over. Rail technology is sophisticated. It needs skills and exposures. TIZ can not deny that Prof Chirwa has the right profile. Let him complete his assignment in peace. He is an asset to ZRL and to the country. The Board was quiet until dissolution day. New Board members also deserve support.
Habasonde, what has the president done for you to blame him? You are the same chaps who, when given responsibilities, you enrich yourselves instead of doing the job! Most Zambians, more especially the so called learned ones are greedy!!!! The president wants the Railway company revamped and hence his appointment of proffesionals to run the company! Iam sure the president is equally disappointed!!!!
This is an unfortunate chapter in the history of our country! Chirwa should rise above his ego and resign. His position at ZRL is no longer tenable. If he cannot see this, he is not CEO material; then again, most of us know he is not!
Even sadder is the lack of leadership at State House. One would expect a true leader to intervene before the relationship between the board and CEO (both appointed by the same leader) deteriorates to this extent.
Leave Clive alone, do you realise that knowledge is power. The guy is a think tank and has worked so hard to build his name around the world which is not cheap for any one – if it is easy to pick it from the road everyone was going to have it. Clive has done some of the work for free, ask world bank to provide an expart like him (Clive) and see how much you will be paying him.
Some of those pipo on the dissolved Board were dropped by the late Mwanawasa (MHSRIP)from heading the task force on corruption because they were found to be corrupt and this is on record. Zedians lets not have short memories. 28 meetings in 3 months, unbelievable and unhead of, rather shocking…