The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has exposed a scam in the ministry of Local Government and housing involving allowances totaling about K1.2 billion paid out to officers for activities not undertaken in most instances.
During the review of audit queries for the ministry highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2012, one of the activities which came out prominent as having been undertaken on a monthly basis in 2012 was stock verification, which however the Director in charge of authorizing the activity denied authorizing the verification before later acknowledging authorizing the same.
The Director who had also earlier denied signing for the allowances he is purported to have received despite documentation showing he had signed for the allowances,later acknowledged receiving payment for certain months for the stock verification exercise contradicting his earlier statement that a director cannot engage in stock verification.
The Director who had difficulties explaining his role in what acting PAC Chairperson Felix Mutati described as the allowances gallow failed to answer clearly most questions asked by Committee members prompting the Committee to adjourn the session to this afternoon to allow the officials from the ministry of local government to seek further advise from the accounts department and avail other officers who also received the allowances.
Former local government permanent secretary Bernard Namachila was also named as being one of the people who received the allowances beyond the 30 days in month as stipulated.
This is what we mean when we say dont say ‘government is stealing’ because the majority of thieves are you the civil servants…
The president once said, ” I am allergic to corruption”
So please PAC don’t worry the president will sort these people.
What you haVE INB mR Sata is a man of integrity, the man who stands by what he says, and I know that he WILL sort these out.
In the absence of evidence of distress surrounding the putative abuse or scam none will triumph in any way
Thanks
Did Minister Emelyn Kabanshi also has a share in those allowances? Who will lead the TRIBUNAL?
@Matrix
If all those holding positions of responsibility in the civil service are appointed by Sata, then his government is to blame for the corruption ,for not acting to stop it.
Well said Matrix. Now read the comments by the village !d10t Wanzelu.
@Wanzelu:
Yeah @Wanzelu, and you will the same people calling for Sata or his ministers’ heads if they tried!
You will be the first in line calling for useless TRIBUNALS to investigate the very individual(s) trying so hard to stop the rot. It is like “you are damned if you do you are damned if you don’t!”
Are you watching what is happening to Sylvia Masebo at the Ministry of Tourism with the ZAWA saga?!
Way to go. Hope it will not just end at exposure. we need to follow through to the mitgation and dispinery ation taken on erring officers.
Disciplinary Action nakabalika
Disciplinary Action ???? NO. JAIL for FRAUD !
But the ACC is too busy harassing PF political opponents to have time for this. And Satas allergy to corruption has been cured long time ago, in 2011 if I remember correctly.
Last sentence to read, We need to follow through with mitigation measures and displinary action metted on erring officers.
Civil servants busy stealing and putting the blame on the stoopid politicians. How can you a country really develop when all the people employed to take care of the govt and country businesses are thieving and always looking for ways to enrich themselves. This culture brought by the MMD is really dangerous and continuously destroying our country. Please let us automate everything and monitor everyone from all corners of govt businesses!
They are simply following their Master’s actions. If Sata is stealing through RDA, under their very nose why should they not?
@The Observer:
Quote: “…let us automate everything and monitor everyone from all corners of govt businesses”
I completely agree with you! In fact I would start with the TIME CARD SYSTEM at all ministries. Put everyone on hourly rate instead of annual salary. You don’t clock in and out, you don’t get paid. Or if you are in the habit of reporting late to work, the record would show at the end of the month. After that you get a warning for tardiness. And if you don’t reform, next would be a termination letter. That would get rid of a lot of ‘deadwood’ adding no value to these ministries but simply there for a salary and stealing.
People are naturally prone to unfair enrichment the world over. The difference is the measures these other govts have put in place to minimize…
Disgusting to read such. When will people stop stealing in Zambia? This spirit of theft started with Chiluba and now it’s like an entitlement. Lock them all.
It got worse with Chiluba. It has been a slow build up from the time when Kaunda started appointing people out of blind loyalty and favoritism… It would be wrong to cut up history and create a new starting point.
We need a Lion’s Den for such!
Feed them to the Lions and make it a public spectacle as a strong lesson to others.
Our Prisons are not helping.
People we must learn to watch out for what we say or propagate. This is all but part of the spirit of Dochi Kubeba. Stealing and lies have been institutionalized at the highest level in this country. Just look at the campaign messages like do not tell, this is what is going on in this ministry.
What do you expect when there is a wage freeze. MPs just sleep in the HOUSE and drink mineral water for ‘heavy allowances’. Well done civil servants.
I think stealing, in any form, has more to do with one’s moral values than anything else. Not even a wage freeze would compel a morally upright person to steal like there is no tomorrow!
People listen to parliament radio 92.5 on debate on motion on road map to enact constitution. Today Speaker Hon Dr Matibini SC is guiding House well. Being impartial is the hallmark of a great speaker. I hope Dr Matibini will be honourable in his job. His legal career is bigger than his current pf appointment of Speaker. This brilliant mind could even be a judge at the Hague. Please don’t mess yourself with petty politics.
I have not been reading people’s comments……..BUT! I want to say MUSHOTA has said something sensible,HAS SHE CHANGED?Give credit were its due.
The CHANGE u all wanted is here..LIVE IT!
Not surprised,…
They still drugs in hospitals, they steal money in their respective units and most importantly, they steal TIME! You find someone goes for work at 9 and knocks off at 14! And they are the loudest when they make noise about Government not giving them what they want, they have illegal strikes and yet they have what over 3 quarters of Zambians dont have. A stable and guaranteed job which is secure, and can at least have three meals a day.
SHAME! The Director denied authorising. This just shows ghe doesn’t even know what is happening. No controls, no checks and balances, no reviews. Everyone just gets money and it ends there. No one is working to serve the country, people just work for themselves. How can a Civil servant not know the implications of his actions?
*Steal
Arrest them ! Those selfish and corrupt creatures don`t deserve to continue serving in those Public Offices.
Namachila is a crook.He also stole a lot of money for UNWTO and we just hope ACC and DEC will follow him up.The intention is to use the same money to campaign in Namwala in 2016 under some ka small party.
Pilferage, stealing, misuse, misappropriation, misapplication, that how they build their houses, thats how they drink beer monday to sunday, that how they have taken this country one step forward and then two steps backward. They behave like rats! Please work and earn your salary. You can do part time jobs as well. But please have no recourse to govt funds that are meant to uplift many people in all corners of the country. You lay hands on anything: donated money, income tax and any other revenue the govt/nation gets or earns. You think developed countries developed by rats style subtraction from the national finances? NO. They sacrificed their labour and earned salaries and wages. Thats their motivation to live happily. work for your country, but do not steal from it.
My dear Zambians the problem is not these people stealing the problem is the government operating system is wrong. Why everyone can have access to money . why in Europe or america they don’t have issues of chasing ex govt workers or politicians that they stole while in office. Its only in zambia and Africa .
If you want to build a road in a forest you have to uproot the trees for them not grow again. If you want to solve a problem find the source and kill the source then u are done. To be able to deal with these govt stealing though it happens even in private sectors, we have to find the source of the stealing issue .
Looking at the way we solve problems here its like trying to get rid of tree by cutting branches or leaves then start applausing the road thinking our road will stay . now way
Why does it always end with highlights in the Auditor General’s report and Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee questions. Why do we instil that sense of fear to steal by punishing these ever wrong doers with severe penalties, including long jail terms so that such deterrent measure would help create proper accountability and responsibilities. Punish culprits openly and quickly. Many will learn from such disciplinary actions. For sure it can work.
Financial Wrong doing has reduced is not acceptable but genuine allowances should be given as supplements on the meagre salaries while other sectors also benefit as a result.Circulation of cash makes the economy breath.
@Chinyama, trying to circulate stolen or ill gotten money/wealth is called MONEY LAUNDERING and it is crime!
No one is against people getting what they are entitled to in allowances. But if these were genuine allowances would they be highlighted in the Auditor General’s report?
@Mushota dont just say this out of ignorance.
Theft has been justified by Bembas. Ati ubomba mwibala alya mwibala. Where do u want them to feed from.
@gone, are these people working for free in these ‘mumabala’ babomba? Or are they simply harvesting more than they are entitled to from “mwibala babomba”?
Please do not try to misrepresent what this great Bemba adage mean: It is simply an encouragement for people to get off their lazy butts and work hard for their “daily bread”, nothing beyond that. Because only people who wake up early, pick up their ‘ulukasu’, and head on to the fields to toil are entitled to the fruits of their labor and what the fields are able to bring forth come harvest season—it has nothing to do with filling your ‘tummy’ with stolen ‘fresh produce’ you didn’t work for. Don’t forget there is “UBOMBA” in there somewhere, and the word does NOT mean STEAL in English.
Namumfwa nomba ba…
Please visit Solwezi Council in particular too. They are worthless and puffers.
This is a big disease our beloved country…….Bakabwalala muletulila amasuku pamutwe…