President Levy Mwanawasa has said Zambians who do not look after public resources properly did not deserve to be entrusted with carrying out public jobs.
Speaking to journalists at the Lusaka International Airport today shortly on arrival from Madagascar, President Mwanawasa said it was sad that people that were suppose to take care of Zambia’s public resources and use them diligently were engaging into corrupt and crooked activities.
He said the report, which was submitted to him by the Auditor General on Tomorrow Investments was very bad, adding that he has since instructed his Legal Assistant Darlington Mwape to deal with the case carefully.
“If that is how some of our nationals are going to look after our national resources, then they do not deserve to be given public jobs,” he said.
He was answering a question from journalists on his comments about the Auditor General’s report on Tomorrow Investments that was submitted to him recently.
“But I have asked my Assistant for Legal affairs to separate the case and identify the counts. It is not only Tomorrow Investments but various other contractors. These will be handed over to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC),” he said.
Dr. Mwanawasa hoped that the case would commence soon in court.
He said it was sad that lack of integrity could be exhibited by officers who should help government to look after national resources prudently.
And Dr. Mwanawasa has asked mining companies criticizing government for increasing the tax regimes on mines to dialogue with government instead of complaining publicly.
He said it was only fair that government should raise tax on mines so that Zambians could benefit from their resources.
The President noted that despite the increase in the mine tax regime, Zambia still had the lowest in the world.
President Mwanawasa also cautioned Zambians against being used by investors to oppose the new tax regime on mines.
Our president is full of contradictions. He gets it right when addressing members of the press. However, when the Auditor General publishes her reports on public expenditure, the amounts of funds misapplied by civil servants are staggering and LPM does not even flinch. However, he is keen to prosecute private companies (especially Zambian ones) that are perceived to defraud the government. If he is so concerned about graft why does he not carry out a root and branch re-organization of the civil service whose corruption costs Zambian trillions instead of a few millions that the private sector supposedly creams off? At the moment he has a bee in his bonnet about Tomorrow’s Investment.
Bob Marley said that we are keen to kill our prophets. I have noticed that Zambians are good at destroying their own, but are scared of foreigners. Somebody even suggested replacing coach Patrick Phiri with an expatriate as a way of stopping Kalusha Bwalya’s interference. When are we going to stopping ‘destroying our prophets’. From this you will guess that I believe in giving our own people (including Patrick Phiri) a chance. Give Tomorrow’s investment (TI) a chance! By the way I have no financial interest in TI.
HI ZAMBIA
I NEED THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REVEALATIONS ARE DEPRESSING. HARD EARNED TAX PAYERS MONEY ENDS UP IN THE GREEDY HANDS OF A FEW ON THE EXPENSE OF THE COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT.
COULD IT BE THAT PERHAPS GOVERNMENT IS TO BIG TO RUN AND SO LOOTING IS EASIER. COULD IT BE THAT THERE ARE NO MONITORING SYSTEMS, NO CHECKS AND BALANCES? OR THAT ZAMBAI IS BEING RUN BY CORRUPT PEOPLE?
IT COULD 1, 2, 3 ALL A COMBINATION OF ALL THE PROBABLE REASONS!
THE EASIEST WAY OF ACCOUNTS FOR RESOURCES IS TO SEGMENT DISPERSMENT OF THESE FUNDS. THE WORD IS DECETRALISATION.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DECETRALISED DOWN TO THE PROVINCES AND DISTRICTS. EACH DISTRICT SHOULD HANDLE ITS ALLOCATIONS…
CONT’D
NOT ONLY SHOULD ALLOCATIONS BUT CORRUPTION AND AUDITING INSTITUTIONS SHOULD BE DRAWN DOWN TO THE RESPECTIVE PROVINCES/DISTRICTS.
THE BUDGET SHOULD BE SPECIFIC TO NEEDS OF THE 9 PROVINCES. THIS IN MY VIEW WILL ENSURE THAT EACH NGWEE IS USED FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE.
COME ON ZAMBIA LETS TOSS SOME IDEAS, LETS NOT JUST CONDEMN, LETS COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT WILL MAKE ZAMBIA BETTER!
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I HATE IT WHEN LEVY INSTRUCTS THE ACC OR INDEED ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO CARRY OUT A SPECIFIC TASK ON A SPECIFIC PERSON OR FIRM. TO ME, ITS LIKE THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE USED OR THEY CAN’T SEE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT IS WRONG AND RIGHT ACCORDING TO THE LAW.IMAGINE CARRYING OUT AN INVESTIGATION IN AN AREA WHERE THE PRESIDENT SAYS THERE IS CORRUPTION AND THEN AFTER INVESTIGATION YOU FIND NOTHING -I SEE INTERFERENCE AND DANGER FOR TOMMOROW INVESTMENT. ACC, ZP, DEC, OP AND OTHERS, BE PROACTIVE AND INDEPEDENT.
Zambia has dirty leaders who are essentially looting the country led by Levy. It is clear that these thugs are taking funds from the public offices and pumping these funds into Lusaka Stock Exchange. This is the way the funds are being laundered. Levy has kept quiet because he knows that his boys are playing this game so that they can become billionnaires as per Levy’s wish for his few maggots.
Ba Tomorrow you are in deep troulbe guys,but be brave and say the truth….mension every body who eat from your routs!!!
“Zambians who do not look after public resources properly should not be entusted with carrying out public jobs” Good statement Dr. Chuchu, and the back starts with you sir. How accountable are you with the public resources at your desposal by veture of your public office?? Take the log from your eye and then remove a spec from others eyes. Your government has got alot of loose resources which you are misusing.
Very constructive #3, I’m impressed with such passion for ur nation.Lets discuss the pragmatic issues of this good suggestions.De-Centralise is the buzz word here.And accountability broken down to individuals not ministries.The challenge now is how do we get their (leaders) ears? Bigups.
We will never have an honest leader! even some of you who have commented on this issue once you are in power you will do the same. Instead of focusing on the bad guys lets helps the good one to make Zambia and Africa a better place, we just have to unite and swallow our “PRIDE”
Zambia chalo chesu bonse!! whether you are in power or not, we can all help fight corruption…
levy, u have my support, let us weed out all looters and give support to our honest and real business pipo a chance..punish 2moro investment and fire all those connected..
How many times are we going to hear ‘Levy warns… Levy warns… Levy warns. From the time he was sworn-in LPM has been singing the same song with only targeted actions. How many reports has he received from the AG, with latest 2006 highlighting glaring irregularities, but no action. PS miti at healthy has been the main culprit. Levy should not hide in what he calls ‘inefficiency’ in watchdog agencies but act since he is the appointing authority. There is evidence to take admin action, and at times its tricky to win a case in court coz of the ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. LPM has less than 3yrs to prove that his is a govt of laws, and no sacred cows.
Mwabana napulika vyose ivyo mwayoboya! My worry at this moment is not with the corrupt culprits or the ineffective system of metting out justice, but I am worried about us Zambians. The AG openly shows us how our money is been misused, and what do we do? Tili chete nga mba chibulu! Ukani bana bakwithu namwe mungachitapo chimoza, osati kugona tulo mazuba yose! It is time Zambians recognised that they own public funds and that they can demonstrate, strike, civil disobedience to have certain chaps arrested or fired! Remember the green ribbon! If it could work for kafupi, what of simple souls like tender board members? Ndipo ndine wakukwiya chomene na imwe ma Zambians, docility is our undoing!
Iwe Ba Joze,your Uncle have been found with a case to answer for fraud the Zambian coffers. All his compariots are guilty.Kafupi I hope your heart problem will come back again. Just say sorry to the people of Zambia we shall forgive you.
Kuku where are you when will this case end? Now the defend has been given time to start defend in May. Why???? Please I meant I hope his heart problem will not come back.
The problem is you have left these duties to one man no wonder he is complaining of being over worked. Such case like misuse of funds should not even reach the president but the courts and police. Iam sorry that this has to go that far!!!!
Your Excellency,Hon.Dr.LPM,
arrest them.
What president needs to do is to seal all offices and let pipo reapply for jobs.
The defectiveness of gov is so real that if we were to start clossing loop hole it will take for ever.We have gov leaders who are so selfish and thrives on the ignorance of our pipo.we can not just trust pipo with our resources and hope they will handle busness resposibly.Pipo will always be pipo we trust them at our on peril.what we need is citizen to demand high standard of service from every one.If pipo will get fedup with mediocrite and demand quality then we ll start moving in right direction.Its not about bringing one down
#19 Very interesting thought.
I agree with #19. All should be fired. Starting from the judges, police, are all corrupt. Especially local court judges, make me sick whe they ask for $500 to set a criminal free.
can I help the president to fire those thugs? Look at Dr so Called Brian Chituwo, instead of protecting his people, he rushes to procecute the technician, when he ca not also use a search engine to check products being donated to his Country.
What a defunct system.I have 3 words for those guys. Fire Fire Fire. Close the offices.
All offices should be closed. period.