VICE-President Rupiah Banda says parliament is yet to approve the proposed salary increaments for cabinet and senior government officers.
Speaking to journalists at Livingstone International Airport before departure for Lusaka on Tuesday, Mr Banda said the matter had to be tabled before parliament first adding that no one had so far received the proposed salary adjustments.
”No salary adjustment has been effected. I have not received that money yet. The matter has to go to parliament and we have not announced anything yet,” he said.
And Mr Banda has said government will find a lasting solution to problems that have continued to rock the University of Zambia Great East Road Campus.
Meanwhile Mr Banda has urged the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in Livingstone to remain united and focussed.
”You must remain united. We have talked about this many times but the moment I go, people turn their backs and do something else. We have lost elections in this province before. Please work together and organise our party,” he said.
The Vice-President who was addressing the new executive committee of the party at Livingstone International Airport said party work was voluntary adding that it was not a job where members should expect to be paid.
He said the party had the huge responsibility of looking after the country in the absence of Dr Levy Mwanawasa so that when he comes he should find the party intact to move the country’s development agenda forward.
The Vice President was in Livingstone to officiate at the Lwiindi traditional ceremony of the Toka-Leya people of Kazungula district.
He was accompanied by his wife,Thandiwe, Presidential Affairs Minister Cecil Homes, Community Development Minister Catherine Namugala, Finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa and othet senior government officials.
ZANIS/ENDS/FM/MM
for once,read pipos mood over this issue and avoid the unnecessary tension.be realistic with your figures in as much as you want adjustments.from K8m to K25m FOR A MINISTER IS NOT 15% INCREMENT rather over 200%,do not lie because you know where liars end up to …HEIL,ABISS..NG’ANJO YA MOTO!!!
Mulongoti is justifying the increment which is ridiculous. They were blaming Teta yet they are also equally doing the same.
RP who doesn’t know parliament has not ratified this, we are not kids! We know parliament is in recess. People are not asking that parliament rejects this but that you do the right thing and withdraw this unjustified increase. Don’t use those rubber stamp bootlickers at parliament as an excuse, they didn’t author this bill.
Ala,i had even forgotten parliament was in recess so those proposed salary increments have not been subject to debate & ratification so what was the fuss all about.
Anyway,the proposed increments look big but to be honest senior Managers & Directors of parastals like ZESCO,ZANACO get more than that so Ministers have always been on a low salary and often end up being corrupt to live like they are supposed to.
As far as i know even a Customer Service Executive formerly Meter Reader at ZESCO with a Diploma earns about K6 million per month now imagine a senior official like a Minister earning K8 million.Let me not be insulted but i hope the increments will be cut down not as proposed.
Zeddy,what surprises me is that you are always in favour of the government,cabinet and parliament.Where do you work? Are you part of them? I think any person would become suspicious of your comments.
# 5 you sound like a cader from some opposition party, Is it wrong to be in favour of government. Lets debate intellectually not like carders.
Kalampa # 3,
Who misled you that Parliament is in recess? Ministers and other executive office holders covered in this raise preside over the purse of this country.It is humanely and technically dangerous to subjected them to poverty wages.Such makes the anti-grafti battle a futile academic exercise.Its like pushing poverty wages to Army Commander or Intelligence Chiefs to keep looking at all those blank checks for their dockets yet earn poverty wages.That is a joke.No one in the region in their capacity gets that low.Even Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in US Dollars value get better than Zambian ministers and President.No one will move us out of poverty mentality.
A poorly enumerated leader is a liability to unlooking good practice management of his line ministry. I believe that cheap is not cheap.how do you expect Magande to live on poverty wages when he is the principal over major parastal boards like Development Bank of zambia, BOZ,LUSE, ZRA and such? Masebo over the local authority LASF and Councils,Mpombo presiding all Defense budget and outfits including territorial security. You must be a joker to dream that they deserve poverty emonuments.
When are we as Zambians going to say enough is enough and start being brave and take action and not just speak against some these decisions being made in our beloved country. All I have heard and read is this and that person has denounced the proposed increments etc..etc..but up to now almost two weeks since this “scandal” surfaced; no one absolutely no one (Not even the opposition leaders) have said that they will fight this tooth and nil. I honestly for one have had enough; and am sure there are others out there who share my feelings. Ladies and Gentlemen; let’s hold the bull by the horns…lets take responsibility and challenge this ! Injunction, protests, petition..etc you name it.
Enough is Enough !!
The goodness of democracy is that it allows even you to freely test the waters of your looneyness.As long as you don’t vendal my properties, you are free.vandal them, you will lose your hands period.
What about us civil servants? How do you expect us to work. Most of us are getting less than K1.5m a month. The wolves are awakening. They want scavenge the treasury while LPM is away.
#6 I am not a cadre of any opposition party. For your own information, am a very neutral participant here. Its only that Zeddy has never gone against the ruling government’s propositions
Govt Car, Govt House, Per diems, duty free beers, flying to Jo’burg for a BP check. Car loan and a house loan.
Madam @ #6
Sometimes i wonder what’s wrong with fwe bena Zambia,can’t a man simply express himself without being called names.
I ain’t into politics neither am a a cadre of MMD infact my prefered political party is UPND as MMD is full of recycled and low calibre leaders except for a few.When i make comments,i simply talk about what i know and it’s up to the people to take it or leave without name calling so am telling you now coz i worked with an oil company & with ZESCO & what Ministers are getting now is nothing to what my former bosses used to get however the proposed increase as a percentage is way too high so they should cut down a bit.
Pragmatist! You sound like a “shushu” (with your trivial threats)..Or perhaps you are one of the would be beneficiaries to the proposed increments. In a radical approach yes; it would involve vandalism in the sense that you have referred to; however the action am referring to, is through the right channels. Action through law and following the right channels. By the; if they try to make me “loose my hands” they will have a difficult time – am an octopus !
The best way to correct the salaries of Ministers is by agreeing a deal that will increase the perks in bits(a percentage annually) not the way they want to do it which will probably might include backpay,it would be a stab in the back to many civil servants who are struggling with a few thousand kwacha as salaries and have been forced to have restraint on increments due to govt liquidity problems however the fact still remains most employees especially govt workers in Zambia including Ministers get nothing and that is the reason why corruption is rampant.
Enough is Enough !!,
I’m humbled with the insignia of honor you have confered on me as a shushushu. I have just inquired about it and folks have explained what it is.I wish i had that offer in my early years of life. Thats a patriotic job of unlimited honor and opportunity world over. Its a job of challenges and world changers.I believe you have seen some traits of patriotism and focus in me. Thanks brother though am pulling from the corporate world besides my own.
This is unacceptable pay increment. What do they do to deserve this astronomical increment when poverty is lingering among Civil Servants’ homes? It is stupid for Mulongoti to just the increment just because he is a benefector. Why didn’t they talk about the pay rise when the President was in good health? These chaps like Mulongoti and Mpombo are the people KK used to call stupid *****s because of such behavoirs. You do not deserve this increment.
We have lost elections in this province before. Wow, is he MMD?
Pragmatist!
Political office is a service, a calling; not a career! Bush makes $400,000 a year, not even near any sizable company CEO in the States.
Let Magande & co. go and apply to become MD of Zesco or all those parastatals. Hope that gets into your thick MMD head!
Even when LPM hears about this, he gonna talk for sure and his response gonna be eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh nnnnnoooooo encreaments PERIOD!!
#4 Ministers live in govt houses ( no rent). Servants, and cars on the tax payers account. Plus K8 million.
The meter reader at Zessco has to pay rent for starters!!
Public office and a profit generating business comparison is a no brainer !!
if the increament is approved(without LPM’s concern ofcourse)then civil servant should also get not less than k3.2m.
Am a computer specialist but i can still tell that, this salary increament is not Economical k8m – k25m. thats more than 300% and those *****s dont generate no income. *****S ba kolokombwa imwe, you cant renovate building society but you re increasing salary yourselves *****S.
See what I am always talking about? You must be stupid to vote for MMD or any other fortune seeker. I hope the civil servants shall demand for reasonable wage increaments. This is ridiculous I hope the people shall raise up and condemn such acts.
It is a pity that we for something to happen before we can stop it instead of preventing it. Last time I proposed we find a way to stop these increaments I was called an ***** by “ZE CAPITAL” There is nothing wrong with reasonable increaments but it has to be the right timing. Right now we are saying we have the Head of State who is sick therefore we have medical bills which as Zambians we are taking care of. What we are saying is that we can not afford to pay these new monsterous increaments. Why cant the leaders allow us to take care of LMP medical bills first, then we can discuss their increaments? Is it too much to ask of them? Nishi ama rushing????
Ba Pragmatist mwana,
i beg to differ with u my friend, why do these govt officials want to increase their salaries?
to begin with it is immoral that these thieves would want to fatten their pockets without any justification. are these increments tied to their OUTPUT of their INPUT? I don’t think so because PLM is not here and everything is at standstill.
Secondly, i would like to see government set up minimum wage standards for the poorly paid ZAMBIANS. but i dont think its in their interests.
LADY WITH A VISION # 25,
Keep coming you are getting closer to rationality all you need is a sense of realism.I dispute the nortion that leaders don’t deserve raises because they enjoying extra and unparallalel incentives.The other blogger before you even goes to post his ignorance over the US Presidency value.Can you believe that coming from someone in the USA? I support the raise which i have known since early 07 though i’m uncomfortable with the time of its release.Its dangerous to entrust the country to charity leaders but well renumerated ones.Only God has no self rational interest in his gift to this world.
Even Kavindele with a legacy of forefeiting his Government pay had legs in many deals a culture this administration is avoiding.Poverty wages are bad for leaders.Look at Congo where the Defense minister are left to fend on crums for months.Look at how the defense is outbid to every militia gangs.Anyone with money could go their and stage own Government. Its a free for all.We don’t want that here.
zambian 3 26,
First stop being misled that zambia is in an operational pause when the truth is that she is very much at full throtle despite the sad reality that her CEO is under recovery France.Don’t listen too much to anarchist vainly belaboring to deceive you into the line of fire from vigilant patriots.The Legislature, Judiciary and Executive are very much functional so are zambia’s territorial interests secure.just do real clear politics if you are student of that than buying loosers alarms.
29, No one is opposed to having leaders who are well renumerated. All we are talking about is the way and he time these increments are being effected. There are more important issues govt need to look at that need money. Allowing ministers to get such large sums of money has nothing to do with the fight against corruption. If anything it will simply increase corrupt tendencies by the majority who will feel neglected. Dont just look at how mcuh leaders in other countries are getting, look at what impact it will have on other workers, UNZA, CBU, Hospitals, farmers who need fertilizer. These should be the priorities.
Imwe for a start the CEO’s for ZESCO,ZANACO or any private institution are all educated compared to some cabinet ministers therefore the pay for CEOs is somehow justified.I do not oppose the salary increments but its just too much when civil servants get half of those proposed salaries as terminal benefits and it takes years for them to get their hard earned money.Kanshi ifi bantu fya mu MMD bafipanga shani?Look at Mpombo what profession is he?Ifya bupubafye!!!
RB is saying the matter is going to parliament, who in parliament will say no to his own salary? Morality should begin with cabinet by not even proposing such outragious amounts.
who in the first place came up with this increament story?You will end up stealing whatever there is left and since you are used to it with your round bellies and the guts you will be shop lefting cos there will be nothing left to steal in Gov´t.All the cash you want to pay yourselves off would have been used eg,UNZA,UTH etc.
Had enuff and enuff is enuff!!!!!!!!!!
The issue is not whether parliamenthas approved these satanic increments as yet or that some ministers elsewhere get more, no! The matter here is that tax payers have much important areas to finance than make lazy fat cats even fatter. See, UNZA is closed because there is no money and Levy is in one of the most expensive hospitals in the world because UTH has no adequate facilities and yet the fools who have brought this status core want to be rewarded with a 200% pay rise, no way. Should the stupid parliament ratify this bill, please people, rise to the occassion and rebel against this aninimal farm.
We are tired of selfish politicians who only think about themselves and not the civilians as well.#34 you right those stupid policians will get 200% rise. Instead of coming up with plans to improve our economy, they want it to decline completely. MMD is taking us for granted, its is high time we put such useless ideas to rest. Let them reopen UNZA and work on hospitals….Too much cash is being spent to prolong LM’s life and now this plz give us a break…
#34 respect bruh u are right!!!!!!
the same coons that awarded themselves hefty pay raises are the same parliamentarians that are going to decide whether to approve or reject their own proposal: how ironic that rupiah somehow is suggesting that there might be a decenting vote against the proposal. can we a situation where cabinet ministers are not necessarily MPs, maybe, just maybe sanity will once again reign in my beloved zambia.
Mulongoti is a foolish man!! On ZNBC he said that the pay rise awarded to ministers was equivalent to 15% pay increase that was awarded to civil servants!! No ways! A jump from 5 million kwacha to 28 million kwacha is not equivalent to 15%. It should have been 12.5 million kwacha. Who is he trying to cheat? He is just a microphone!!
Mulongoti has chalenged Wina to disclose how much he pays ERB members and how much he (Wina) gets – hence his (Mulongoti) justification to have a salary increase. (yesterdays post).
Is this thinking normal?
I have no doubt that Pragmatist is a beneficiary of this current administartion in one way or another. We are talking about Zambia, One of the poorest nations on earth. Poorest of the poor!!! Do you get that?
Stop your propaganda, what do you mean that the government machinery is at full throttle while ite leader is in recovery? Do you really think that mwanawasa will come back and rule Zambia again?
PEOPLE @ ZED LETS WISE UP AND PUT AN END TO THIS FOOLISHNESS.IS IT TWO-LEGS BETTER,FOUR-LEGS GOOD AFFAIR???JUST IMAGINE SOMETIME BACK THIS GOOG-FOR-BLACKOUTS SISALA WAS SAYING WE ZAMBIANS SPEND ALOT MORE ON TALKTIME THAN WE DO ON ELECTRICITY BILLS.SUCH THINKING CAN EVEN MAKE A MINISTER FEEL IN OUR WORLD THERE IS NO NEED FOR BETTER PAY.THEM (ministers)DESERVE HEFTY INCREASE.MULONGOTI IN HIS JUSTIFICATION SPOKE VOLUMES TO DIGEST FROM.ALA LEKENI IFI IFYA BUPUBA….WE ALL FEEL THE PINCH OF P-O-V-E-R-T-Y!!!!!!!
Quote from #4: As far as i know even a Customer Service Executive formerly Meter Reader at ZESCO with a Diploma earns about K6 million per month now imagine a senior official like a Minister earning K8 million.
For the information of other bloggers here, a Senior Lecturer or Professor earns a gross pay of about K10, 000,000. After deductions this comes down to a net of about K7, 500,000. But just consider this gap in education and experience between a ZESCO Meter Reader and the Senior Lecturer. Whilst the former only has a Diploma from Nortec, the Senior Lecturer is invariably a PhD holder from a reputable European or American university with a minimum of 20 years postdoctoral experience i
For the information of other bloggers here, a Senior Lecturer or Professor earns a gross pay of about K10, 000,000. After deductions this comes down to a net of about K7, 500,000. But just consider this gap in education and experience between a ZESCO Meter Reader and the Senior Lecturer. Whilst the former only has a Diploma from Nortec, the Senior Lecturer is invariably a PhD holder from a reputable European or American university with a minimum of 20 years postdoctoral experience in teaching and research. As for the Cabinet Minister, just check the Parliamentary Handbook and you will discover that only a handful of them are first degree holders and only one, Kalombo Mwansa, has a PhD. And y
As for the Cabinet Minister, just check the Parliamentary Handbook and you will discover that only a handful of them are first degree holders and only one, Kalombo Mwansa, has a PhD. And yet all these politicians want to earn more than UNZA academics! My foot!
Pragmatist, your pseudo name contradicts your opinion on this issue. The proposed increment is not ‘pragmatic’, given we the tax payers heavily subsidise these blokes as it is. Tax free benefits, hefty gratuity every 5 yrs for MPs, duty free luxury cars, free housing, phone, electricity etc On top of that, these people are in a priveleged position that enables them to earn significant extra income from travel allowances & so on. I find it illogical for Mulongoti to compare his salary to the corporate world or quasi Govt CEO’s! Politics is a service, not a profit making entity, hence the comparison is unjustifiable. No one is saying Ministers should be paid peanuts…
Parliament resumes sitting I think today 6th August.
“And Mr Banda has said government will find a lasting solution to problems that have continued to rock the University of Zambia Great East Road Campus.” This sounds like a broken record.
Ba Max, comapring lecturer’s pay to Zesco meter reader is illogical. UNZA/CBU is a non profit making Govt Institution. ZESCO is a profit making, Govt owned entity. Whose going to foot the bill for lecturer’s getting corporate pay? Best they can do is enter into partnerships with corporate world to sponsor their ‘research’ as occurs in the west. FYI, lecturer’s @ private institutions (profit making) like ZCAS, get far better wages than UNZA, & justifiably so…
I like the way this debate is unfolding. Shows Zambians are on the right track. I agree with #20 and #22, very simple yet to the point. Leadership is a vocation, not a career!! Today its 200% increase, tomorrow it will be 500%…greedy leaders will never stop especially if they think they can get away with it.But what caps the immorality of it all is that the same cabinet passed a minimum wage of K278,000 and yet they claim it is impossible to live on K8m tax free, with free cars, security, fuel, talk-time, house-servants, accomodation, medical bills and what ever else is paid for them at Parliament Motel.
This is what they call an exit strategy, i dont expect Parli to recend the decision. They wont because soon they MPs will get an increment….what do u expect with the high fuel prices???
Its a battle the public wont win….how sad
Pragmatist first parliament was in recess and will just resume sitting shortly, so you are misled not Kalampa. Secondly I find your post in #7 contradictory in the sense that on one hand you talk about comparative salaries and poverty in the same breath. And you end it by saying no one will move us out of poverty mentality. Let me just comment on the comparative salaries first, I think comparing our Minister’s salaries without looking at the average wage in the countries we are compating them is gross misdirection. Secondly what is the GNI of the countries in question? And you also cannot compare a civil service salary to a CEO of a profit making company. Like someone said, politics is…
When Teta talked of presidential succession for MMD ka Ncule mulongoti was the first one to condemn him and say we should concetrate on praying for levy not talk of presdo sucession. Now on salary increment for ka Ncule mulongoti we are told to hault praying for levy immediate and increase their salary b4 even levy comes. HYPOCRITES MULONGOTI!!!
#48, last time I checked the Zesco MD was whining like a 5 year old girl with pink ribbons, on why he needs to increase tariffs and how is firm was not competitive. I assume they are not as profitable as you think to justify their salary structures. Either that or he just likes whining like a 5 year old with pink ribbons.
contd 51… a service and if these guys think it is a profession, they have it all wrong. Unfortunately this is the culture Chiluba and his new culture group left. The other thing was the issue of poverty mentality, don’t you think it is high time Ministers gave us hope that you can actually survive on a meagre resources only if you are enterprising. How many of these Ministers today can actually afford the same lifestyles if they were fired. Why can’t they lead by example so that our mentality can change from thinkin that money is everything like they are doing now. 35 million (US$10,000) is not very little money. These are the kinds of things that actually lead people to start using…
Some very dark cloud hangs on Zambia! oh my country!!am cryong for my bleoved country!!where’s your morality Cabinet?
contd 54…subvertive means of earning money because of this selfish attitude by politician who think that zambia is a personal to holder. The Basic Needs Basket for July is ZMK1,981,000 (US$566) so how can one justify the US$10,000 coming from a Government that can barely feed its people, I government whose President has to be treated in a Foreign country because he has failed to provide for his own health system, a Minister who has to take his children to University of Cape Town because he has failed to provide for a decent education for his common citizens. This is what is frustrating everybody. I understand why someone even uses the name enough is enough!
It’s sensible that MPs and top govt-officials handle delicate and driving depositories of our nation,though such salary increments are unfathomable when looming the long standing impasse of UNZA lectures on our heads year after year,low wages of cival servants,a floundering economy and a developmenping democracy all amassesd on the innocent taxpayer.Despite all that may seem to be logical justification for comparison,MPs accumulate in bonuses from free duty free cars,housing,water ,electricity,insurance ,education allowance and other frivolities not mentioned.How much plunder of resources are we prepared to incur when real life problems are left attended to……..
Ba Mwiinga, you’re right on the ball! I can’t add anything else. I’d just recommend that Pragmatist reads Lee Kuan Yew’s book; From Third World to First-The Singapore Story. In this fascinating book, Singapore’s founding father articulates how he & his team transfromed a tiny city state without natural resources into a thriving 1st world economy. In 1965, they were poorer than Zambia, yet today they compete with the world’s best economies in terms of infrastructure, health, education. Lee recalls how he’d travel to international meetings & some African leaders would fly in by private jet wearing designer suits yet their people wallowed in abject poverty! He would fly on commercial airlines.
It appears we have very self centered leaders in this country. This is why we are failing to solve many of some of our small and simple problems we are facing. I do not think its the issue of lack of resouces but more of misplaced priorities.This culture developnig in the country is now taking root is a deadly cancer we’ll fail to cure.
CIWAMINA GALU KULUMWA MBUZI.
FIRSTLY I find it funny and very sickening indeed that our ministers should award themselves such A HEFTY increament( forget about parliament approval) at a time when UNZA is on recess as a result of goverments failure to award UNZA workers better conditions which they deserve.SECONDLY, Last week Magande strongly and vehemently rejected Anna Chifungula’s proposal for improved remunarations at the Auditor generals office stating that ” employees should just change there atitude towards work without demanding for better salaries”.
In Europe, it’s common to see MP’s riding the train or even bicycles (eg David Cameron-UK, most Dutch MPs etc). It’s only here, where our inferiority complex gives us an unsatiable appetite for bling! All this, while our health & education system is in tatters. It’s an issue of mindset & lack of priorities. It’s the reason you’d find a poor chap in Kalingalinga would have the latest mobile phone yet lives in a shack with no running water & can’t send his kids to school. I hear the ruler of Dubai (multi billionaire), drives himself around the city without a huge convoy yet our own president feels he needs security detail comparable to George Bush! And we still wonder why we’re impoverished!
Abena Biggie, mwalasa…no further comments
yes #58 you are right. I think it should be made mandatory for anyone aspiring for public office to study this book and take a test on it. But I don’t know if these greedy guys even read any books. Anyway for those shushus on this blog..here are the full details of the book and pass it to your bootlicking masters. If they don’t read, get them an IPOD or MP3 Player and buy them an audio copy so that they can listen to it while they drive our funded 4X4 cars.
From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000
By Lee Kuan Yew, Kuan Yew Lee
Published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2000
ISBN 0060197765, 9780060197766
729 pages
VERLY VERLY I SAY UNTO YOU ALL. THESE SELFISH MINISTERS KNOW FOR SURE THAT LPM AIN’T COMING BACK HENCE THIS STUPIDITY WHICH IS SLOWLY NOW BEING MANIFESTED. HIS EXCELLENCE LPM STATE COUNCIL WOULD NEVER ALLOW SUCH A THING AT A TIME WHEN WE A FACED WITH SO MANY REAL PROBLEM. 200%, WHERE IN ZAMBIA.
Viva Gunners #62/58, and Biggie #60 precisely, what these guys did was to sacrifice and create a reliable transport system that everyone could use. Let me tell you what Mazoka did when he was at Boart Longyear, he said if we claim to be an international standard company, I want that reflected in our factories, office and most of all toilets. And he said and I quote “If I am visiting the factory and I feel like answering the call of nature, I should be able to use the same toilet as that being used by my floor worker without feeling any difference in standard with my self contained office.” This is where our thinking as a people should be, why should a Minister care about the blue buses if..
contd 65… he uses a Landcruiser VX not even GX no, a VX, leather interior, 5 speaker CD system with surround, a driver and all the things that go with it. Let them feel the inconvenvience of using public transport that is never on schedule, that is always in a hurry cutting corners etc, had it not been for stealing and ego, Chiluba to be demonstrated how a politician should be, he would walk into Chilenje Market and pick impwa and he starts eating, that is what we call being humble, but alas it got to his head within no time. So Biggie walasa indeed, I sometime look at the car GB uses when leaving 10 Downing Street to attend to important matters and compare to the 30 foot long mercedes…
contd 66… sandwiched between 3 motor bikes on the left and 3 on the right with 6 sweeping BMW vehicles and 8 following it with 23 landcruisers/pajeros/patrols (driven by Ministers) following, a total motorcade of 68 vehicles. At some point LPM said if he is leaving all ministers must use a bud to the airport, you should have seen the way this idea was shot down, and then someone comes and says they do a lot of work, please come down to earth and realise that this is daylight robbery. I get more money than my uncle who is a PS, but does that stop me from giving hime respect??
lpm is away and the mice have declared a field day.can someone explain why the kwacha has slumped in the last 3 weeks.it is very difficult to rule out graft in govt.may the good lord deliver us from these caretaker president.
bud = bus
# 20 Kalampa I do agree with you to some extent, the problem we have in Africa (Zambia especially) we have made politics a life time profession and not a service. If people like mulongoti & tenta need more money they need to join the corporate world e.g mopani, kcm, african banking corporation raubex construction zain etc. how i cry every day for atleast 2 people with the mind like Nelson Madiba Mandela in our Zambian Government.
We all know that being an MP is a right to riches in Zambia. Every body whats to be an MP because they know what benifits they will have. Serving the pipo is not on the agenda.
Free fuel, loans that make a loan shark cry, allawances enough to keep 3 women on the ‘side’ happy.
Instead then since the pipo have no say, make the increases performance related. Like in chawama, if the drainage system is not put in place, don’t give the idot a pay increase.
As for masebo, if she only reacts to overcrowing of markets when the marketeeres react to overcrowding, by kicking them out, instead of forward thinking, don’t give her a pay rise.
All boils down to one thing, leadership is about serving the people and not people serving leadership….apparently here in Zambia and most of Africa, we have it the wrong way. People want to make careers out of politics and they want to compare themselves to professionals, CEOs and all, this is utter nonsense. People that were failures in school and have failed at literally everything they done since then, today want to compare themselves to people that have distinguished themselves in their spheres of operations, total rubbish. That is why african politics are intthe poor state they are in today. Fail at everything but you can still be a politician and be rich, sad indeed!
#71, one time a UN agency tried to introduce Results Based Management (RBM), which includes Performance Based Remuneration (PBR), but guess what this never saw the light of day. Paul Kagame of Rwanda at his cabinet meetings, he does not allow his ministers to bluff, he simply has a simple format, give me a programme for the whole year and then every week give me progress towards implementation of the action plan related to that programme, how easy can it be? See what could happen if this was introduced in our country, this is when a guy from private sector like HH starts to make sense for me. Government should be run like a profir making institution and you will see how much it can deliver.
Tata from Lsk
Tata from Lsk
Tata from Lsk
It’s good to know we still have some right thinking people here who don’t always rush to insults,we have to learn from each other.
Mwiinga,i agree with you about the number of escorts Levy has when going to the airport etc,it’s more to do with bootlicking by Ministers,they always want to show they are with him to keep jobs however,the President be it Sata or HH needs security escort as africa is not like Dubai etc where crime is almost 0%.
On the type of vehicles used,well,the British PM uses a Jaguar whilst his security escorts use Range Rovers,BMW’s,Mercs & sometimes there is a chopper in the skies too,it’s damn expensive to run a chopper for 5 minutes.
Tata put your name where it says NAME
Mwiinga@ # 78
Who is that statement directed at Moi or everyone else who choose to not to disclose our real identities?
I HAVE NEVER HEARD GEORGE W BUSH CRY FOUL THAT BILL GATES IS MAKING MORE MONEY THAN HIM, O LORD WHATS THE PROBLEM IN THIS LAND OF OURS. SOMETIMES ITS MAKES ME CRY, PEOPLE POVERTY IS REAL IN OUR COUNTRY AND YET NO ONE SEEMS TO DO ANY THING. TRAVEL AROUND THE CORNERS OF THIS COUNTRY.
Ba Tata ku Lusaka tamwishibe umwakutaipa. Bikeni Ishina umo muletaipa message. Natotela sana, niine Uwakwisano.
#77, thanks for the information, the truth of the matter is, someone sacrificed at some point to ensure that GB can enjoy the security he is accorded and tell you what I hope you are not refering to common crime, because if that is the case, I do not think Thabo Mbeki just south has the kind of security LPM has even if in that country the crime rates cannot be compared to 2 gunshots a month zambia crime levels. It is expensive to run a chopper for 5 minutes but when that chopper is being financed by 25 million people in formal employment (jUNE 2005) compared to 400,000 getting 1/10th of the minimum wage in UK.
# 77 The issue is to cut down on foreign travel, the British PM really travels even the US Presdo, its Secretary of State and foreign missions doing all the donkey work. Unlike us even when its not necessary our Presdo will travel yet we have people in those missions!
Sorry Mwiinga,i have seen the blogger you’re referring to.
(@ # 76)
#83
I have not talked about foreign travel above,the President needs to attend necessary meetings,i was just agreeing with the person that said Levy has unnecessary escorts when going to the airports etc even if the cost of having such escorts is almost nothing however security of the President of any nation is important & cannot be compromised by letting the President drive himself into town,to a pub etc because africa is not like the developed world where everyone minds there own business & don’t pay much attention if they see their leader on the streets but still even the British PM has security & u wouldn’t know they are security coz they are in plain clothes & in unmarked cars.
These guys are the ones who have contributed to the abnormal poverty levels in Zambia due to their poor policies and yet the are demanding for over 200% salary increament besides the other allowances they enjoy. Can the tell us what they do to deserve such increaments when the rest of Zambia is wallowing in poverty? Patients are dying in queues at clinis due to lack of medical attention and they are busy fattening their accounts. We are all Zambians and deserve a share of the national cake!!!
Zeddy do you know that when it comes to allowances the Ministers get even more than Zesco bosses
# 72. Uwakwisano
I think were the problem lies is the uninformed or illitrate electorate. Any one who gives the chawama or mandevu refesidents shakeshake and chetenges gets voted for. That includes thievs, drug dealers, a failer at every thing in life who is supported by a rich uncle, anyone it could even be a convited child molesting killer. what are the solutions to this ? educating the elctrorate ?
Kapaso,i really doubt that,yes Ministers get special allowances but the only way they really get good money is when making foreign trips otherwise their salaries & normal allowances cannot match those of corporate bosses like at ZESCO etc who also get hefty allowances as part of their perks,they too are entitle to have more than one vehicle,free accomodation,education allowance for their kids,hefty housing allowance if they reside in their own house etc.The only time things changed a little bit like at ZESCO is when Mwansa was MD,he made sure even Directors were forced to use their own cars because he ordered all company vehicles including his own be painted in company colours & logo.
But the point of departure Zeddy is the fact that Government runs its budget on a not for profit basis unlike Zesco, so one cannot compare himself with the MD at ZESCO, look if the Politicians have justification for increased emoluments, let them tie it to performance and substantive role and they should compare like to like not comparing themselves agains professionals whose entry requirement are determined by qualifications and not how many chitenges you can distribute. Can someone tell me what are the qualifications for one to be a Minister other than being member of parliament, at some point Willie Nsanda (nothing personal) was a Deputy Minister in Local Government. Qualifications?
I think I should become a Minister! We can blogg like this to ourselves and no one will listen. Who is willing to stand up and speak for the people? No matter how much we speak to ourselves no one is hearing so as the saying goes IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM JOIN THEM! We should just look for other avenues to make money and leave assets for our children when we die. If its sednign themto UNZA lets do that and if if its having them being treated at UTH lets do it cause these Ministers have already been poisoned by Chiluba to steal, so they won’t change.
Our Politicians are proposing huge salaries with poverty around us. whether this intentions are stopped, it will remain in our minds that we have selfish elements in our Govmt. Just the the Kafubi’s third term bid.
If you pick-up any GRZ newspaper (Times and Daily) chances are you find the same GRZ issuing tender to purchase brand new vehicles. What is clear is we have monies but being misused by a greed few.
By the way, both Zesco and UNZA are GRZ institutions and the same salary structure must apply under normal circumstance. Zesco or Zamtel or any parastatal get funding GRZ just like UNZA. These are thing that GRZ must ‘normalise’.
# 88 part of the solution would be to restrict the educational levels of those would be voters, e.g only a minimum of grade 12, why am I saying this, our politicians know very well that if you target compounds, markets you are set as compared to institutions of learnig where they will be scrutinised.
In most cases Democracy is not usually the right tool to bring in a leader especially in Arica, with the exeption of Botswana and South Africa.
Zeddy are there two of you on the blog cause tehre is one appearing as Zeddy* and just Zeddy.
we need to put a higher quqlification for one to be a member or parliament.As at now, a grade 9 can stand as mp and win,then a president can make that uneducated mp to be a minister.then a minister with a low or humble education background will say i get little money that CEO of parastals.Our leacturers with masters and phd are given very little.Our govt they say they do not have money to pay the educated leacturers and they only asked for 15%.then our politicans have given themselves more than 100%.politics shud be a servince and those who want make money they shud not come in politics.
Article 46
Ministers
(1) There shall be such Ministers as may be appointed
by the President.
(2) Appointment to the office of Minister shall be made
from among the members of the National Assembly.
(3) A Minister shall be responsible, under the
directions of the President, for such business of the
Government including the administration of any Ministry
or Department of Government as the President may assign
to such Minister.
(4) The salaries and allowances of a Minister shall be
such as may be prescribed by an Act of Parliament, and
shall be a charge on the general revenues of the
Republic.
The action taken by ministers at this critical time speaks volumes about the seroiusness of the state of our “ill” president in paris. The *****s are in a way telling us that LPM is not coming back.
How can these unproductive minions compare themselves to learned poeple sarving as CEO’s in produtive companies.
Mind you these lunnies don’t even deserve what they are currently getting because in an idea situation a polical office is supposed to be voluntary.
Mwiinga & others,let me not be misunderstood,i made it clear in one of my first posts last night that the proposed increments @ 200% & above are unjustified because it’s the same govt leaders that are calling for pay restraint for civil servants who get far much less than them however it is very clear that Zambian Ministers also get little & it’s the reason why their is too much corruption in the whole govt from bottom to top so increments should be for the entire civil service & should be gradual,something like maybe a certain percentage every year for the next 3 years or so not just immediately with back pay like they want to do,that is immoral for them to do.
#94 Lady L did you check the subsequent posts yesterday and I hope my name is clear now with you.
we need like hh.they have already made their money and when they come to politics to them is servince and not to make them richer.since they left the coperate world where they were earning a lot of money.most of this poor political they are not after service but to enrich themselselves.we also need other people like prof.chirwa.he has made his own many and coming to ppolitics it is also a service.
#98, Zeddy on the corruption I beg to disagree, maybe and just maybe that could have an iota of truth. On the levels of emoluments I agree with, I think the whole civil service needs to be re-looked. Look in the organisation I work for, there are two categorie of staff, there are general service (Admin support, driver, secretaries etc) and Professional Staff (Programme Officers, Advisors, Analysts, Specialists etc). Everytime our salaries were reviewed the increament was applied across the board as a result if a guy gets 10,000 in General Service his increament would be 1,000 kwacha if our salary was increase by 10% and an office who gets 20,000 would get 2,000, as such a huge gap…
Maureen in the post is captured in front of her appartment in france. I thought she was at the bedside. To make matters worse, today she has refused to update about president and just said, its govt’s job and that staisfactorily he is improving. yet when rumours where heard that he was dead, she came out and updated and siad he was alive.
this woman is in an apartment not at bedside, she just goes mukulengelako.
if at all LPM is there.
anyway, Zambians continue paying tax.
The future will DEFINTLY JUDGE us harshly for wat has happened betwen 29 June to date and further.
will we stay like this without president, for how long?
Contd 101… was created, and guess what our HQ then said, there is no way we can allow this to continue as such these salaries will be reviewed seperately and deliberatly we shall have a higher percentage for GS staff everytime we have an increase to close this gap. This is what one would have thought, for cabinet ministers to do the same, sacrifice a little to cushion the lower end of the scale. And that is the argument here, that this is a selfish move, and should have been done in a sensitive manner which would include everybody. It is going to parlaiment yes, but who has the mojority in Parliament and what is the ratification process, is it simple majority or 2/3? This are the qtns?
Nameless @ 102 Give us break mate,how does Maureen come into this emoluments discussion?You should have some sympathy,Maureen in that pic probably outside the hospital is visibly so distressed and has lost weight,she doesn’t look her usual self at all.Everyone of us deserves a break even when we are nursing that is why it is right that a few relatives are with her,she cannot cope alone physically & emotionally so let’s leave her in peace & yes,she is right to say it’s govt duty to update us however she has indicated that her husband is improving,she also thanx all of us for our prayers to God,she is only human like us not so & who cares if she’s in an apartment.
# 102, If one is in the icu, he is usually alone, nothing like bedside, she has an apartment because the bigman is still in the icu.
levy P. mwanawasa, a blessing in disguise!
A long time prominet lawyer.served as republican veep and willing retired.the third term debates is over.FTJ is not contesting presidency.FTJ hand picks an ailing Levy.many people are annoyed.especially Sata.KK endorses Mumba disqualifyingLPM as sickman.LPM wins & turns his back on FTJ.LPM can’t conclude Corruption cases against FTJ-probably they used the same money to usher him into office.-but ensures fiscal discipline and takes a step further in constitutional reconstruction.he his away vultures feast on us.we continue praying for him.But…
celebrate the life of LPM 1948-2008.God bless
Mwiinga,i totally agree with you,the increase should be across the board not for Ministers alone,changes need to be made in order to balance things,the gaps are too much & that is the only reason why it is immoral for Ministers or whoever proposes increases for them to come up with ridiculous figures of 200 % increments irrespective of how little Ministers get at present.
I have enjoyed reading the contributions from most of the bloggers. They are highly analytical with few insults. With such contributions, not only are we building each other but mother Zambia as well.
Like I said before I think Let us leave LPM out of discussion for now, you would imagine Mrs Mwanawasa dealing with a sick Husband and at the same time dealing with an impatient public which should otherwise be dealt with by a very foolish cabinet.
i think the Kagame way of doing things seems okay to me. i also think we need a bit of dictatorship in some cases for example with the bus issue taking ministers to the airport everytime president leaves and returns.
Zeddy now that we have established common ground for this argument may I ask time to take leave from this discussion ladies and gentlemen, it has been a pleasure, going over 100 posts on this blog without an insult ever surfacing, this is a first ladies and gentlemen and have a good day.
#6 you sound like a cow belonging to some opposition party, with a leader who can only win an election when cows are voting
hey mates how about Lupando Mwape for President
Mwiinga LOL.He he he,you’re excused,in case you hadn’t noticed,the last couple of weeks i had been on leave too,sometimes it’s good to understand each other & accept that we cannot all think alike but insults should not be used no matter how much we differ in principle.
Have a good day & break Mwiinga!I am also going back into my studio to continue composing my music which should be ready for the Zambian market in a years time,strictly & purely acoustic and new kind of music!
RB thinks he can cheat people. as a matter of fact the salary increament has been approved. and he has started enjoying it already and why should he say that it has ti be passed through parliament and yet all those foxes are the beneficially of the increaments.
RB just enjoy the monies and stop fooling us we are not children. this is the only oppotunity you have and these rats of yours have to silver plate monies and you are tell us, you not havent approved it yet
naiwe ka mike stop being a fool in the day and the night because one day you wil only realise that you fooled your self.
# 93. Wakumahetu,
You are right, copying western style democracy to the letter does not work in Africa. you need checks on candidates. otherwise you have a band of profertiers supposedley looking after the affaires of the pipo stealing and colluding for 200% salary increaments without even blinking. The uniformed electorate needs help or we are on a road to nowhere in the name of western democarcy. Illitarte, uniformed pipo need help in chosing an MP just like children would need help in vetting who looks after them. Thats why china rejected full democracy..
Hey Bro Zeddy, I hope you can tray to include political oppresion in your music, (if you dont mind) take for restance the PK Chishala’s all time hit common man.
#108, Am really impressed too. It appears there are only a few bloggers who like the insults, and have noticed that there are not contributing today..but that aside. Someone refered to the Ministers getting less salaries as a fuel to breed corrupton, but to borrow Wina’s words, these are people with all they need to be comfortable and for them to start thinking about corruption that would just be greedy and more so attitude than anything else. If we are going to use that as a reason to ask for an increment for anyone, then the civil servant deserves that increment more than anyone else. If you look at our current corruption statistics they actually have a pattern that is reflective of people
THE INCREAMENT DEMANDED BY THE CABINET IS NOT ONLY SATANIC, BUT ALSO BABARIC,THESE *****S DEMANDING FOR HIGH SALARIES I WONDER WHAT THEY ARE TO DOING TO THE ORDINARY ZAMBIAN . THESE SELFISH MONISTORS ARE JUST busy enriching themselves with taxpayers monies . we cant see any change with ordinary citizens. there demand is not justfied.
#106 Your analysis could be made into a blockbuster movie ha ha ha !
I think I should return to Zed where salary increaments are more than 200%.It’s unbeatable!While the British Govt has been debating on whether they could award a >1% to its govt workers our Zambia is a able to award more than that.Great!
Anonymous @ 117
Oh yes,i can guarantee you that my ideas come from the likes of the greats like P.K Chishala,Franco etc who were never moved by any amout of political threats.Whenever the govt falters,i will hit them hard in my music until we have social jusitice!Amongst the young singers of nowadays,i have great respect for the boy Petersen for the song ”Anyandule”,the boy has got guts and a brain for good satire,these are the chaps we need to wake the govt up so like right now we need someone to criticise the Ministers or whoever recommended that there salaries be increased by 200% .
#116 Shushushu, you know what, as tax payers our contribution is great to this country, but most politicians will never consider our views, why is it so? Because we are not a factor, just look at this if our voter requirements were that only those contributing to the national GDP (be it formal or informal sector) should vote.
Then the politicians would know who is the boss, because you and I plus several other well meaning Zambians would be respected. Not this non sense going on, sorry for sounding hash.
This is by far one of the best threads AS FAR AS COMMENTS. The long arms and legs of the law always catch up. Ba mudala in Serbia is now realizing it. Good or bad – it all comes back for you.
Cont#118 people’s salaries vis-a viz how much exposed they are to corrupt prone areas. Thats why often, the police, council and lands officers are topping the list of the people being reported today.
#121 Zeddy go on man I will buy your music “Anyandule” is a good song, people standing up for what is right. All the best Zeddy
104
Zeddy, we know u are greiving becoz u have been eating LPM money which i belive is not clean just like Chiluba
i care about the apartment because am paying and wasting my tax contribution.
she doesnt want to say about teh president, yet when rumours that he is dead are announced she willc ome out screeming loud he is still alive – clinging on to power.
you sya she is distressed, thats what people ge when they cnat advise people they love properly.
instead of advising LPM to step down in 2006 and leave for helathy pipo like HH, she was in forefront, trying to stay longer in state house
how long will we pay LPM’s bills, plus hefty Cabinet salaries
we are watching
Cheers Wakumahetu @ # 125
Zeddy
for all that we do, we pay the price.
LPM pciked chiluba, turned against him, todya he is portrayed as if he is corrupt free, yet corrupt money help him into power, he was given the seat by corrupt people. he dined and wined with them and still do. we will hear more about thsi corrupt govt when a new govt comes in in 2011.
sometimes we just pay price for what we and how we have acted in the past.personally, i dont pray for LPM.
what i know is every human being has time on earth and we will all die.
we have lost relatives, close bread winners, better and intellignet leaders than LPM, so LPM is human also, bushe temnutu. teti afwe. no one is permanent on earth. so why make a big deal
Anyandule sibakuta, mukagona thats when the get busy.
Do we have a leadership and constitutional crises. Where as it is clear what happens if the is legally declared incapacitated by the supreme court, It is not clear what happens before that. Suppose no cabinet minister moves a motion to request for a medical inquiry does the president continue ruling in absentia until his term ends. It is true that LPM is recovering. But it might be possible that process of recovery can take two years. If this get to be the case the ministers from the family tree might oppose any move to initiate any process that can lead to declaring the president incapacitated. Is the constitution clear on time limits a president can be on sick leave.
Anyandule sibakuta, mukagona thats when the get busy.
for all i care, we will all die…ha ha ha ha ha
is it good that for me, i will not be buying life in hospital when my time comes, i will just ask switch off the damn machine
good blogging to all
yes nice music gents. lets sing loud and loud
The ministers are playing double standards here. With things that affect we the masses, they do not want to make a move in the name of praying for Levy and not rushing into things by allowing him time to recuperate fully and come back but for things that concern them like salary increment, they cannot wait for Levy. This is total selfishness and inhuman behaviour. Since they have chosen to put the country’s progress on hold, they should put their salary increments on hold as well.
In parliament yesterday I heard one MP demanding that Fred Mmembe must be investigated for having had a leakage during his exams at ZIALE and that is the only way the passed. Surprising it was not in his newspaper, the Boast. He had failed two times prior to that
Pragmist…are you in politics or what? remember Tom Rich the head of Homeland Security in the US? he resigned from his post as he wanted to concentrate on his personal business so that he could secure the future of his kids in this greedy world we live in? our ministers do not deserve the wage increament? our civil servants are still paid peanuts…and here you are trying to prolong the debate? be real my friend?
I love you all writters i wish you were ladies i could have married you all. Leave them (ministers) LAW will visite them let muwelewele come.
the bills is too much for simple tax payers, poos zambian tax payers
LPM’s Bill in hospital and Cabinet’s salaries
shamuna bane!! shame!
By the way people have you heard one country in West Africa
ministers and parastal chiefs agreed to have their salaries to help the country cop with fuel and food rising prices.
These are leaders who care.
Our leaders what on earth do they need 500 litres for.Media people
can you find out even Angola who have oil, do they give their ministers this much free petrol.
I feel this is a failure of leardership.
By the way people have you heard one country in West Africa
ministers and parastal chiefs agreed to have their salaries halved to help the country cop with fuel and food rising prices.
These are leaders who care.
Our leaders what on earth do they need 500 litres for.Media people
can you find out even Angola who have oil, do they give their ministers this much free petrol.
I feel this is a failure of leardership.
I told u pipo. I know of a jouniour officer in the public prosecutions office who gets $10,000 for a 1 week ”seminar” in livingstone. This same officer is entiteld to 1 full tank of fuel every week.
Corruption is out of fashion, now it is salary encrements and perks and allawances for GRZ.
Does any one know what the operating budget of GRZ is ?. With the total employed by GRZ it will be intreasting to see.
#48 Biggie
Are you aware of the fact ZCAS is allowed to charge their students economic fees whilst government policy restricts the two universities from doing the same on the socialistic premise that they are public institutions which should serve the underprivileged Zambian masses who would otherwise not have access to university education? To the best of my knowledge, no academic at UNZA/CBU is asking for corporate pay, but for a reasonable merit – based pay that that takes account of, and is commensurate with their qualifications. Is that too much to ask for?
#48 Biggie
In case you are not aware of this, academics are the same people there who toil to produce your doctors, engineers, economists, lawyers, etc at what amounts to a pittance for a salary! UNZA/CBU may not be profit – making entities in your rather bizarre conceptualization of reality, but they are major producers of vital human resource that keep the economic engines of the country running.
Entering into partnerships is actually taking place in a number of units/departments at UNZA/CBU, but that shouldn’t absolve the government from responsibility of meeting the academic staffs’ conditions of service especially since this government doesn’t want the universities to charge fees tha
Entering into partnerships is actually taking place in a number of units/departments at UNZA/CBU, but that shouldn’t absolve the government from responsibility of meeting the academic staffs’ conditions of service especially since this government doesn’t want the universities to charge fees that would lessen the universities’ dependence on government subventions.
Guys were can i find the Mulemena Boys on cd?,thanks.
Mulemena Boys? Ask Celtel/Zain. They have some information you need.
These politicians and Senior GRZ officials should not even compare themselves with CEO of parastatals. Reasons being that they are into service and if you were to calculate the total net income in one month for these guys, you will find that they even beat Fundaga’s salary ie including their fringe benefits and allowances. Guys, a top GRZ official, can lead a very very comfortable life even without drawing a salary. I know what am talking about tho i won’t go into details. Its even absurd to compare them with meter readers.
The Zambian parliament should be abolished.since its formation,has it ever done anything sensible for the Zambian people?NO!!They always pass laws that benefit only them and not the masses.
the chi cry baby RB shud eqaully step aside with Mulongoti!!Ben kapita is another…its time for you guys to go…
The UTH Laundry was completely destroyed and gutted by fire on sunday 10th August 2008. and we want to see cabinat’s priorities. At this point in time, is it their salaries which will take precedence or the repair works at the hospital?
Mulongoti and his fellow stoogies are now being put to test because of their greedness.
Does stroke also stop a minister from shaving? Whats happening to Mr Kapita? He looks terrible.
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