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Government responds to LAZ statement

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Government Chief Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni
Government Chief Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni

Government has said that there is need for the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to inform Republican President Michael Sata of investigations against senior government officials to enable administrative action to be considered.

In a press statement to the media, Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni emphasized that in any civilized society, it is a standard practice for the president to be informed of investigations against senior government officials.

Mr Sakeni who is also Minister of Information added that he is disappointed that Law Association of Zambia President James Banda chose to comment on immigration matters which are currently in the courts of law.

Mr Sakeni further said that government was aware that LAZ will be holding elections in April next year and there is a temptation for those in various offices within LAZ to want to appear to be working adding that government does not want to be part of the electioneering.

Below is the full statement

Republic of Zambia

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON HON. KENNEDY SAKENI, MP

We note with interest the statement of the President of the Law Association of Zambia Mr. James Banda.

We are surprised that Mr. Banda has chosen to comment on immigration matters which are currently before the Courts of law. Such a course of action can only be interpreted as a calculated attempt to influence the out come of such court cases.

Although we are aware of Mr. Banda’s contempt of the judiciary, we do not want to be drawn into discussing matters that are subjudice because of the high regard the executive has for the due process of law and the justice delivery system.

As regards Mr. Banda’s comments on the Anti Corruption Commission, we are at pains to comprehend Mr. Banda’s statement which in the one breath decries the necessity to inform the Republican President of allegations against senior members of Government but in the very next breath is calling on the Republican President to suspend serving Ministers pending investigations.

We wish to reiterate that it is for this very reason that the Anti Corruption Commission needs to inform the Republican President of investigations against senior Government officials so that administrative action can be considered. We emphasise that in any civilised democratic society it is standard practice for the President to be advised of investigations against senior Government officials.

Finally, we are aware that LAZ is holding its elections in April, 2013 and there is a temptation for those in various offices within LAZ to grand stand in order to be seen to be working.

We do not want to be a part of the electioneering by Mr. Banda and emphasize that all our offices remain available and open to dialogue with LAZ at all levels.

The Government through the office of the Attorney General and Solicitor General has been working very closely with LAZ on several matters of national interest and of interest to the legal profession. The Government values the contribution of LAZ to matters of national interest and invites the Association to engage the Government on any matters of concern.

Issued by:

Hon. Kennedy Sakeni, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES
AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON

11thDecember, 2012

editor
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

84 COMMENTS

  1. But President Sata did not say ACC needs tro inform him. He said they need to get permission unless my memory has failed me. I think there was no need Mr Sakeni to even respond to LAZ as you may just be exposing your ignorance.

    • You are right. sometimes its better not to respond than to show one’s foolishness in the media. These chaps are proving to be worse than MMD. 

    • They dropped the ball on this one. To think that changing a few words will help them save face. It’s disingenuous and condescending. LAZ’s comment on immigration matters, in my opinion, is okay; they aren’t discussing the specifics of the case, just pointing out a few things. Whether LAZ is doing this because they want to apear hardworking and gain votes for their upcoming elections, is an attempt at distraction on Mr. Sakeni’s part.

  2. Hey,PF govt and Mr Sakeni in the civilised world their understanding of “to enable administrative action” is code words or euphemism for “obstruction of justice” Remember why Nixon had to resign? Pa Fwaka f.o.o.ls got tell your lies to the birds.

    • Read the law iwe Tumbuka Pride. Can you allow your wife to be taken to court or police without you as a husband knowing what she has done? You as the head of the house needs to be informed. It doesn’t mean that when the president is informed, then he will interfere with the proceedings. It is a just proper way of conducting the issues. What a chaos there would be if the president didn’t that his ministers or government officials are being investigated. How do you expect the president to descipline them? What Sakeni is saying is just a simple prcedure. If a minister has a case, let the president know about it. Period

    • Do you always have to insult? Tamwakwata amano. If you are disgruntled, serve your insults to your relatives. Respect the elders even if they are bad or wrong. Thats why you are growing up cursed.

    • Iwe Tumbuka Pride, can you allow your wife to be investigated without you as a husband knowing about it? And you don’t have to insult. I agree with Anti insults. Put forth your points and people will still listen to you. It simply shows how bitter you are. But that bitternes will lead you to dipression and from there death.

    • @Smart Tumbuka, you are embarrassing the tumbuka tribe. In your analogy does it mean that the wife is under age? It is only a child of a certain age that require a guardian, otherwise you can be a husband in Zimbabwe and wife in Zambia and Zambian police do not need to inform husband that they are investigating wife. it can even be spouses living in the same house, there is no obligation at all, unless the police feel that one spouse has some information. If the law is has you think it is plz name the statute that needs to be followed. Tumbuka pride is right!

  3. This is actually quite good Mr Sakeni, I can see that those night school classes on SPIN DOCTORING are beginning to show. I give you 5 out of 10 on this. I think you need to perfect what we call the Switches. Your switches still give you away.

    Those who are lost, let me break it down for you to see what Sakeni is trying to do

    Basically LAZ says ACC does not need PERMISSION from the President to Investigate Senior officials

    Then Sakeni counters with the FACT that ACC needs to inform the President.

    So you can clearly see that Sakeni avoids the PERMISSION Question, but goes for the INFORM answer which was not in the original question. And the FACT he picks of INFORM will easily make sense to the masses and make them ignore the PERMISSION question

    There you have it.

  4. Mr Ape you have not answered the issues raised by LAZ instead you have decided to use your monkey tricks by addressing different issues which do not make sense to the issues you are responding to. you are such a bucking dog. bucking at shadows not real objects

    • Bwalya Chiselema you are an ape yourself. Do you communicate with apes where you come from? Thats why you are growing up cursed you chaps. You are the exact replica of Homohabilis or homosapiens who never used to think. How do you feel the way I have called you? When your parents wrong you, do call them apes or monkeys? Maybe you do. Never insult an elderly person, no matter what they do to you. It is for your own good. God himself has a way of punishing people wrong others. So if a white calls you kiffir or monkey, don’t complain if you can call a fellow black man ape. Besides if you are able to communicate to an ape, then you are an ape as well because you understand the same language. Mr ape man homohabilis grow up.

    • The word I am sure you wanted to write is BARKING not bucking, if you look for a dic(k)tionary you’ll that find that you made a very amusing joke. Now go buck yourself LMAO

    • Awe nvela naiwe@Destroyer. This guy bwalya likes to call his friends apes. I have followed his comments on LT. He insults his fellow blacks in most of his comments. We blacks shouldn’t insult one another. Thats why i asked him that if a white man called you kaffir or monkey, how would he feel? Then he shouldn’t complain if he can call his fellow black brother ape. Let him critise with well laid down points. We will still listen without insults. If anything those insults makes even Sata more porpular and bwalya’s candidate will lag behind bcoz pipo will think his candidate’s followers are insulters.

    • @haLunda from haKazembe, if someone insults your father, how do you feel? Bad offcourse but the insult was not directed at you. The same with politics. Bwalya Chiselema is anti-PF. Once he insults the juniors, it is an indirect way of insulting their leader. Look at way they call Sata. Mind you am not PF. They call him CNP, UKWA, TRIBALIST, SATANA, CHILUFYANYA etc. With such insults I begin to sympathise with him. Even if bwalya is commenting on Sakeni, why can’t he put his points clearly without insulting? So Mr do you think if HH came to power he is going to balance the cabinet. I can assure you that 80% of the cabinet will be tongas. I am not bemba myself. I am half kaonde and half bisa. But I see all tribes to be equal.

  5. The PF government is quickly becoming a very unpopular repressive regime. This environment unless, addressed will lead to unnecessary instability with negative effects on unity and development. The leadership or lack of it is to blame for the state of the nation.

  7. Napolion says they need to get PERMISSION, and Squiler says they need to INFORM, to make it sound right to the fo.olish Boxers. Proper Animal farm……..I am saying in america

  9. Is this the PF we voted for sure? No difference from MMD. Next time I will voted for a tonga party, i dont care how tribal it will be. anyways what could be worse off than this pf corruption nonsense.

  10. LAZ President is a joke, he wants to be seen to be standing up to Government to boost his election at next year’s LAZ meeting. What a joke indeed, he will not go far trying to start a lost cause instead he is setting himself up for doomsday. The PF believes in the rule of law and justice, these tuma overzealous opposition need to start practising civil modern politics not untaganising day in day out. we will see how far ba Banda will go with his parroting.

  11. May be this could be a problem of directly translation of some local language into English.
    PERMISSION and INFORMATION are two different things.

  12. I give Sakeni 2/10 for the spin he is trying to make on Sata’s blunder.The president should not try to rule Zambia KK style.There is an abundant of information exchange these days and more Zambians are learned than in the 70’s.Don’t just say the LAW says ACC needs permission without quoting the exact LAW,even then we will still check to see you are making a correct reference

  13. Smart is when you believe only half of what you heard.Brilliant is when you know which half to believe.Deeply contemplate on that zambians.

  14. If H.E. MCS is told that ACC wants to investigate a minister, it is highly likely that he will tell them not to do so. Therefore, if Sakeni beleives in an independent ACC, then let ACC do their work without intimidation. In any case, everybody including H.E MCS knew that ACC were investigating the 2 ministers.

    • No no no! Zambia I Pity You, those are the administrative ethics the Minister is talking about. You dont run an organisation, later on a country in that way. You need to put such important proceedings on paper. Dont take it for granted that since ZWD has reported about it then everyone knows.. For your information very few people have access to the media.  

  15. It is matters of this kind which helps the general public to fully understand the foolishness of people they voted for and how uneasy it is to govern.
    Mr Sakeni you cannot bribe Zambians by your covering language unless you are saying Zambians are fools who can not differentiate between ” permission and Inform” . Very soon you will regret your lies.

  16. PF and Sata, please behave guys, if you start behaving like MMD, I can rest assure you that come 2016, you are out of those offices. Us Zambians are now enlightened and no one can cheat us. Just know that if you steal as the MMD did, you will be thrown out come 2016. Leave the ACC alone to perform its duties without your insipid interference. Listen very very carefully guys. Listen .
    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

  17. There is no legal provision to either seek permission from the President nor inform him. Off course he will somehow know, administratively. If investigations lead to an actual CHARGE, then the Public officers concerned have to be suspended.

  20. I pity all those who believed that SATA had tranformed into a democrat. Shame on all you fellas. You are now reaping what you ………….

  23. I agree with Mr Sakeni, (bearing in my ind my MBA, CIMA ACCA MSC Bsc and soon PhD)
    He couldn’t have put it more prudently

    Thanks

  25. So because of the LAZ executive elections slated for next year LAZ officials should not point out wrongs, of government leaders, lest they are seen to be campaigning? This is real warped thinking by Mr Sakeni.

  27. The problem we have in Z is that the majority do not understand the laws, LAZ and all that sh….t. What we care is food on the table…. If we get this…. PF in power come 2016…

  29. …..food on the table… my children go to school which I can afford…. health care accessible…. the rest you can deal with them admnistratively….lol Z pipo will happy and Vote….PF…UPND…MMD… who else is standing… children narep….?

  33. Mushota

    You live on other planet not earth,why do you always talk about the qualifications you do not have.You are a comedian of this century.

  34. ANY WAY TO BE HONEST, MCS SAID THE ACC NEEDS TO GET PERMISSION FROM HIM TO INVESTIGATE HIS MINISTERS. THAT WAS WRONG. I HOPE THE ACC TOOK IT JUST AS A JOKE. I THINK THERE WAS NO STATUTORY DIRECTIVE SIGNED BY MCS TO ENFORCE THAT STATEMENT. HOWEVER THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO BE INFORMED WHENEVER HIS MINISTERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED. IT IS JUST LOGICAL. THIS CAN PREVENT THE PRESIDENT FROM INVESTING RESPONSIBILITIES IN A PERSON WHO MAY BE DISQUALIFIED ON ACCOUNT OF THE ACC FINDINGS. ALSO, THE OLD MAN MCS SHOULD BE FORGIVEN HE RARELY TAMES HIS TONGUE.

  35. PF is a party on its way out! How sad to be lead by pathetic clowns bent on massaging their egos. Liars without shame and afraid of their own shadows. If RB locked up Sata for merely meeting the chiefs, Sata would not have been president today. This is a repressive regime determined to snuff out democracy and has no respect for human rights. The writing is on the wall!

  36. This has nothing to do with boosting Mr J Banda’s election. Examine the contents of his statement and you will see that the issues he has raised borders on lawlessness from the Executive. Do you remember how Sata used to rubbish ACC when not seen to be investigating ministers who were known to be corrupt? Now the tables are turned he is the front seat drive, what does he do? GET PERMISSION when investigating my colleagues. Please educate me if I’m wrong. Where is it written in the constitution of Laws of Zambia that the Presido has give permission to investigate his colleagues? This is pure ANIMAL FARM as one of the bloggers has mentioned. Let’s start telling politicians that we are their masters and that they should be kneeling when they see us. We pay them, they don’t pay us.

  37. Sakeni,you are stupid and too dull.Your Boss Sata said they should ask permission from him not to inform him. Never twist your Boss’s word to make them appear sensible and reasonable.Even you deep down you were wondering whether your Boss said such words which meant to defeat the fight against corruption.

    • The song will go like this: Mad blogger Sam Lindo mad, mad, mad
      chorus: Yes I am Sam Lindo and I am mad, mad, mad. Repeat :Mad blogger Sam Lindo mad: chorus: Yes I am Sam Lindo and I am mad, mad, mad.

    • Halunda Hafrom Hakazembe. Someone is using my blogger name to frustrate me. However I agree will an imposter LEEL. Even if you call him mad, atleast he has tasted the sweetness of plot 1. How about you?

    • I will replace the lyrics like this: The song will go like this: Mad blogger Lunda from Kazembe mad, mad, mad
      chorus: Yes I am Lunda from Kazembe and I am mad, mad, mad. Repeat :Mad blogger Lunda from Kazembe mad: chorus: Yes I am Lunda from Kazembe and I am mad, mad, mad. Hahahahahahahaha

  39. The only sensible thing to do is for Kabimba to immediately appear at ACC for interogation. Anything else, any shifting of positions by government, is a sheer waste Zambians ‘ time.

  41. Its too late guys. The line has been crossed. A red light has been triggered and flagged among members of the international Community on the confidence level of the PF government. Guy Scott is quite now and must be alarmed at how his colleagues have changed over night. PF is in trouble now. Watch as the game becomes exciting. PF Vs The people and Friends of Zambia. You can guess who is going to win ….lelolelo lelolelo.

    We were told that what will bring Sata down is his mouth. Imagine an issue of which he could have had a chat with DG of ACC has entangled him. Add to it Nevers’ arrest…kwasila. PF are being systematically isolated by the International Community. Not even Guy Scott will serve them…..

  42. MAY B SAKENI DOESNT UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BTWN ” INFORM ” AND ” PERMISSION”

    LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY

    Some people say there is no difference between COMPLETE and FINISHED. Here is my astute answer …. when you marry the right woman, you are COMPLETE. And when you marry the wrong woman, you are FINISHED. And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are COMPLETELY FINISHED!

    So BA Sakeni whenever u want to utter something, please analyse the word in that way.

    Thanks

  43. What is standard practise Sakeni you talking about?You and Your Sata you got it all wrong.Are you guys telling us that if ACC are investigating any senior member of either the MMD,NAREP and UPND they need to inform the presidents of these parties? What no sense is this from our president and ministers.Did he mean senior government officials or party?Its really meant party official then there is a very big problem with both the president and his minister Sakeni because ACC were not dealing with the corruption issue committed by senior PF party officials but by government ministers who used their ministerial influence to gain advantage.Can you Mr Sakeni show us where it stated that ACC  should inform or get permission from Micheal Chilufya Sata to investigate his party officials.

  45. The president must be informed for anything happenings to his/her ministers.This is the way it is in every country!! Why bloggers here show their dullness like this?Its like at aplace of work….The director should know watever is happening in the organisation.How does the seniour manager be investigated by the guards without the director knowing?It doesnt show any respect at all.Let us be real.

    • Is there respect in crime? If you followed the argument by the bloggers carefully you will notice that they are saying Sakeni is trying to twist what Sata said. Sata said “permission” which LAZ is disputing. While Sakeni is rumbling in a completely different direction of “inform”.

  47. This is not a press statement. It is useless letter. I am PF but if I were given this portfolio I would write this rubbish and embarrass myself like uncle Kennedy Sakeni. Uncle this statement should have cited which clauses in the constitution which says that the ACC needs to get clearance before it can ask Wynter & Geoffrey or indeed any senior party official. 

  48. Firefighting at play. There is nothing as powerful as invoking the letter of the law. Now the P–F– are groping around for statements… Move back, bloggers – they might grope your behind at the rate they are going! Chisenga #34, I hope you don’t mean we forgive him for shielding Kabimba from certain justice??

  50. Why release a press statement from the Chief Government Spokesperson and another one from the Presidential Press Assistant about the same thing? Are these statements sanctioned by cabinet or the president? If so, why 2 of the same? CNP!

  51. As far as the issue of “obtaining permission” this is probably a better response than George’s. It is not enough to be a journalist one needs to be trained in how to handle difficult situations. It is like a case where a head of state’s child is caught red handed peddling drugs and then the spokesman says, it is mere politicking by enemies of the state. The better response would be “According to the police “Chite,” was caught drug peddling. The head of state as a parent is naturally disappointed with the news and does not condon such behaviour at all. However, as a parent he remains supportative of “Chite” and will wait for the outcome of the case in the courts of law.” That is a spin doctor’s art.

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