Minister of Transports, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga, has said that the engagement and retirement of former Zambia Railways Limited Chief Excutive Officer Clive Chirwa was done in a transparent and mature manner.
In a Ministerial statement to Parliament this afternoon, Mr. Mukanga noted that Prof. Chirwa did not recognize the authority of the board in that he disobeyed most of the instructions given to him.
The Minister added that the board served him with several warning letters and reminded him of his duties under the contract.
He said the Ministry and the Board should guide the management on Government’s expectation of their roles in corporate governance but Mr Chirwa never took the advice.
[pullquote]“Professor Chirwa never took the initiative to raise any complaints against the Board to the ministry, instead he opted to raise issues in the media to attack the Board whilst the minister was still studying the matter,” he said.[/pullquote]
“Professor Chirwa never took the initiative to raise any complaints against the Board to the ministry, instead he opted to raise issues in the media to attack the Board whilst the minister was still studying the matter,” he said.
Mr. Mukanga said that it was for this reason that government decided to take action against the former ZRL managing Director for his misconduct.
He said Government after investigations decided to retire Prof Chirwa in public interest. The minister also said results of investigations into the matter had been taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions for his action
And Mr. Mukanga has explained that his Ministry dissolved the ZRL board in order start afresh in terms of the leadership of company.
waste of money
Relatives are not supposed to interfere with marriage in the first place so as a wife why should I be going out of my way to please them?
Especially if they are broke relatives, I have no time for such. Fumeni apa bonse! Once I got that marriage certificate I became the boss, divorce me and I will take half and move on.
Marriage is very exaggerated, single people with lovers are the happiest.
What on earth are you on about? What has this got to do with the story!
If this is so,then dont pay chirwa his full retirement benefits mwefipuba imwe. why are you paying him? he he signed a contract,then let the one who hired him pay him,for his hiring too was wrongly done. so the one at fault is the one who hired him. dont subject my children to paying foreign debt just because your administration made a mistake. The president should resign. this gross indiscipline and mismanagement of resources. they cant even say sorry. m******mwe,thats why tutukana,we are tired of your foolishness. ba sakalanyongo imwe!!!!! Kazinyengeni bonse imwe bafi kala!!!!!!!
so called Nubian Princess = Gold digger kwasila. You will meet clever men who own “nothing” then you will shipikisha.
”In a Ministerial statement to Parliament this afternoon, Mr. Mukanga noted that Prof. Chirwa did not recognize the authority of the board in that he disobeyed most of the instructions given to him.”
this is merely justifying the appointment of Attanga. nothing else.
The manner in which he was hired by Ukwa reflects the manner he was fired. The hiring officer is as useless as the hired. I rest my case.
And this is why I keep thinking that Zambians are either too nice or simply too docile. I don’t know how the minister will give such a lame excuse in parliament without considering an apology to the house and Zambians considering the mass amount of tax payers rebased Kwacha that will go to Chirwa bank account for doing nothing at ZRL. No single parliamentarian will raise a question except maybe for one Mulusa. On the other end Zambians will continue watching all this unfolding like a soap opera while waiting for their turn to have more money in their pockets. Are Zambians really this docile?
We have dull MP’s in parliament -villagers or kaponya’s promised Deputy minister positions.They are awed by the airconditioning in parliament and synthetic leather seats that they they don’t even listen to what is being said.All they do is await instructions from above on how to vote.
The so called democracy in Zambia is still far from being effective as a way of holding leaders to account. The country has no proper parties. All the useless organisations masquerading as political parties are nothing but private enterprises owned by their leaders. This means that people cannot rally behind any credible opposition. Look at the choice facing the country: HH and Mumba. Not exactly inspiring! To make things worse, most MPs are unprincipled and practise politics of the belly. If the opposition MPs had any principles, none of them would have crossed the floor in this dishonourable house. Zambia is trapped in a vicious circle of mediocre government and a mediocre opposition waiting in the wings.
I don’t think it’s about being docile really. As a Zambian anyway. You foreigners must get lost at some point, if you know what I mean
e mukwayi. lelo niba chirwa nga mailo
Hmm ! Now this is not too good.Anyway give the guy some peace.
Chirwa..used and dumped..kekekekekekeke..PF for you sir..
He used to have presidential ambitions and didn’t see the scheme to end his ambitions by the cobra. we told him.
Clive and whoever hired him are daft
I thought something exactly like this would happen to any professional who dared accept a job with the govt. Humiliation.
What a load of crap.The board was found to have been in the wrong even by the ACC so why punish the CEO? It goes to show that this government can not work with intellectuals.If the Railway project fails it means Sata has failed.Zambians had hope in Prof Chirwa’s plans now we will have the usual allowance grabbing Cadres building our railway,doubt it will work!
I totally agree with your sentiments!!!
I totally agree with your sentiments!!!!
“…board found wrong even by the ACC” is an empty assertion.
@Mulenga
Don’t take as “gospel” what you read in the print media. A week or so ago LT published an article suggesting that Chirwa was found innocent of all allegations but would be retired and paid full benefits. It went on to suggest that however the board was found wanting. You lot believed all that to be true without verification from other sources etc. No one in Govt has confirmed that Chirwa was innocent and the PF Vuvuzela carried a couple of stories suggesting that he (Chirwa) was potentially going to face arrest after the ACC found evidence that he sought gratification from UK based companies.
Some of us have shorted out loud from the onset that Chirwa was a Conman who had no other intention but to milk Zambia as much as he would be allowed to get away with. We are…
Ulekwata umucinshi mwaice.
This professor has himself to blame for all the embarrassment he is going through. At his level of education he failed to add 1 and 1 together and was easily duped into accepting a dubious offer from an inconsistent government. He even went further to renounce his British citizenship, what a professor? They are now giving him all sorts of descriptions and his reputation is now dented beyond ‘repair’.
If you looked at his “early” retirement package I don’t think you would call it an embarrassment on his part and reapplying for one’s British citizenship is as simple as buying chips in McDonald’s.
There is no evidence suggesting that he renounced his British citizenship. This is just something that he drip fed the media so that they stop chasing his ass.
@Ngoshe even if he did it, he can simply reapply for it…its no big deal at all. The Home Office is aware that some countries do not accept dual citizenship and does allow its citizens to renounce and reapply their citizenships.
“Prof. Chirwa did not recognize the authority of the board in that he disobeyed most of the instructions given to him.” – that we know!!
“The Minister added that the board served him with several warning letters and reminded him of his duties under the contract” – So, why didn’t fire him instead of giving him a golden hand shake – docile pipo lol
If that is true he should have been fired not given a golden handshake indeed.
Chirwa was too overbearing! Today he wants to be president of Zambia,tomorrow Ati I want to build underground rail,awe sure unga seke mwebantu,and his followers are following blindly.
Chirwa has always had big developmental plans. Rail development is the least of them. These are things he hoped to focus on if he were elected president.
Also, I don’t think Chirwa has a following. Like minds perhaps, but not followers.
The statement given in parliament is irritating to say the least! is this not the same Minister who said Prof was cleared of all charges and that the board was in the wrong? If indeed he was guilty of misconduct (granted he may have been innocent of corruption hence he was cleared by the ACC) then should he not have face internal disciplinary procedures which should have led to his dismissal or some other censurer…but surely not retirement with full benefits. That is saying job well done and here is your entitlement!! It is either he is innocent but due to the acrimony caused with the board and all the media attention he is retired and given his dues or he is guilt of misconduct or corruption and on that basis forced to retire without his full entitlement. NOT this BS!!
The Minister never said Chirwa was cleared nor that the Board was in the wrong. That was nonsense from some unnamed ‘source’. We warned you to wait for the official statement but as usual you didn’t listen and went on glorifying your Chirwa. Sorry mate. You believed your own propaganda! You had made up your minds despite what Board V. Chairman Oliver Saasa was telling you. Next time learn to listen to both sides and never let your emotions control you!
Goncalves,
Do you sincerely believe the manner in which this issue was handles was professional? Could it have been handled differently knowing what everyone involved knows now?
Surely how was Chriwa going to raise the issue, when the top brass in the transport Dept. were eyeing for his job as evident by the appointment of the PS of that Dept.
The level of corruption in Zambia is surely disgusting. Pro. Chirwa refused to chew with the board who wanted allowances for no work and is that what the minister is implying when he say he didn’t listen to the boards instructions? People, lets not be blinded by this illiterate minister who also is just concerned about allowances than working for the people who voted him in for his Job.
Its very ridiculous how ZR and all its infrastructure have been turned into public toilets and in some stations brothels and someone who saw everything wrong with the face of Zambia Rails and with a plan to do something about it, loses his job for a board of *****s moaning about allowances not the job at hand. SHAME ON YOU BA MINISTRY, MWANYA NA IMWE MUKACHULU, Ubuteko te career…..
Your hero Chirwa was a fraud. Yamfwa Mukanga is not illiterate. He is an engineer. Just swallow your pride . Your Chirwa was not what he claimed to be. I told you that he was a charlatan who was just boosting of things he never did. I feel for you!
Clive Chirwa is having the last laugh here. The chap only worked for a few months yet he’ll get full benefits and will be laughing all the way to the bank LOL.
On a different note, it appears the Zambian Watchdog has been hacked LMAO. Those chaps are compromised so good riddance. Rajan Mahtani pays them not to write any negative stories about him and to censor any blogger who brings it up so screw them.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE ZAMBIAN WATCHDOG TODAY?
I CAN’T ACCESS THEIR SITE
HOW MUCH MONEY WILL CHIRWA GET FOR THIS DEBACLE?
So he is fired there is no surprise there,………..so what are they going to do about the money, I have a suggestion can they use it to start the Kitwe – Chingola ‘DUAL’ carriage way pleasssssse
I want a gig where i can work for a short period of time and get a pension. I’m packing up my katundu and going to Zambia where money falls out of the ying yang.
The case has been forwarded to DPP and the man is paid full retirement package.
MINI-stars/skits
We are not your dependants at your home or children?????
Chirwa is in real trouble. I don’t see him leaving the country ..from Hero to Zero. We told you not to works with illiterates because they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. And you thought you were clever ..anyway all the best ba tata ba chirwa
Prof Chirwa has been used and dumped by a cabal of illiterate buffoons.How do you succeed as a country with such people against a backdrop our past that is littered with failed govt enterprises.It seems their personal vindictiveness is more important than our country’s goals.
Lesson learned, mwebaufwa ukusambila mu diaspora stay where you are, don’t get a job back home and think that you gat it’ u ain’t gat it. Zambia is just something indescribable. Chirwa has a testimony to give in his entire life now.
What a load of crap this minister is unleashing on the people.. we are actually the aggrieved for goodness’sake because the hiring process was not done in a transparent manner and the bureaucracy involved in the whole saga is sickening.. this is tax payers’ cash you are mismanaging!!!!!!. The whole complaint procedure is vague and we cannot be duped that one Prof. Chirwa was stepping off the mark by doing his things.. i we Yamfwa, you have failed us and we the zambian people feel betrayed and cheated because tax payers’ cash has yet gone into waste.. there is need for a revolution in this country…!!!!!! Zambians are now well learned and exposed to current stream of technology so you can get a native zambian to run that company and hiring someone with hidden agendas!!!!!!
óops, sorry people.. I meant to state “that zambians are now well learned and exposed to current stream of technology so you can get a native zambian to run that company than hiring someone with hidden agendas!!!!”. I have been wondering why the powers of the president have not be revisited. I mean why should the president be phoning people to come and do jobs from diaspora??? surely, there should be a system in place to allow for competion and an independent panel can select the best candidate for the job. If they cant find someone then then they can consider getting someone from outside.. so stop mucking around and do the job properly.. that sector needs to be revived for the roads to be spared.. zambia kanshi ninshi bane?????
From a Professor turned to a criminal and most wanted. The very moment he tried his ambition as a President and only thing to bring him down was to offer him a job and arrest him. These charges will drag until 2016
EXPERIENCE APPEARS TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE BEST PEOPLE FOR ANY JOB IN ZAMBIA ARE EXPATRIATES OR FOREIGNERS. ZAMBIANS IN DIASPORA ARE CLOSE TO THE LEVEL OF EXPATS BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING AS EXPATS IN DIASPORA ANYWAY. NOT SAYING ZAMBIANS AT HOME ARE NOT CAPABLE BUT FOR THEM SELF ENRICHMENT TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER ANYTHING ELSE. SHOW US ANY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS ENTITY RUN BY ZAMBIANS AT HOME.ONLY COMPANIES RUN BY FOREIGNERS SUCCEED, WHY?
There are now so many competent Zambians locally that companies are no longer looking to hire from the diaspora. International organisations are in fact targeting locally based zambians to take up senior jobs. Those in the diaspora no longer hold any advantage over zambians working locally in Zambia in terms of exposure, investments, education and opportunities. Zambians in the diaspora better make a solid plan to return home and reintegrate into the system or find themselves on the sidelines of one of Africa’s fastest growing economies.
The reason given by the minister is very weak and immaterial. The minister should give better reason(s). The minister has been very inconsistence in presentation of the information to the public through the media. As a minister why did he not warn Clive from going to the press? The minister as a leader has failed miserably to have solved, and brought harmony between the board and CEO. The minister had a duty to bring the two together. If Clive did not comply with the terms of contract why is he being paid full benefits? Now that Clive is no longer CEO HQ is transferred to Lusaka. DR. Atanga is one of the board members who objected to move the HQ to Lusaka, but now he is comfortable with that. Corruption is at work. Therefore, Clive deserve to be paid in full, coz he is not corrupt.
it is very unfortunate for our country’s development.
PHD @ work for sure but the learned professor gave them enough ammunition to bring him down. It is hard enough to survive such with clean hands, in this case, the water has been mudied enough and so the prof’s reputation is bruised some. Even with all his accomplishments in his field, it is clear that the prof could use a bit of humility schooling.
Is there any logic in dissolving the board and retain one of the member as CEO. Atanga was ps and board member of the dissolved board and so he’s an interested party.His position has already been filled at ps and we had expected the board to have been appointed now which would have in turn advertised for the CEO position. However the question which we need answers from the minister is : Why is the director finance regina mwale still on suspension if the minister is done with Prof clive chirwa?
Zambia needs to be colonised again
Hear hear!!
chirwa retired because of his misconduct, why does zccm-ih executive chairman Wila MungOmba stay in place ???
Chirwa retired because of his misconduct, so why does ZCCM-IH executive Chairman Wila MungOmba stay in place ???
Lessons for the future:
1. Always good practice to advertise the jobs and specify what you are looking for. Prof wasn’t the only candidate who could do this job.
2. Never ever let the employee act as employer and employee at the same time. Prof was allowed too much leeway. He set his own terms, prepared his own job description, his own vision for the company and asked plot one to sign on the dotted lines. Now we are paying the price.
3. The commander-in-chief should have no business in recruitment of professional staff, he should stick to politics as much as possible.
National AIDS Council Director General about to be fired Too!!!
Its sad that the country will not benefit from chirwa’s knowledge. We should have tried to manage his lack of inter personal skills. Being an academic, he has mostly dealt with young people as his students. Ferguson tolerated a bit of indiscipline from Rooney because he is a great player. Chirwa should have been given a chance.
Yamfwa Mukanga’s handi-picked friend at ZamPost (Postmaster General McPherson Chanda) has consistently defied/snubbed the ZamPost Board and even boasts that he has cast-iron political connections and no one could touch him. Anyway, PF is all about BUFI, and it matters less how they contradict themselves!
the board must discipline him period. That’s what corporate governance entails
Same with Clement at National AIDS Council..he equally Snubs the Board