MINES, Energy and Water Development Minister, Christopher Yaluma is facing a lawsuit for failing to pay more than K480,000 for accommodation at Lusaka’s luxurious Fallsway Apartments.
It is alleged that Mr Yaluma spent 203 nights without paying for accommodation services. Vali’s Properties Limited a company engaged in accommodation and hospitality services has since asked the Lusaka High Court to order the Minister to pay the total sum of K488, 980.61 owed to it.
The money was for accommodation services offered to Mr Yaluma on various dates between June 2012 and March 2013. The company was also demanding for payments of damages for breach of agreement for payment of bills, interest , costs and any other relief the court may deem fit.
It stated in a statement of claim filed before the principal registry that on about June 4, 2012, Vali’s Properties Limited and Mr Yaluma orally agreed that the minister would occupy one of its three bed-roomed villas known as Fallsway Villas. Meanwhile five retired Zambia Army soldiers have sued Government for unlawful termination of employment.
Andrew Phiri, Mathew Bwalya, William Phiri, Lameck Haambole and Geoffrey Bwalya have sued Attorney General Mumba Malila for wrongful termination of employment in the alternative, damages for breach of contract.
The soldiers stated in their statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court that they were at all material times retired soldiers of the Zambia Army based at Arakan barracks in Lusaka.
They said on various dates between January 2010 and July 2010 they were reengaged in the Zambia Army on contracts for one year period in accordance with the Attorney General instructions which regulated the terms and conditions of service for officers and warrant officers re-engaged on contract.
The five said they diligently performed their obligations under the contracts until sometime in May 2010 when the defendant through the newly appointed Army Commander unilaterally and without any notice or inquiry terminated their contracts.
The termination was based on allegations that the contracts were not supported by any piece of legislation including the Defence Act chapter 106 of the Laws of Zambia.
‘Hey Chris, and who did you think was gonna pick up the tab? Huh?’
Who were the parties to the tenant-land lord Agreement?
dude, the story says they reached an oral agreement, the property company and the minister so methinks those were the parties. Me also thinks Chris thinks he will use his Ministerial muscle to bulldoze his way out of this or better still get us to pay for it with our tuma PAYE and Corp. Tax. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
Simple, he thought the taxpayer would pick up the tab…. and most probably we still will.
@Dudelove, the oral agreement was not for Chris to Pay, but to OCCUPY. And given his status, and also that Sata got this man from his Eskom job in SA, I do not think this oral Agreement was all there was between the contracting parties, whoever they are. And if Vali Propeties’ rentals are concluded by oral agreement, then am going for one such apartment tomorrow!
i have always said Yaluma, Sakeni, Shamenda, and Kabimba, in serious a Government these can’t be minisers!
You forgot Kambwili!
What about GBM,Kambwili,Old Chikwanda,Yamfwa Mukanga?What a government not to forget Scott.You mean Sata cant see that these are not ministerial material?There is even Dancing Forger Masumba.
A pro poor Govt spending that kind of money on rentals so that this n.egr.o can entertain his b..itche.s,Wont be surprised if he is from CB cause kuli ba ngwele maningi from that part of Zambia.
Spoken like a true Lusaka *****
mxxxm
If there are no government houses, why cant these chaps be accommodated in government hostels? Why should tax payers pay for such expensive accommodation for its ministers?? Totally unacceptable !!
Just imagine those other officials you were being accommodated by taxpayers at Fallsway who got away!!
The property owner should have just waited for him to steal some money from the government and he will pay. We all know that he went into those apartments not to pay from his pocket but to find a way to steal and pay. So just give him more time to steal and he will pay. Isnt that what they do!!!!!!!!!!!
Yaluma was minister of Transport when Prof Chirwa was CEO at Zambia Railways. One of the complaints against Chirwa was his high accommodation bill at this same premises. At the time Chirwa rebuffed these allegations stating that alot of other government officials were accommodated there. It now turns out the the then minister of Transport was also housed there and accumulated a bill yet to be cleared. What a shame. Sitting in judgement and yet the man was guilty of the same.
aaaah this man is a minister for goodness sake! that amount is a small figure, he should lead by example and just pay it off cash and move on!!
PF is making itself unpopular
@ Ndobo
that amount is a small figure ?
For your own information, that is K480,000,000 unrebased, almost $90,000.
How is $90K a small figure? Do you have it sitting around in your current account to spend on extra accommodation? Do you even know what it can buy, you are the selfsame people who said $210m was a small figure.
Small figure!! How much do you think ministers are paid a year for him to afford $90K on spare luxurious accommodation not even Obama can afford 7 days in that place.
@jay jay
I mean the minister picks up allowances allover the show for doing nothing,, he recently came back from the UNWTO with his pockets full of corrupt dollars.. that bill remained unserviced because of neglence and st.upidity
Was he using it as a love nest?
Its all coming out now…Chriwa was right when he said gov’t officals were also residing in Fallsways.
Sata wake up and get proper advisers rid of Me’embe’s trojan horses.
And you call yourselves pro poor party…You are now affording poshy lifestyles you cud not live before you came into power….
The way I see things if we are careful as a country due to our huge expenditure rentals for gov’t senior officials because it is not only yaluma even new created districts offices are renting in lodgers ,bye elections Zambia can be others Greece of africa.
you have a valid point but polish up your english
Most likely.As well as a hideout for shady meetings and deals.
Really sad . So a minister is synonymous with a rich fellow??
Mrv Sata please when are you going to show ‘ CONTROL’? Power without control is like a runaway train. Imagine a car without steering — thats Zambia under PF
In a nutshell; the country is on autopilot!
@ Ndobo
that amount is a small figure?
For your own information, that is K480,000,000 (unrebased), almost $90,000.
To spend such huge amounts on accomodation is extreme in Zambia
So all these ministers lodged at Falls Way Lodge? Where is “we are the government for the poor” tag if the government can spend so much money on one minister? Is the PF a government for the poor or it is just mere political talk? When Clive Chirwa went to live at the same lodge, there was so much talk. Now we believe him when he said there were a lot of other ministers and government officials lodging at the same place. If we calculate, how much money has the PF “Pro-poor” government spent just on accomodation for ministers? Imagine what this money can do if channeled to developmental sectors. This government is rotten to the core. No wonder there is so much corruption because all of them are in government to enrich themselves. We the voters are suffering. No vote for them in 2016.
Who are the owners of these apartments?
How special are those apartments? The closest I will ever get is Thabo Mbeki road..
Fallsways are to blame for such a huge amount. Why wait for the man to accumulate such an amount?? They would have suspended his account or not allow him to lodge with them again. Poor Management and dull business tricks. Fallsways management is not serious. NOW to the PF Government. You have also started same nonsense of not paying for services?? The amount spent is a lot for one man’s accommodation. Abuse of power??
HE WILL PAY AND WONT FEEL THE PINCH BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT HOUSE HIM. THIS IS HOW TAX-PAYERS MONEY IS USED FOR. THE DELAYMENT OF PAYMENT WILL BE ON THE GOVERNMENT. KUSEBANYAFYE MINISTER ATI HE HAS NOT PAYED WHEN IT IS THE GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS NOT PAID AT ALL.
THE COURT WILL ADD ON INTEREST AND IT SHALL GO BEYOND ZK500,000 INFACT THE LODGE OWNER WOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL A ANOTHER YEAR ELAPSED, HE/SHE WOULD GOT MORE THAN K1,000,000.
Ninshi takwata inganda mambala uyu
Wht wil be the proof in court that the Minister spent his nyts at tht lodge if agreements were viable in nature
Read the policy on ministers accommodation. he is entitled and cabinet office is aware. govt will settle the bill. I wonder why falls way even had to go to court for this simple matter when we are all wishing govt could be our major debtor.
thats over k2300 per day…wtf???? a fool and his money will soon be parted.i rest my case
thats over k2300 per day…wtf???? a f.o.o.l and his money will soon be parted.i rest my case
Where is consumer protection. How do we come up with such rent in zambia.
the family should help him start an emergency collection fund. When all of them contribute, they could just pay it off for him. That’s what family is for!!