ministers and officials enjoying dinner at Ocean Basket in Livingstone
More money in Politicians pockets
As I read about the new salaries awarded to senior government officials, parliamentarians, and the President, I was taken aback. Then I remembered an incident in the bible when Jesus cleansed the temple with the words—“My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:12). The parliament is meant to serve the people’s interests, but under PF, it has become “a den of robbers,” waiting to raid our coffers.
Among the Bembas, it is said, “imfula pakuya epo yona ifisabo,” (when the rain is about to end, it spoils the harvest) and rightly so. Is it that the PF government knows that its days are numbered, and the best it can do is to steal as much as possible? It is not long ago that we heard about the excessive salaries awarded to the Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General, among many others; it is not long ago that we heard about the increase of Sata’s salary, and this is the third time in less than three years. Well, I shouldn’t complain – it is perfectly legal!
The PF campaigned on the premise of more money in “our pockets”— alas it’s now “more money” in politicians’ pockets. It is shameful that we can’t pay pensioners and farmers; we can’t create new jobs; we can’t even provide medical care to all Zambians, yet our politicians are busy enriching themselves! I still find it hard to understand that President Sata, the once admired “King Cobra,” is now biting his own people—sending most of us to early death, while enriching himself and his cronies. Let the truth be told—the PF government is manned by egocentric and selfish individuals without an iota of decency.
I am bitter and rightly so. I myself have been there before. I know what it is to go to bed hungry and to walk 72 kilometers on foot to get to school. I lost a nephew, Joe, simply because my mother couldn’t afford malaria drugs! Since then, I have watched so many mothers carry their adult sons and daughters on their backs to UTH.
I have seen families carrying their dead relatives on bikes and ifibara. I have counted so many intelligent kids who are denied a chance to live. Amidst all these depressing realities, President Sata and parliamentarians are proud to rob us—after all, it is perfectly legal.
PF government behaving like “ifiipu” (bedbugs)
It is appalling for President Sata to insult our intelligence by claiming that his salary increment was done by parliament—therefore it is right. In case President Sata doesn’t know, he has the power to veto any bill that contradicts his values—including salary increments. That aside, why should the president’s salary be adjusted the third time when we pay all his expenses? Since coming to power, the PF government has behaved like “ifiipu” (bedbugs), wild dogs, and vultures, waiting to suck every drop of blood from the poor. I know that some of you will call me names—but Sata’s government has become too insensitive to the plight of the poor, making our kaponyas look like angels!
It is time to reform the “Entitlement’s Acts” passed by corrupt and self-seeking parliamentarians. For example, the President is entitled to “a salary and allowances at such rate as the Minister responsible for finance may prescribe.” Our former presidents are entitled to “a tax free monthly pension at the rate of eighty percent of the incumbent President’s salary, a furnished executive house built or bought in Zambia by the State, three drivers, three motor vehicles with free maintenance and entitlement to fuel.
Mps earn more per sitting than majority Zambians earn per year
Just as presidents rob us, so do parliamentarians. The Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices Emoluments Regulation of 2009, Statutory Instrument No. 62, of 2009, states that both elected and nominated Members of Parliaments are entitled to the following: “(a) a prescribed salary, (b) a special allowance, (c) utility allowance and (d) a constituency allowance in addition to other allowances such as sitting allowance, transport allowance and board and lodging, if they were not accommodated at the National Assembly Motel. For example, MPs who sat on the National Constitution Commission received sitting allowances of between $15,000 and $23,000. But they also got midterm and end-of-term gratuities worth over $220,000. In case the president doesn’t know, the majority of Zambians lives on less than 1 dollar a day and few are lucky to get $100 per month, which is less than what our MPs make per sitting.
I realize that these figures may be nothing to some Zambians, especially those who live in the diaspora, but not to me and the majority of Zambians. Why should parliamentarians get paid to sit in parliament—the very work we elected them to do; why should the government build houses for former presidents, whose food, housing, transport, and other needs are met by taxpayers for life? President Kaunda’s house alone cost us over $2 million and millions more are wasted on Sata’s house—the money I believe could save many lives at UTH. Is it that our presidents and politicians are too heartless to feel the plight of commoners? Until public officials learn to feel our pain; until they learn to mourn our dead; until they realize that every Zambian is sacred before God; and that the poor people’s welfare is vital to good governance, they will continue to employ “legal” means to defraud us.
We, the Zambian people, have a moral obligation to stop this robbery once and for all—if we unite. It is deplorable that King Cobra has become the champion of robbers, hiding behind the parliament of plunderers. So to think that something good can come from the PF government is like looking for a good piece of meat in the decomposing carcass. Let us call these guys for who they are—bapompwe, bakabwalala, bakaitemwe and plunderers! How I wish Jesus could enter our parliament today and cleanse it once and for all. I pray that 2016 will be that year!
By Rev. Canon Dr. Kapya John Kaoma
People voted, or didn’t they?
why do we complain about politicians’ behavior when we are in the majority? isn’t democracy about numbers? why can we use our numbers to change for the better?
The onus is on us Zambians to change the political and developmental discourse instead of leaving everything up to the politicians who care less about our warfare.
They will always give us worse than crumbles from their dinner tables if we are even lucky.
If we mobilise and make meaningful and collective demands, the politicians will have no choice but yield to our demands, there is power in numbers
Writing articles like above can serve to inspire such mass movements, transforming despair into hope
Its time Zambians got out of the slumber and took charge of their destiny
They did. Including opposition PMs. Is this Rev knowledgeable?
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Good points but too much emotion attached to the article leaves much to be desired.
The excuse of poverty is in the culture of laziness and poor work ethics.
The bitter Reverend is back !!! What is K50 million increment anyway ? He actually deserves more.The money he gets per annum is actually less than what a lady who cleans the floors in my university gets.Get over it ba Kapya.After all the bible in John 12:8 says that “there will always be poor people on earth” so stop using the poor as an excuse.The man deserve his pay just like the nurses who received their increment.
@Saulosi, do not compare the economy of a developing country and that of a developed country. I dont think even the poorest where you are lives on a dollar a day even those on social security hand outs. Those increments are uncalled for and unfair, period!
Time will come when u will found yourself in the same situation,if the world ‘s #1 economy gets $400000,per annum,what about Zambia.i lived a luxury life at one time but time came when things turned upside down,since then I know what suffering means.pray that u shall not pass it in your life time but it will definitely happen to your family.
you’re ignorant and moronic!
@ Saulosi ….you’re ignorant and moronic!
Saulosi, my dear boy, the problem here is you speak from an academic pedestal and are not on the ground like the dear reverend and some of us. You have not seen first hand a grandmother taking care of 11 grandchildren because their parents died and she is struggling to do her darnest to educate at least half of this brood at a cost of only eating maybe three times a week. Am not speaking from watching documentaries. These people pass through our homes asking for whatever work you can give them at whatever price. So you will understand that self-righteous text book comments like yours kinda rub some of us who see the non-ending suffering of children on a daily basis, the wrong way. Sata is incompetent. I know you know that and I feel you just enjoy debating.
Spot on Saulosi!!! Tell them.
@Saulosi I swear!!! you are one heartless chap
I like this Saulosi guy.
Well said Saulosi. You have spoken my mind.
Saulosi is not for the Zambians majority poor. He is an elitist uncaring person who supports people who deprive others of a livelihood. Mr Saulosi, these increments are not reflective of the Zambian situation.
I really get angered by people who support schemes which diverts tax payers away from projects which help the majority of the population – education, health, gabbage collection, job creation, paying police more etc. I am disgusted.
The Reverand is absolutely right. The issue is that most of our parliamentarians and politicians view the position of MP as a money making venture and not one to serve. They are so obsessed with accumulating money at the expense of developing and uplifting the people they serve. The salaries they award themselves are way above what most professionals get in Zambia. The sad thing is that the politicians dont see anything wrong with this nor their demands. Having said that, I feel the problem is the attitude of most Zambians. We have accepted this as normal and wont seek to redress the situation by uniting and voicing our collective disapproval. So long as we keep quiet, the politicians will continue to take advantage of us. I have never understood this gratuity payment and many payments.
Advise the Rev that if you live in glass house do not throw stones
Is this the same Nine Chale, we used to know 3 years ago or someone else is using his name. The Nine Chale of those days could argue very intelligently. I don`t know what happened to the once objective blogger of the year, or was it a donchi kubebea?
Stupid Rev JK Kaoma. You are just a bitter man. We shall soon exposed for your sleeping around.
The Kingcobra hs bin the biggest plunderer of all time. Since 1964 no president hs eva increased his salary 3 times in 2yrs, building hs house &u tend to wonder wat he stands for.
Anyway they say empty buckets make too much noise. I blieve we wil grab hs
What a well written Article! need I say more? I am grateful this wonderful Country now allows us people to voice their opinions freely Vs you know under whose rule one would be persecuted….Your observations and thoughts of people’s challenges is commendable. I wish more would think like you, use their freedom of speech and commend leadership when they have people’s interest at heart and make them accountable when they do not! Thank you for sharing.
I agree with you…these politicians after got elected it was like “DREAM COME TRUE” to enrich themselves .Its a shame that they don’t care about the poor zambians who voted for them with hope of a better change…This economic situation in which zambia is in right now, any SALARY INCREMENT is unecessary and selfish..they already getting ENORMOUS salaries.The sad part is zambians are always entertained by Sata with his tricky jokes so they don’t see what he is doing wrong..PF has failed to govern according to its promises,these people are crooks!
KICK THEM OUT IN 2016!
@Saulosi
Sata deserves Kabwata prison, the constituency he first stood from but now gets many times more in cash and kind than the whole of voters of Kabwata.
MPs are let down. none of them shall be paid more than the lowest paid worker/farmer in her constituency.
Ba Reverend give to ceasar what belongs! That was Jesus words. My advice to you is to concentrate on more tangible things like feeding the poor & clothing them, not soliciting money from other peoples salaries! What about your offering, does anyone ask how you spend it? Why put this wonderful online blogger “LT” under ban exposure? Please air your views in your church & not here! We still want to see more articles from Lusaka Times. Do not put them under risk closure like ZWD due to rubbish posts! So i urge you to write an open letter to the President if you are so bitter about his salary hike. When civil servants salaries where increased, none spoke. When its vice versa men of GOLD arise! Oh nation of wickedness & full of fake clergymen! You are surely buying your place into hell!
You do realize that Caesar was a dictator whose actions led to the demise of the Roman Republic, right?
….and who was assassinated 44 years before the birth of Christ?
No to your opinion reverend
u re very wrong in your observation
If the majority live on less than a dollar a day, there will be far less than a dollar a day in the offering basket. Simple as that.
Anyone who thinks politicians care for the people in Zambia is clearly mistaken. Politicians are there only for one thing: to get themselves into power at all costs and make themselves rich at the expense of the people. Even if HH came into power today I wonder if the status quo would change. Same people from UNIP jumped ship to MMD and now to P/F. Our politics in Africa are seriously messed up!
Reverend God bless you! Continue speaking for the voiceless, the speak, the poor! It is amazing any blogger here can defend this foolishness! I guess they r PF bloggers! Ati Ba Saulosi. You have eyes you can’t see ears but u can’t hear! What shame!
MP – Money Pack , money pocket no wonder they are Missing Persons till next election though Vera called them erections. Whatever you do Sata wikutile limo.
indeed..the pf days are numbered..and soon they will be long gone..we shall kick them out..!
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor, will be ignored in their own time of need .proverbs 21:13
Rev.Canon. Dr. K, I hope you and your fellow Clergy will be wise next time you stand on your pulpits and advise people to vote. It is no secret that the majority of you, especially the catholic church supported Sata 100%. you told us he is the man of and for the people . some of us had reservation about this man and his clan but alas we were dismissed as anti-progressive and anti poor. we have now been vindicated. The church is hugely responsible for this government and what is happening to the Zambian people especially the poor. You must apologise to the Zambian people and confess your greediness to God.
when the poor man becomes stock to be traded.
Rev. you are just bitter, what about the accusation of sleeping around as man of GOD? LEAVE SATA ALONE
He thinks we don’t know that.
Guys don’t respond to thugs that support rubbish based on being dull look at the name it uses here you can tell that this guy is just a cunt have chats with people that objective don’t give these kaponyas the time he’s dull poor and properly sleeps with his mother and father
We’ll said reverend ignore the kaponya tribe it is tribe you know a trible of scates and *****s
lwee Rev. what about going for deliverance?U re full of exagerations nd falsehood.This is the more reason i decided not to continue debating with u.Even reasoning with u is worsting time.This is on account of dat demon in u. fire without heat !
Zambian governments lack developmental ideas, it’s as simple as that!
Kaoma,u can’t hip o the blame on Sata and his pf for the poverty Zed has been experiencing. Actually he’s putting in place wat will eventually eliminate it.Come back home nd stop being a bedbag where u are.Stop thinking u re de best now dat u dere.
Yes this f.ucking Rev. Canon Dr. Kapya John Kaoma is a bitter creature
Ka reverend ka boza ! Walepa kumwenu iwe ka womanizer ka Kaoma.
Bloggerz plz tell me who this Rev is and where his church is. Just seeing people dinning he begins to dream.
I hope he is not taking Dr Mumba’ road map.
Now it looks like bitter is the only development Pf have brought to Zambia. HH was the first one to be labelled bitter & now any Zambian who speak against the injustices of pf is bitter then AM ALSO BITTER. Pf will go down as the worst government ever in Zambia.
The truth pains. It is true that Presidents, Ministers and Parliamentarians (or, whatever the other names they have) in Zed are bloodsuckers. Just compare the ‘>$1 a day’ and feast over there!!! (I do not want to mention their pay, privileges, and comfort because the disparity is indescribable). Yet, all they do is waffle, and a lot of it nonsense, all day long. This is unsustainable. It is hogwash!
The people who voted for the pathetic fools will surely vote them out. God is great and alive to the fact that people erred. How can someone who says he will rule by the ten commandments break every one of the ten commandments? Watch this space. You can not cheat God and get away with it. For every suffering Zambian, surely some one will pay, and pay dearly!
Please can someone interpret for me the Reverand’s Tongues? I am lost!
If the opposition MPs have done the same, why heep blame on PF?
We have said it before that what Zambia lacks are Robust Systems and credible Institutions to which a sitting government should be answerable! We’ll be wasting our time to think the opposition will usher us into Canaan while fundamentals are not addressed!
Give the reverend props at least he is not self centered and egomaniac like the fools we have in government he thinks of the poor. I feel his pain , it’s stupidity for fools like Saulosi supporting the man who claimed he will put money in people’s’ pockets, eliminate poverty in the meanwhile doing the opposite , someone needs to pump some sense into him if not for the same poor people he wouldn’t be a president. Greed is not good and if not tamed will lead to his demise
STop the noise.
EVERYBODY in GRZ got the increments. Why not the president?