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President’s public humiliation of government official dismays UPND

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President Sata reads Times of Zambia in the Cabinet meeting
President Sata reads Times of Zambia in the Cabinet meeting

The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) says it is dismayed by President Michael Sata’s continued public humiliation of government official.

This follows President Sata’s humiliating of Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Berlin Msiska on Monday yesterday during a Cabinet meeting at State House.

UPND vice president for administration Richard Kapita says much as it is important to reprimand erring government officials, the Head of State should also keep it in mind that government officials that he has continued embarrass publicly have families and junior officers working under them.

Mr. Kapita says such reproach of officials in government should not be done in public as it has the potential to affect the performance of the officials as well as under mine their dignity in the institutions they operate from.

Speaking in an interview with Qfm, Mr. Kapita has advised President Sata to come out strongly to his cabinet Ministers that are causing divisions in the government instead of castigating junior officers in government.

Mr. Kapita says the castigation of Dr. Msiska should have been slapped on Finance Minister himself because there is no way the issuance of the ZRA SI 89 would have been approved without being discussed in Cabinet.

Meanwhile Mr. Kapita has questioned President Sata’s reprimanding of former Information Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba for the issuance of national coverage licenses to two commercial radio stations.

[pullquote]“Anyway the two of you get out of this meeting, go and prepare the revocation for this SI, tell that director that I want the SI revoked, you people you are misleading my own ministers,” Mr Sata said.[/pullquote]

Mr. Kapita is of the view that there is now way the issuing of the licenses to broadcast country wide to radio Qfm and radio Phoenix would have been done without being discussed in Cabinet.

President Sata on Monday ordered for the revocation of SI number 89 of 2013 which suspended export duty on unprocessed copper and other minerals.

Mr Sata said there were irregularities in the manner the SI was issued and reprimanded Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Berlin Msiska for misleading Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda into signing the law.

“You must be more reasonable than me, you export soil to South Africa and it will not come back but you go ahead to advise that the SI be signed and no exercise duty involved, why should I keep you Mr ZRA Commissioner?”

“Is there any logic for you to advise my minister to export soil, they go and dig the whole tipper truck and export to South Africa and you have the so called Commissioner of Customs and ZRA Commissioner? You two do not value what the fore fathers did for the mines with this behavior you would not have been there with all those strikes,” he said.

[pullquote]“And that is my Vice president, how do you give your speech to your junior to read on your behalf glorifying the importation of second hand vehicles, is it because they are your friends and you want to promote their business,” he asked.[/pullquote]

“Anyway the two of you get out of this meeting, go and prepare the revocation for this SI, tell that director that I want the SI revoked, you people you are misleading my own ministers,” Mr Sata said.

Vice president Guy Scott was also among those who was rebuked for ‘glorifying ‘the importation of used motor vehicles in the country saying this was contrary to the policy by the Patriotic Front (PF) government.

“And that is my Vice president, how do you give your speech to your junior to read on your behalf glorifying the importation of second hand vehicles, is it because they are your friends and you want to promote their business,” he asked.

And Dr Scott in his response apologized to the President saying he was unwell and could not manage to officiate at the function held last week on Friday where a Japanese company dealing in motor vehicles BE-Forward JP launched its Zambian office.

He told Mr Sata that he had not yet read the whole article but saw the headline. “I apologise your Excellency, I was unwell that is why I had to send my deputy to represent me, I am very sorry Mr President,” Dr Scott said.

But the President asked Dr Scott whether the ‘Government policy’ was also unwell at a time he decided to send his deputy to officiate at the said function.

Dr Scott again apologized for his action.

editor
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

82 COMMENTS

  1. It is very embarrasing working for this man. How do you go home , sit around your dinner table with your wife and children who can read and understand issues and feel like the head of a house after that public dress down.

    Respect is a two way street.

    Your pupils respect you as a teacher and you respect them as your pupils

    Your students respect your as a lecturer and you respect them as students

    Your workers respect you a boss and your respect them as your works

    Your minsters respect you as the president and your should repectthem as your ministers.

    Dressiing them in public is a no no..that is why we have closed door meetings so that such things don’t leak to our family and children

    • This is a man who has failed to manage the country and today he wants to behave like he is all knowing. Mr Sata the clock keeps ticking, 2016 I will take one year leave to campaign you out.

    • The trouble with our society is that we bury our heads in the sand. What is wrong with pointing out to some when one does something wrong? Why shoudnt one’s wife and children know? Every human being is capable of making mistakes and there is nothing wrong with ones family knowing or reading. We need to move away from the culture of massaging egos and learn to accept criticism. ZRA chief is a very intelligent man, will take that on his chin and learn from it. Ba Kapita, providing checks does not mean getting involved into internal issues. This shows the difference between you and Chipimo. Chipomo’s article was spot on. One needs to consult. Simple logic of escalation if one is not sure. Please Ba Kapita, try being constructive and truthful. Why pretend all is well?

    • … Next time someone will hit back ati “..tiyoko naiwe, bushe calo cobe weka Sata”? And what will Sata do about it, slaughter the minister?

    • Those of us who know Sata know what he can do and say.

      He has always been the type that says it there and then and it ends there. And you will never hear it again. He never keeps anything against anyone. Ask Nsanda.

      There have been time when you people have asked the question what is Sata doing about it? But for him you cant because he says it in public.

      Gossipers will surely hate the man.

    • I think generally Zambians need to be subjected to the way Sata is rebuking his officials to inculcate into them that sense of seriousness to duty.

      Zambians are generally lazy with very few hardworking ones, but they want to live in luxury by making easy money.

      families or no juniors, they first embarrassed govt by misleading it.

      Let Sata do the work the way most Zambians would if supervised by white people because they fear them (not respect)

    • I see what is going on here. Sata reads a lot of newspapers at state house. That is how he keeps up with how his ministers are performing. What a shallow head to think that newspapers can be a reference guide on how things are going in the country when you are a head of state. This is why he is always asking his ministers to respond to HH. I hope he is also reading the blogs on this publication. Bushe is there internet ku state house??

    • ba mmd chief fimofimo,
      was that a public meeting or a cabinet meeting?
      in any case, in which fora is the president supposed to address such issues?
      is it in a cabinet meeting or public meeting?
      maybe the president used harsh words to those involved but i think that was the right fora to air his disappointment(s).
      afterall we all know that these contents were just leaked to the media by a ‘source’.

    • @one Tonga

      You surprise me. Mr Kapita’s statement is simple and straight forward. Observe protocol and show respect.

      Why are you getting your knickers in a twist about this?

    • “And that is my Vice president, how do you give your speech to your junior to read on your behalf glorifying the importation of second hand vehicles, is it because they are your friends and you want to promote their business,” he asked.
      Doesn’t this statement confirm the corruption they have been denying, confirmed by Scott himself?

  3. The President wants to show that he is a man of action. But please treat yours officials with some dignity

    • @one Tonga

      What is this mantra you keep repeating . Who is pretending all is well? And what is not well? Where is it not well?

      Stop alluding to things unless you’re ready to explain what you mean.

  5. Can we have a video please so that we here this Sata’s speech. Exactly what he did to nurses in Chipata and also to us in Mpika when found my team teaching farmers.
    He walk in and Iwe mwiche this is good and not your Mwanasa. You why are sited like that that? Are you for MMD

  6. We tried to warn you against electing an uncultured man but you failed to listen.You can take a monkey out of a forest but you can’t forest instincts out of that monkey.

  7. Utterly Uncivilized and Unbecoming behaviour from a Head of State. His fellow hoodlums think it is okay as that is what their “Man of Action” is expected to behaviour. Honestly the man is an embarrassment. Very unpresidential!

  8. IT’S A BIG MISPLACEMENT FOR ZAMBIA TO HAVE MICHAEL SATA AS PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC. THIS GUY HAS TAINTED OUR IMAGE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.

  9. let him instill fear in all of them that’s when they will behave..which respect?if you want respect don’t join politics!NO ONE RESPECTS A POLITICIAN.YOU THE BLOGGERS DON’T RESPECT SATA!LET THEM RESIGN IF THEY ARE HUMILIATED!!!EVEN THE WIVES AND FAMILIES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT DON’T EVEN CARE AS LONG AS THEY ARE EATING.NO WIFE OF ANY OF THOSE PUBLIC OFFICIALS WILL SAY “HONEY THE PRESIDENT EMBARRASSED US , I THINK YOU SHOULD RESIGN!”NONE!!!!

    • They would have done you a favour had they not published your comment. Imbecile! And so angry, why?

  11. I can not image how this country is being managed now and if the cabinet meets.
    Where on earth can one issue a statutory instrument and is not being discussed.
    We have king of confusion,who lives in confusion and enjoys confusions.
    People of Lusaka,Cooperbelt and Bembas see the mess you have brought to our country and Mmembe wants second term for this confusion.
    God forbid

  12. It takes a responsible leader to realize that his officials are as human as he is. If the occasion was not meant to demean government officials, the president has a duty to apologize to those verbally abused as the abuse down graded their personal integrity in their official capacities and indeed their families. There is no leader without followers.

  13. And you call this leadership, the 10% tax removal was discussed in the media weeks earlier and the “man of action” gives directives a week later publicly. where was he all this time, this is playing to the gallery and simple minded people are thinking this is what it means to be man of action…rubbish

  14. This is a man who has failed to manage the country and today he wants to behave like he is all knowing. Mr Sata the clock keeps ticking, 2016 I will take one year leave to campaign you out.

  15. What is the un-sick PF policy on second-hand vehicles, if not what the deputy minister said – whatever he said? Is it not to import and import, and import, even for government and council offices, until there is saturation, until there is no more room to drive on our roads? At least that is the feeling you get around the country – that there is a Japanese -car -for -everyone policy in the country right now. How can you reduce a country to driving 99% second hand imports? But before, I go any further, where is the said policy, nobantu?

  17. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

    I FEEL SO OFFENDED WHEN THE PRESIDENT
    SCOLDS HIS MINISTERS, BUT WHEN I CALL
    THE PRESIDENT BRAINLESS OR WHEN I FIRE
    OFFICIAL FROM MY PARTY FOR SERVING
    IN CABINET I EXPECT THEM NOT TO GET
    OFFENDED!

    HH THE NEWS MAKER

    • @Ndabwa, You misunderstand. Zambia exports soil for certain plants or to use in nursery and seed propagation etc. Unfortunately ZRA don’t understand that there can be taxes of such… Anyway I try to put it better than Sata can.

  19. Yea because all these people are Job keepers / A????? Leakier?? Someone needs to lash at him and remind him what leadership is all about. I would humiliate him big time. If he knows it all why not run the country alone. The man Lacks respect. Even Junior / the young needs to be respected. What a Leader????

  20. Aba ama Minister mwebantunse tabomfwa. and please HH we know you want mileage apali ponse. anyway ba presido balifufula apapena mwe. fimo ifintu tabafilandila palwelele.

  21. SATA LACKS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND HE THINKS BY PLAYING TO THE GALLERY PEOPLE WILL THINK HE IS WORKING. FAR FROM IT. THE MAN JUST EXPOSED HIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON HOW THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE OPERATES. ALL THE ISSUES HE RAISED IN THAT MEETING WERE OF NO SUBSTANCE BECAUSE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION. HOW CAN THE ENTIRE PRESIDENT BEGIN SHOUTING DAYS AFTER DECISIONS WERE ALREADY MADE? THAT WAS A SIGN THAT SATA DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THIS COUNTRY. HE IS AN ABSENT PRESIDENT WHO THINKS THE PRESIDENT CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS, EVEN SLEEP THE WHOLE DAY INSTEAD OF WORKING. AS PRESIDENT, YOU CAN’T ALLOW SIs TO PASS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE; IT MEANS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH SATA. ZRA DIRECTORS WERE NOT AT FAULT. IT WAS CHIKWANDA WHO WAS AT FAULT.

  22. All revenue policies are formulated by GRZ and ZRA implements them so it is ironical to lump the blame on ZRA and not the Permsec at Min of Finance. There is a committee which sits to make budgetary changes/policies and ZRA participates in these to provide professional advice. My guess is ZRA must have told them DONT do it!!! But as GRZ officials are corrupt they went ahead to remove export duties…they should be investigated. ZRA officials are just a sacrificial lamb

  23. Oh. And the other thing is the Minister of Finance always discusses the budget with President before it is announced …so did he miss that bit and only realised after Hon Magande has pointed it out – one month later!!

  24. If I were in Msiska’s place I would have hit back and to hell with the job. That’s how you salvage your dignity, by not allowing anybody to humiliate you in public. If the boss is incapable of reprimanding you in private, away from your family, friends, subordinates, peers, he deserves to be treated exactly the same way, right there and then. But it seems only sebana wikute types accept job offers from the president. We all know the kind of leader Mr. Sata is.

  25. Todays Post article on NWP by Rev Mishinge is correct.To be specific,PS Seyuba has made PF very unpopular.The earlier he is fired the better or else he is just a liability to this gvt.

  26. He is not called ‘Sata’ for nothing. “Uku sata” in bemba means “to talk without applying thought to the consequences”, like a person with mental illness who says anything that comes to mind.

  27. Sata did well so that these so called bosses can be working instead of just drinking tea in thier offices whilst giving wrong directives to their surbodinates and insulting them day in and out, these bosses are so bad that you cant imagine it, sorry mr msiska you are just unlucky it came on you but a lesson to bad bosses

  30. Some Government senior officials are too lazy and so surbone they depend on thier surbodinates to think on thier behalf and make wrong decisions whilst they come with HOs to the office, Mr Msiska is just unlucky hope he is not a bad boss. Well done Mr President! this is a wake up call to all of them next time check the time they report for work

  31. The truth is that The Commissioner General is employed to collect taxes and not to suspend collections. 10% duty on unprocessed or semi processed minerals is not a nuisance tax for him to have accepted its removal. This country cannot afford to continue having people in such positions who are mere rubber stamps. We need people who can intelligently say “NO” to their masters. I challenge Mr. Msiska to step down on moral grounds and pave way for people who can stand their grounds.

  33. Whether Msiska misled Finance Minister or not President’s reaction is overboard, harsh, unfair & out of order. KK regarded as a dictator would have not castigated his head of ZRA in this manner. What happened to the collective responsibility policy?

    Kind of oppressive leadership only works to stifle creativity & stops senior officials and minister’s from thinking outside the box. Already there is an atmosphere of fear for making decision in case Grand Master goes ballistic. It is going to get worse with the Economy set to nose-dive due to over borrowing & depleting of reserves in such short time, soon be no money to pay relatives sent into foreign mission. Leaders finding themselves in situation of Msiska, best resign save integrity, there is more to life than being humiliated like…

  34. I find it hard to believe that SI No 89 of 2013 originated from ZRA. This is a policy matter done by Minister of Finance through budget office. Such instruments are then discussed at Cabinet level before implementation. The role of ZRA is carry out such decisions on behalf of govt. It seems the President is fast asleep and is therefore not aware of decisions passed by his Ministers. If the govt was having cabinet meetings regularly, we would have been spared from watching that comedy two days ago. It pointless for the President to chase rats when the house is on fire. He should have put out the fire first and then go after the rats.

  35. May Sata did a good thing coz people started umubelesha sana. The PF guys became so stupid but now I can see they will soon behave. Well done Sata.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

  36. The points are clear and acceptable,but it’s just the method of dissemination that was crude by the president.He should have said after consultations we have decided to withdraw this si that removed duty on soil export..allangise required.

  37. Is there any logic for you to advise my minister to export soil, they go and dig the whole tipper truck and export to South Africa and you have the so called Commissioner of Customs and ZRA Commissioner? You two do not value what the fore fathers did for the mines with this behavior you would not have been there with all those strikes,” he said.

  38. Vice president Guy Scott was also among those who was rebuked for ‘glorifying ‘the importation of used motor vehicles in the country saying this was contrary to the policy by the Patriotic Front (PF) government.

  39. You can shout, wail, cry, scream, break-wind: the fact remains that THE PRESIDENT WAS CORRECT HERE.

    All these Chief Executives and some ministers have hugely underrated the President’s ability to understand these complex issues and have colluded with multinational companies to defraud Zambia. But they are shocked at how the President has reacted. ALSO, the President is very good at explaining very complex issues in simple language for every Zambian to understand – which is why Zambians across the country love him. We now know what was about to happen and it is very clear that money exchanged hands. Both Chikwanda and Msiska should be fired. What is the point of having a Finance Minister who cannot think for himself and has to wait for the President to explain things to him????

    • Msiska is not paid by ZRA; he is paid by Zambians and should be seen to be instrumental in shaping up the thinking of politicians on matters of revenue collection. All matters relating to revenue collection are designed by ZRA policy section which falls under the Commissioner General. The component of the Minister’s speeches on revenue collection are all done by this section of ZRA.

      KK would have transferred Msiska to Supa Loaf.

    • @mwembeshi
      In his capacity as head of government his action was uncalled for. With the powers that he has as president, he could exercise authority with honor, bearing in mind he is dealing with fellow human beings who deserve respect. Had it been me I would have punched the president in the eye even if he was right, for his unprofessional conduct.

    • “…..President is very good at explaining very complex issues…”

      That’s because he has a very basic and simplistic understanding of issues and relates better with like-minded people. It’s no sin to be simple minded but it’s folly to give the instruments of government to such a person.

      Simple mindedness can actually be sweet and endearing – but not in a president.

  40. In Africa, that is the only way you can get people working and thinking rationally. Be straight to the point. Why massage one’s ego when he has failed in his duties?

  41. I think the blame has been misdirected and the President is playing to the gallery.He has failed to discipline Kabimba,Nsandaand GBM and wants to vent his wrath on policy implementors .They were given policy directive and the effected it. Period!

    He is not inspiring and people are losing confidence in him.What have all these lad holding as leverage against him…Time will tell

  43. ZOZI-A-ZOZI you are wrong. You have only seen and heard about KK you were never there. KK did everything by himself. You would not have been talking the way you are talking now. KK gave no one freedom of speech. It was a norm for KK to avert answering questions during press conferences by using phrases such as ” stupid idot, sit down…” “That is a foolish question next…” Only the late Charles Mando had the courage to ask him tough questions. All the same we enjoyed free education and we had excellent medical facilities; he was never flown to South Africa for treatment; he was treated at UTH. His children went to government schools.

    • What makes you think I was never there during KK’s times? Do you know me? I probably know KK much more than you do. Did you ever witness KK chasing any of his CEO’s or Ministers openly and in front of other Cabinet Ministers? I would rather be called stupid than be told get out in public. For your information I known KK personally before he even became President of Zambia. KK would make his Ministers, PSs’ and CEO aware that there was going to be a press conference at State House, it was at such times that changes were announced the press knew before hand that there would be reshuffles. It wasn’t done haphazardly as it is done now, where in one day you can be transferred through different jobs and dropped within same day.

  44. So much has been said; we are waiting for the president to act on the erring officials. It is surely embarrassing to export sand without verifying what is actually contained in that sand.

  46. The problem with our President is that he doesn’t even know the job of ZRA, they are tax collectors and policy and SI’s are done by MF who have got economists. Chikwanda should have just been brave enough to tell his boss.

    Besides this before a minister takes a budget to parley doesn’t Cabinet approve first?

    This is a clear indication that we have a wrong person for the job

  47. Gentlemen, you go back in history.We have had leaders in europe and the world over who tormented their people for pupose of developent.Their decendants are enjoying the fruits of efforts by percieved tyrants.At some point in history, you need such leaders who are very patriotic for the country to move forward.The name of the party is “Patriotic Front” and this is not in vein.Let us rally behind him to deliver the developent we so desires and not concentrationg of trivial issues such as demeaning government officals.Mind you that was a cabinet meeting and it is the only forum some erring chaps can be rebuked.He is the boss.

  48. can someone please tell me what this sand business is all about?
    these msiska guys are well connected hey , one medical doctor is secretary to cabinet another is commissioner general?
    of course if you work for sata be ready to be insulted in full public view

  49. Imwe the issue here is “upnd ati is dismayed blah blah blah’ .Imagine in a football league of 20 teams a club at number 17 on the log (upnd) saying the are not happy with a Manager of a team who are Champions and are at number 1 on the log,because of the way he talks to his players during half time meeting!

  50. A President Sata stop insulting educated young gentlemen teimwe mwabatwele ku school nor did they play any role in your not being educated. What is Chikwanda doing as Finance Minister if he can be ‘misled so foolishly? Mwefikote ifikopo imwee!! You uncircucised infidels.B

  51. Well i think the President should have called erring officials privately and reprimanded them. That was totally uncalled for

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