Government has warned public service officers in the habit of leaking classified government documents to the media of stern action.
Chief Government Spokesperson Joseph Katema has told QFM News in a telephone interview that it is criminal for anyone leak classified government documents.
Dr. Katema says public officers ought to know the consequences of leaking classified government documents to the media.
He says it is unfortunate that such documents are made available to the media for the sole purpose of disclosing what is not for public consumption.
Dr Kateman has since implored law enforcement agencies to rise to the occasion and do what is required of them by investigating the sources of leaked confidential documents to the media.
And Government is shocked that the 2015 budget proposals have been leaked to the public before Cabinet approval.
And former Secretary to Cabinet Skechley Sachika has advised the Ministry of Finance to institute investigations into the matter as it fell under the State Secret Act.
Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula said it was unacceptable that State secrets and documents had continued to be stolen and leaked to some unauthorized institutions and that it had become imperative that such acts be thoroughly investigated so that the culprits could be brought to book.
Dr Simbyakula revealed that government had commenced investigations into the leakage, recording and stealing of State secrets in public institutions with the aim prosecuting the perpetrators of the illegal and criminal acts.
He said government was concerned that some media houses were illegally recording private conversations of ministers and publishing the same with the intention to scandalise and blackmail such individuals.
“It is unacceptable that State secrets are being stolen and leaked to unauthorized individuals and institutions. We are equally concerned that some institutions have been illegally recording private conversations of ministers in their private residences and offices and publishing the same without their consent. We are looking into these illegalities,” Dr Simbyakula said.
Earlier, sources at Ministry of Finance confirmed to the Daily Nation that the 2015 budget was submitted to the office of the Secretary to Cabinet and that it was shocking that the document found itself in the public domain when it was still considered a secret document.
For the first time in history the country was experiencing leakages on secret information, stealing of state secrets from public institutions and secret recording of ministers.
The sources said it was the first time that the ministry was seeing the publication of the proposed national budget as the rule had always been that the budget could only be released to the general public after the Minister of Finance presented it to Parliament on behalf of the republican President.
The ministry officials said until the Minister of Finance presented the budget before the house, the document was considered secret and maneuvers to pre-empt it fell short of public confidence.
Mr Sachika wondered how the budget process was being conducted now but maintained that budget formulation remained secret until the minister presented it to Parliament.
He said it was difficult to understand how a secret document found its way in the public domain.
“What we know is that before the minister announces the budget, whatever was in public was speculation and the only worry is when ministry officials feel the budget was leaked.
“If there were leakages from the ministry assuming the minister will impose certain measures then the matter should fall under the State Secrets Act because such information was secret,” he said.
Mr Sachika said such an act should prompt the minister to institute investigations in the matter so that sanity could be restored in public institutions.
Where is the document, well done whoever leaked it, uli *******
@Katema
If you have a government that is shrouded in lies and mistry, people will wiki-leak anything. You are such a lying jerk Mr Minister. Make sure you erase the paper trail…Nuff said
Ine Ba PF nalema nobo,
This is the waste group of leaders Zambians have had.
Leaking a budget, for what? I think Leaking a budget is a first in the world. Another first from the PF.
Folks
Kambwili should be fired and replaced with Miles Sampa. What do you think?
Reason: He is stupid and has no acumen to be a youth leader. The man is undermining and worsening PF ‘s popularity. We judge PF as a party for stupid people because such elements like Kambwili.
The Zambian youth need some one else with a logical plan for the youth.
Miles Sampa can do Kambwili’s job perfectly well.
Please Sata fire Kambwili and give that job to Miles Sampa with the right Acumen and understanding.
definately its only WK. who else?
Why not extend the weep to that Tabloid that published the leaked budget also.
The chap from that Tabloid is the one that’s not only requesting for these documents but also sending mercenaries to record innocent people.
Katema you know that Mmembe has the names of those leaking the secrets and he can tell you if you can squeeze his balls hard.
Don’t beat about the bush when the culprit is your praise singer and fellow dinner Mmembe.
Why don’t you just go in and arrest the bastard under the espionage and protection of privacy acts which I believe are enshrined in the current Zambian constitution, not Sata’s animal constitution.
PF needs to get serious and rid it self of treacherous elements like Mmembe, Nchito, and Kambwili . These characters are some of the reasons why I will fight PF till death. They use intimidation to scare law abiding civil servants so that they can loot massively.
Blame the advances in technology. When we had no soft copies, it was cumbersome to steal documents because the thief would have to photocopy/photograph the documents to steal them. That act required time and intelligence which was a luxury for most thieves hence the high risk of being caught. Now all is in a few clicks of a computer mouse and the copy documents are gone. Improve IT security, that is all.
leaking budget for what??,,, ni exam??
@It’s a Worry,
Iwe Kembo, go back to archives and look for the January, 22, 2013 story about the nneds of ZRL.
You keep rumbling on about this topic.
“Zambia Railways needs about $1 billion to fully recapitalise the company-Chirwa
Time Posted: January 22, 2013 12:49 pm”
When Atanga mentioned $150m, you lost your mind castigating me for saying there are government plans like the vision 2030, SNDP and others. Learn to understand the distinction between a plan and financing that plan.
Get and education and not training iwe mwana!
Ine Ba PF nalema nobo,
This is the waste group of leaders Zambians have had.
Leaking a budget, for what? I think Leaking a budget is a first in the world. Another first from the PF.
What do you expect when the country is running without a president and the ruling party is in self destruction? Its a free for all situation and total anarchy. If the presidency issue is not sorted out quickly, then we are yet to see the worst. Its a pity we have such a weak opposition even when a political silver plate is on offer.
@Cleo, its not about having a weak opposition. Its about preservation and living to fight another day. This regime is brutal. They will stop at nothing if they realised that some organisation/people were exposing them leading to their downfall. They would unleash their dogs of war (imimbulu)
Its guy scott who leaked it just fire him before he does you a donchi kubeba!!!
I think this is now degenerating to fresh lows in a clowning society amidst an inept authority. In a word: DISGUSTING.
It appears we have a Snowden wannabe who unfortunately is not stating his or her case as clearly as it ought to be done. What a mess.
PF you seem to have forgotten that you brought a lot of cadres in the government systems who do not understanding the working of governments. Above all the same cadres you have infused into the system fail to differentiate party politics and govt business. Therefore, the happenings should not shock you at all bwana Katema.
This man who looks like a Bush-baby made in the Bemba land should just shut up. This is a standard for PF. These faggots are an embarrassment of a government. That explains why Dr Kaseba is always laughing at them. They give her money while half asleep in parliament.
These guys need be-heading by IS.
Panga family for you Doc.
These PG guys just make me sick. Official secrets have been leaking to the public ever since they took over government. This did not start today. the problem we have in government is that it is full of the same kind of people who talk too much and have never known how to keep a secret. There is no government in the history of this country that has leaked so many secrets to the public as this one. But leaking secrets is VERY IMPORTANT when the country is in the hands of hyenas like these clueless kawalalas. The problem with these hyenas is that they combine being thieves with being dull, no wonder this economy is going down. The country is broke and Chikwanda himself has repeatedly admitted that. It’s them PF leaking, nobody else. They just talk too much, with heads full of water.
This story isn’t surprising. This govt is clownish and never to be taken seriously. We have been subjected to their amoral behavior since they came to power, embarrassing us at every turn.
It’s a combination of lack of patriotism and poverty as well as downright greed that is at the route of the decision(s) by some top-level civil servants to sell state secrets to the highest bidder. There is no equivalent of ‘Siberia’, for these deformed criminals, in the republic, is there?
What exactly will you do you in government when you have failed to do anything about the person or persons that leaked Chikwanda s letter to the president? you guys are like empty vessels making alot of noise but carrying nothing.
You may, childishly, blame a political party for this nonsense. The real cause is these ma BBCs (Born Before Computers). They are in all parties, sections & offices and they hakce taken no interest in learning. F00ls who do not know when someone has plugged a memory stick in their pc. IT izamifikisa pataaaaliiiiii!!!!
This is what you get when the government is in the hands of clowns! Even if a monkey can run this govt, this is what you get when monkeys are in charge – chaos! Sata started all this recklessness when he was in opposition against Mwanawasa’s, leaking letters purported to be from State House. He set these low standards of behaviour. Now his govt is feeling the consequences of bad traditions.
The most incompetent government we have ever had. They ae still behaving like an opposition party and The Post is the government.
Their President is on dope 23 hours a day. The ministers are on auto pilot and the civil servants are on wage freeze, therefore defrosting their assets by clandestine activities and busman holidays.
It is sad to have uncivilised individuals in public service who do not understand why they are there. When we have people in offices who are only thinking of what to steal and if they ca not find money they steal classified government documents who knows how much they are given by those with shallow thinking whose interest is to frastrate whatever good things the government is doing. It reminds me of the cobwebs that president Sata talked about in public service. I see the need to sweet completely. Australia is strengethening laws to brinh to an end leaking of information by increasing jail sentence to the offenders whether journalist or members of the public. Confidentiality and ethics must be practiced by all.
That should be considered treason. Anyone leaking state secrets entrusted to them, is committing treason.
what do you expect when you employ pipo who completed schools thru leakages. This is a generation of leakages. Recycled a far much beta than this GMOs
Zambia comes first what ever your affiliation. If you encourage leakages as some you seem to do you rip the wheel wind at some stage. What ever you encourage today will haunt you in future. You should worry that people are leaking secrets, because this not end with PF but will become a habit forever
Just like insulting and laughing heads of state. It all started with Levy and some people thought they were immune to the same medicine. And o boy did this come too soon. People need to be mindful and stop the issue of wrong placing now; especially the placing of people in high offices based on tribe.
Where are we headed to? Simbyakula knows that publishing state secrets has now become Membe ‘ s hobby and he is talking of “some media houses”.Obviously Membe has a lot on them and they are failing to arrest him.This is what happens among thieves.
This scourge should be stopped by severely punishing the culprits, make the offence Espionage. But then finding the leakers should be a child’s picnic. Start with those who leaked secret documents from RB’s government. Surely you know them.