Civil rights activist Brebner Changala has said that calls for political parties taking part in the 2015 presidential election to disclose their source of funding are justified.
Mr. Changala said that he particularly finds it surprising that political parties that have seemed to have less financial resources are now managing to fly from one place to another only at the time that the country is having an election.
In an interview with Qfm News Mr. Changala said that his suspicions therefore are that most of the political parties taking party in the forthcoming election have their sourced funding from outside the country.
Mr. Changala has warned that the danger of such a situation is that when one political party that is being funded in this manner manages to win the election and forms government the financiers of its campaign will be the one giving direction of how government will be operating.
He said that this will mean that the plight of the people of Zambia will risk being sideline by such kind of a government in a quest to please its campaign financiers.
The civil rights activist said that this will also imply that the people of Zambia will have lost their power over a government which they themselves have voted in.
He said that this is why he particularly thinks that it is important that electorates know exactly where and how their political parties are sourcing funds they are using in the campaigns.
Earlier today United Party for National Development (UPND) declined to reveal its source of political funding.
UPND Deputy Secretary General Kachunga Simusamba said there is no law that compels the opposition political party to name its political funders.
Mr Simusamba charged that revealing the names of individuals and organizations assisting the UPND will be naïve due to the nature of Zambian politics.
In a statement availed to the media in Lusaka today, the deputy Secretary General thanked the organizations and individuals that have continued to support the opposition party as it shows confidence in the party’s ability to deliver.
Recently, Zambian Voice Executive Director Chilufya Tayali challenged political parties contesting the January 20, 2015 Presidential by-election to disclose the source of financing for their campaigns.
Mr Tayali, however is alleged to have charged that UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema was courting South African businesses to finance his political campaigns.
Mr Simusamba said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema is a free citizen accorded rights by the Zambian constitution and is at liberty to interact with any one in his business and political undertakings.
He however challenged Mr Tayali to report Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND to Law enforcement agencies if he is convinced that a crime has been committed.
Mr Simusamba urged the Zambian Voice leader to stop fishing in the dark and linking the UPND leader to plundering public resources during the privatization programme.
He said four regimes have come and gone without finding any wrong doing on the part of Mr Hichilema during the privatization process.
Mr Simusamba urged the political analyst to exercise patience and wait for the filing in of presidential nominations to know the worth and assets of Mr Hichilema.
Earlier today
This is a great observation, however such issues like party funding, compaign spending limits, public order act and general operations of police need legislation and made into law like in America.
Great and well articulated observation.
Indeed, it is important to note there is NO legislation at the moment to disclose political financing mechanisms. If Mr. Changala meant well, he may have put a private citizen motion to parliament to address this issue than point it now. Clearly, we need legislation but asking any political party, be it PF or opposition to unilaterally address the issue is not just fair but law of the jungle. It should be clear that laws should be followed, even bad ones until such a time a better one is put in place. In this regard, for the LT to refer to the UPND spokesperson’s remarks of not disclosing their source of money as being a problem is simply myopic and maliciously driven. Go the normal channels and make a well rounded argument on the issue.
What was not justified is to call upon only one party to measure up to this moral demand.
Not law in Zambia requires disclosure of campaign funds period. GO, GO,GO HH, HH, HH. We are tired of the thieving PF. They can even fix simple easy fix like water, hospital, schools, these are basic needs any government is supposed to have as priority.
Zambian politics at display. Always trying to change the rules to fit someone’s immediate agenda.
Mind your own business. All you need to know is that it’s not government tax payers money, unlike Lungus funding.
We dont want our beloved country to be auctioned to mining companies.Mr Tayali and Mr Changala u ar indeed tue patriots.Keep it up ! Continue sensitizing our pipo who may be ignorant.
Did Zambian ask mr Sata not get money from Taiwan business ?
How about the ruling party is also expected to disclose financiers
Under which would that be Changala and tayali?
@ jeny
If you feel strongly about this issue, why you did not contact your MP to promote “private bill” in the Parliament to address the issue?
Whilst I do sympathize with you on the issue of foreign funding in Zambian politics, that matter can be addressed only through new legislation.
On the other hand, use or misuse of Government resources for political ends has been already regulated by the Act of Parliament and should be addressed by the competent authorities in accordance with current legal provisions.
I CAN NEVER VOTE FOR A TONGA.THESE CHAPS WILL AUCTION THIS COUNTRY LIKE BINANI MINE GATE.
CAH HH EXPLAIN HIS ROLE AAS FREE MASON WHICH IS SATANIST CULT OF RICH WEALTHY PEOPLE.
NO WONDER FUNDS ARE FLOWING WHEN YOU SELL YOUR SOUL.
IS THIS MAN REALLY A CHRISTIAN OR A FAKE PROPHET.JESUS SAID THEY SHALL COME AND SAY IM AM THE ONE AND FOOL THE MULTITUDES.
You can withhold your vote but there are still many of us that love Tongas and we shall vote for whichever candidate that has all the attributes of a good leader. HH is such a leader. Go and vote for non-Tonga, after all they are many that are contesting. One Zambia, One Nation. Abash tribalists and haters! Go and hang yourself!
Picturing you @Kamuzi, Yellow teeth sticking out from thick cracked lips with a constantly running nose. Take you tribalism and shove up your a,rse. Am from Luapula and love this man HH. He is the only one with a vision for this country now. We don’t need another by election. It was a disaster in Mansa
You have a choice mate it’s democracy no stress
Tongas have voted Chiluba and even Sata
Certain tribes in Zambia have ruined most of the institutions because dominance but you can’t see .
Look at Zesco never been better
Poverty causes retardation. We sympathize with you but we don’t agree with you. When you taste wealth, your thinking will change. Just work hard!
Dear Editor, Please remove @kumunzi for inflammatory remarks always. Thank you.
Say what you like but HH is winning!
Zambians do a dont kubeba again.Get their money but vote for other pipo.Sata taught us to be wise and alwayz be ahead of such betrayal….eat eat and vote for som one of yr choice.
Kamuzi you can keep your tribal vote. UPND is better without it.
Yes Kumunzi is a backward fella! Editor ban him from this forum. The likes of him can cause genocide!
My vote and those of 20 extended family members of mine are with HHi. Whether a freemason or Seventh Day Adventist we will vote for him. My husband & 19 of his extended family members will vote for Lungu, wheather Muslim or not. Our parents & grandparents will vote for Pastor Mumba. We are Tribal Rights Activits who respect each’s political and tribal ties!
Oh! what a confused family!
All those referring to HH privatising in the past are living in a time warp. It doesnt mean this time around he intends to do the same. What he’s planning to do is to make peoples lives more bearable and to clean up the mess created by the one you still worship who is lying in memorial park. That man didn’t love Zambia and didn’t know how to rule. We have Edgar promising to continue his legacy called violence, more lies false promises and creating jobs in another 90 days, for his relatives. We’ve had enough rubbish. Time to eliminate all the vermin and start afresh. Stop living in the past and look forward to a bright future, unless ofcourse you love living in poverty filth and constantly going hungry!!
This chalk producer irritate me a lot. It appears everyone in Zambia is a human rights activist. As long as you are able to make any meaningless press statement you become a human rights activist. Really?????
Is it only one party that is receiving funding? This is utmost RUBBISH i am hearing these days.
this drug dealer is a time waster!
Bafikala Changala na Tayali are just attention seekers. cheap scavengers desperate to make cheap headlines so that they can go crawling to donors begging for donations. As someone said on this site the other day, these crooks should first start by disclosing their source of funding themselves before starting pointing fingers at others!
Changala you should get a life man ,you are now becoming irrelevant. At one time I thought you were an intelligent bloke ,now you have just reduced yourself to a political assassin. People like you end up being rejected by all.
Then ask every politician to do so. We wont disclose until everyone does so mwanya…jealous *****s!