For Immediate Release
CONSTRUCTION OF TWO PRESIDENTIAL TRANSIT HOMES A WASTE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES
As MMD youths, we were shocked when he we heard in Parliament last week that the PF government has started constructing two transit homes for in-coming and outgoing Presidents or their Spouses.
We were shocked because the construction of these two houses was another example of misplaced priorities by the government. We are opposed to this development because this project was not budgeted for in the national budget.
In the spirit of transparency, we challenge government to disclose how much each house would cost and which budget line will this project draw from and which contractor (s) is working on the project and how these tenders were selected.
This government is running the highest budget deficit in the country’s history since the 1970s and we find it difficult to understand why this government is now embarking on constructing these transit homes which constitutes unnecessary expenditure.
We say this because the Government of the Republic of Zambia already owns high end properties which can be used in transitory arrangements for those heading into or coming out of State House.
We have in mind State Lodge in New Kasama which other former Presidents used as a holiday resort.
We also have the Ndeke Presidential Guest House in Kitwe which has undergone extensive renovations. We also have the Kabelenga Guest House in Ndola and the presidential guest house in Luanshya and several others dotted across the country.
We know that the contract entered into with Reedbuck Lodge in Kabulonga amounts to plunder of national resources. We therefore appeal to the Office of the Auditor General to audit the Reedbuck contract. We suspect that some unscrupulous officials at Cabinet Office flouted public procurement laws to award the contract to Reedbuck Lodge.
No one in their right sense of mind can justify the hefty amounts paid to the owners of Reedbuck Lodge especially that these are public resources.
We are also gobsmacked that Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Rolland Msiska negated his role as a key adviser to government and allowed this abuse of public resources to go on from January to June.
We believe that Dr Msiska is paid a good salary and allowances to provide strategic advice to President Lungu’s government. The Reedbuck scandal has confirmed that Dr Msiska is incompetent and does not mean well for President Lungu’s administration.
We are further appalled that Dr Msiska has decided to accommodate former First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba at House No. 29B Mutende Road, Woodlands after the current occupant World Bank Country Director Khundavi Kadiresan vacates the house tomorrow, Tuesday.
Our advice to government is that by shifting Dr Kaseba into House No. 29B Mutende Road, Woodlands, they will be simply shifting problems and resolving none.
We know that President Lungu means well but we also know that there are some officers in Government who are working to tarnish his image by making incompetent decisions.
We believe that the permanent solution to this misuse of public resources is to doing away with the Benefits of Former Presidents Act. It is unbelievable that a poor nation like ours can appropriate meagre resources to maintaining lifestyles of their former Presidents and their families for life.
We appeal to Justice Minister Dr Ngosa Simbyakula to bring a Bill to Parliament to repeal this bad law even if it was enacted by the MMD government.
OFFICE OF THE MMD NATIONAL YOUTH SECRETARY
Contact: Bowman Lusambo
National Youth Secretary
Here this boy has talked sense
Michael Sata knew his in the last days of his life when he went to state house and so immediately started building his retirement house before even former presidents’ houses were built. Edgar Lungu also knows something that is why he is in a hurry to build transit houses for the incoming and outgoing president. Can’t people read this?
The problem with Zambia and Africa in general is because the office of the president is portrayed with too much glory, yet the office holders die too just like a normal human who is homeless. The presidents are treated as though they are fxxxcking gods yet they are just sh!t~. The moment in Zambia we start thinking and believing that the office of the presidency is just normal work as work of office orderly then we will see sanity in the office of the president.
How on earth can we let EL use resources like though they belong to him alone. see in the past 2 weeks how much the country has spent on EL, we could have bought second hand tractors and give to a thousand farmers. This is a deliberate policy that can turn Zambia into a food basket.
Totally agree, this is crap! This law stinks. Even in the Western world governments don’t do this. Why honestly? Give these already rich people loans while they are managing the affairs of Zambia to build their own houses, and those loans have to be paid back in full on retirement. these people are paid a salary, so why double it again? Almost all of the presidential candidates do have their own houses even before they go to state house, so why give them more again. This law should be repealed sooner than later. Look at Kaseba, she can afford a decent home from her own resources, so why keep her in such an expensive lodge when we don’t even have panadols in our hospitals. This is a very bad law. Lusambo well done for bringing this up. Hope these buffoons (politicians) are listening.
LUNGU IS A THIEF JUST LIKE LATE SATA WAS! STOP THESE THIEVES FROM PLUNDERING OUR MEAGER RESOURCES. WHY ARE THESE LOOTERS SO HEARTLESS?
Lol, Sata was allergic to corruption but he had a taste for abuse of scarce state funds.
What is the definition of a failed State??
I rest my case.
for the first time this man is talking sense . He should continue like this .
Ba Lusambo kanshi naimwe mwalikwata amano? Please continue,make a follow-up on this issue.
During Sata’s time, no president came to Zambia except uncle Bob. So what will happen to these houses when no president comes to Zambia? Useless PF. Thieves with no vision except to still. Let them build, the next administration will turn them into tourist lodges. Kafupi’s institute was taken. so we’ll take these houses too.
So what happens to these houses when the former’first’ lady rejects them and opts to go and live in Libala stage 4 where Sata found her as a young medical doctor student and worshipping at Lubu Road Baptist Church? Fire Msiska after all he is connect to Kaseba
Lusambao what food did you eat. Please pass this to Sunday Chanda also. Good to hear you talk analytically (hope not for the last time).
Well said Bowman! These socialist backwards ideas of paying salaries and building mansion for ex presidents is not sustainable! It is this uncontrolled luxury that is making our already poor country even poorer! These people are not poor at all and we can’t believe that from their savings and looting they can fail to build their mansions! 50 years from now how many of these mansions are we going to build and at what cost including paying salaries for life! This is unsustainable and must be done away with immediately.
Rupiah Banda is Acquited but the boy who stole two chicken pieces from Shoprite has been jailed for 2years with hard labour.
With the way these things are expiring in office, I wonder how many “transit homes to hell” Zambia will be forced to build. These are all ramifications of electing dying people into office, it’s costly! As though Levy and Sata episodes were not bad enough, Zambians went on to elect a, alcoholic geyser with fully blown AIDS and diseased kidneys for president, Lungu, bukuba ke bu yambalakana naha mukatumbi!
The only point i don’t agree with Lusambo is repealing benefits of the former Presidents act. Everyone needs benefits including Presidents i believe so the have worked for this country not so.
@mzee,
My friend am sorry to call (louco), in portuguese language as mad.
The presindent is paid. Don’t you know? fool.
I’m impressed with Lusambo’s improved buga. Ndipo achilankula chizungu ati gobsmacked
The Government should have used the money paid to 8 Reedbuck to buy a transit Home from the Millennium Village which can be used as a temporal transit home for all incoming and outgoing first family…
I agree with you, that amount can buy a transit home for satas . Cabinet , cabinet, useless.
That is good young man.Well said we need sharp and working minds in Zambia where men and women with advanced degrees Phd mean nothing because their heads do not work.