THE Zambian Voice has said the upward adjustment of President Edgar Lungu’s salary should not warrant criticism because other constitutional office bearers have also received wage hikes.
Zambian Voice executive director Chilufya Tayali said in an interview yesterday that it was unfair for opposition political parties to criticise Mr Lungu for benefitting from the move, which cut across all the three arms of Government.
“We think that it is totally unfair for the opposition to make a big issue out of this because President Lungu did not issue an instruction for his salary to be increased.
“All constitutional office bearers, including members of Parliament (MPs), have received salary hikes. Therefore, criticism against the President is misdirected,” Mr Tayali said.
He said opposition MPs in particular were insincere by pointing fingers at the President with full knowledge of the benefits that they had accrued from their improved remunerations.
Mr Tayali said opposition MPs were in the forefront calling on the Government to lift the wage freeze, and one of the benefits of lifting the wage freeze was increased salaries for civil servants.
He said the President was just a beneficiary of the move and people criticising him were merely playing petty and personal politics.
National Revolution Party (NRP) president Cosmo Mumba said in a separate interview that the increment was justified because the President had responsibilities to attend to.
Dr Mumba said the increment was long overdue as the Head of State worked hard to guarantee peace, security and ensure national developmental goals were on course at all times.
He said the President had responsibilities which included meeting unbudgeted-for expenses when he attended social events.
Dr Mumba said those criticising the President should understand that sometimes part of his earnings were used to finance different causes across the country.
Is Tayali news? Next item please.
“We think that it is totally unfair for the…”
There’s no ‘we’ there’s no ‘us’. There’s only one person called Chilufya Tayali at the ka-Ntemba called Zambian Voice, claiming to represent the Zambians at large yet he’s a little man desperate for media attention and a job from Edgar Lungu, who, himself, has no job beyond August 11th 2016.
Sometimes I think commenting on statements issued by Tayali is time no well spent by any measure. I fail to understand how this creature managed to secure funds from donors for his one man NGO
The problem in Zambia,,, is that you have a lot of hangouts screaming for bread crams,,,, they are willing to support anything to get a bite at lungu`s increased bread crams
@Ndobo, are you saying Tayani and Cosmo they can’t afford to buy the current expensive millie meal, so would like to have some leftovers from Edgar’s dinning table?
So tel us Mr Lungu, when you go to New York on your US$ 300,000 airplane trip or you go to Rome and kiss the popes ass do you pay for that out of your salary?
We know you stay in hotels that cost US$5000 per night. Do the hotels let you stay for free?
Hypocrite and liar, can you tell the Zambian Taxpayers how much money your “medical checkup”in South Africa cost? Did you pay for that too?
The ZAF helicopters and planes you use as taxis cost over US$ 1000 per HOUR to run. Do they send you a bill for that at the end of the month?
The increment is ok but the time it has come is what we are complaining about. Its like father eating leaving his children becoz we don’t have enuf food. We love Lungu and we are voting him but what is wrong is wrong. In time like this we expected lungu to take part of his salary to the suffering. We are doing that from our small salary. A real father should suffer more than his children Tayali. HE REJECT THE INCREMENT SIR!
Speak for yourself. You love Lungu and you will vote for him.
What Lungu has done is to smear the other people so that he does not appear to be eating alone but we know that he has the lion’s share of emoluments. He is such a greedy little fella.
#ChagwaMustFall
Those who are closer to HE are misleading him. HE you are young and energetic plis sample some pay slips and compare with what you are getting. Lungu’s relatives it is your responsibility to save the face of the president tell him to sample some pay slips. Atleast 100 from each ministry and see what some of his civil servants (with families who are going to school) take home.
You are right. Those who are close to him also misled him to embezzle clients money?
And you cal him “visionary” and “humble”?
This is typical of apologists for PF – they always blame the advisors. They did the same for Sata and now Lungu. The bottom line is that the President alone is responsible for running the govt. The ministers and advisors are his mere appointees who help him run govt. But he is responsible.
#ChagwaMustFall
Constitution office bearers can get salary increases wow wow wow. Do u realise how long the regular workforce wait to see a change in their salaries, if it all they have salaries.
I earnestly ask.UPND to.look at youth unemployment.
I suggest immediate capping years served in pubic service and parastatal organisations to 55 years of age, reduce voluntary years of retirement to 45 years and make normal retirement at 50 years.
This will guarantee absorption of our youths into formal employment whilst those.who would have worked for st least 25 years will use their savings and experience to continue in self employment. Youths wake up and claim your rights to decent jobs.
What kind of nation are we to give old people salary increase whilst our children languish on the streets?
This Tayali vuvuzela is missing the point. Issue is not whether other constitution officers got a wage hike or not. The point is whether this hike is justifiable looking at how the economy is limping. What we want is for someone to come out and us why Edgar Lungu deserves a wage increase. Not these baseless and empty statements.
Stop insulting us you little piece of sh1t.
I will not say much about Cosmo’s statement. The man is a clown. For your information Cosmo, any activity Edgar engages in is paid for by State House, nothing comes from his pocket.
Is ECL allowed by law to STOP the increments for other constitutional office bearers like MPs?
In other countries, Presidents are reducing their salaries due to what PF has told us are global challenges. Here they are increasing them
Tayali is not a factor *bitter politician voice*
Stop giving this guy coverage
Zambian Voice executive director Chilufya Tayali is a job seek or is paid every time he opens his mouth to defend the people who have voice. Chilufya has no regards to the voiceless – who live on less than $1 per day.
He doesn’t care about Zambians who live in abject poverty. Yes, he doesn’t care even if the voiceless die in poverty. He only cares about all constitutional office bearers including the president and the people who have voice. Chilufya being the Zambian Voice Executive Director should have criticized the constitutional office bearers including the president who have received wage hikes while many Zambians have one meal per day. I wonder if Chilufya voice director was born out of the voiceless, voice or is just a job.
I thought as much, thank you Mr Tayali for the insight. I thought that there was something amiss when it was made to look as though only the president’s salary was increased. What I know has been the practice is that the president’s salary is increased when MPs salaries are increased. You will recall that before the constitutional review, opposition MPs (UPND) demanded salary hikes and the matter was quickly snuffed out, well it did not die after all. And have you seen how their cadres above want to stop this debate because they have been exposed? And of course with this revelation let’s look at HH’s face again after the noises he has made. Is HH now going to ask his MPs to surrender the salaries that his MPs actually instigated? Once the UPND MP s got what they wanted, legally it cut…
They cant surrender their increaments, part of it goes to the party so that HH can use it in spreading lies and fake promises.
So it means gbm Gary Larry mwiimbu musokotwane n the rest increased their salaries. Hh must start by ordering his mps then to reject this rather than single out HE. Haters
The people you are mentioning are not part of the increments coz they do not hold any government posts. It’s the president, Ministers, judges, deputy ministers etc. Stop being dull you dull PF person.
Iwe chika.la in the current economic crisis and you want to justify that even Mopani employees have not seen a pay rise for this year. Wrungu Aids kaloba chokolwa.
he maybe all the names that u have called him but u have missed his point……all constitutional office bearers have received salary hikes including MPz…….so the question is WHY ONLY SINGLE OUT THE HEAD OF STATE?? is he not a constitutional bearer??? is he not a civil servant???? if not then all the salary increments in public service should then be scrapped and stop the noise….but as owes the same people will complain and especially ba UPND………i think HH and his PMz shud have complained when they received salary hikes not when they have benefited and they want to portray it as inhuman for Lungu to increase his salary…….infact its not lungu increasing his salary but its what the public service decided…….
You also miss the point the President is the head he is not the “others” he can reject the increase…By the way what does the presido spend his salary on to justify increment he is already above 400000 salary assuming he is saving this every month in just 10 months he is on 4,000,000. We take care of him everything ..and he has additional monies from allowances and deals
Shameless you are shameless indeed you don’t know that 400000 is per annum very dull
the problem is that UPND has never been in govt so they dont knw wen govt is broke and not and they keep speculating that by March-April govt will be bunkrupt and yet salaries for all civil servants are in every month and no month has govt not paid its employees….so dont jst argue and complain raising yo blood pressure and cause unnecessary political attention
@ Makasa
Can you make ONE, just ONE comment without adding either HH or UPND? Are you in love with HH or you are paid to keep his name prominent?
Instead try to remember who is in charge of the government administration and if that administration is responsible for the f*uck-up of the economy?
Thanks Mr Tayali now let’s hear from Mrs Tayali. She also has a voice assuming she’s Zambian.
@Shameless, the Presidents annual salary is K440,000. So every month he gets abt K36,000. Dat amount we hav been given is for the whole year. Anyway, its not justifiable seeing that everyone else is suffering. The economy is dead. How can dey decide to increase salaries at such a tym. Its so sad wat is happening in the country. I wish we had a President like John Magufuli.
..if Zambian govt was a company it would be likened to the ‘late’ UBZ, Mulungushi textiles, Kafue textiles and the likes….
….I was listening to Finance committee on parliament radio the other day were Director were being grilled for giving themselves bonuses after their organisations declared loses in their annual financial reports…..
…how do we explain delays or failure to pay meal allowances to university student if govt coffers are ‘soundy’..??
Only lazy people think like that! Go find yourself something to do for your life! A politician will never give you wealth no matter how rich he may seem to be!
…@kabu…
…I’m not sure if your posting is directed at me…if it is then you must be a good description of a ROGUE…this is a serious issue…please avoid mediocre comments..its either you are for or against the increase of sararies for govt executives….recently, university lecturers nearly withdrew their labour because the govt did not have pay their salaries in time….meanwhile, Edgar does not even know (or feel it) the price of bread, sugar, chicken, boom, petrol, air fairs, bus fairs etc beause we as tax payers do that for him and his minions….the budget deficit is out of this world, in short the country is not doing fine economically…so executive are supposed to lead the sacrifice by example…
THERE IS A CADRE WHO DID NOT GET SALARY INCREMENTS. WHY ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM.
1. ALL CADRES WITH SALARY SCALE BELOW K: GOT SALARY INCREMENTS
2. ALL WORKERS IN SALARY SCALE K AND ABOVE ( DOCTORS, ETC): DID NOT GET ANY INCREMENT.
3. CONSTITUTION OFFICE BEARERS & THE PRESIDENT: GOT SALARY INCREMENTS.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY DIDN’T WORKERS IN CATEGORY 2 GET ANY SALARY INCREMENTS? WHY IS ZAMBIA SO QUIET ABOUT THEM?WILL YOU BLAME THEM IF THEY REACT? ARE YOU AWARE THAT THERE IS A SIMMERING DISCONTENTMENT AMONG THAT CADRE TO RESORT TO WORK STOPPAGE?
It is called ‘State Capture’. The cartel of constitution office holders who belong to the same ethnic, tribal, regional, racial, political, ideological, social, moral, religious group, etc, MOOT and agree on increments among themselves. Since they control ALL the instruments of power, particularly the treasury, they proceed to implement whatever benefits they intend tyo extort from the peole. The President is then used, in Justice Armstrong’s words, ‘as a useful TOOL’ only since he is the only one whose emoluments must be gazetted. The rest of the cartel members just smile all the way to their banks.
ba tayali pamatako amashinshya
Why do you even headline boys such as Chilufya…who are inconsistent and lack basic understanding of issues?
I agree bruv,,,rest my case period!!
He is the boss so he should take responsibility full stop. One man NGO and one man party please just mind your own business. Its my money so I have a right to complain. If you don’t mind your money being wasted just keep quiet.
Salary increment for making Zambians poorer and more distressed with hardships and job losses?
If the President`s salary increase is as a result of waving off wage increase freeze, then honestly, I don t understand this fuzzy and madness around HE ECL salary increase and especially if this was across all government employees. After all, 3K for a president ?? That is a salary for an IT consultant !!!! And think of it even Mugabe earns more. I would double ECL salary
Nevertheless, Tayali has done a good job to clarify better than Dr. Mumbi, whose justification created a different picture leading to opening opportunities for criticism.
SIR, IT SEEMS YOU DON’T READ. OTHER CIVIL SERVANTS SUCH AS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND ALL THOSE IN SALARY SCALE K AND ABOVE DID NOT GET ANY SALARY INCREMENTS. GET THAT IN YOUR HEAD PLEASE. DON’T BE CHEATED. THERE ARE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO ARE COMPLAINING NOW. THEY MAY REACT SOON.
Now understand why GBM and Mutati need to be in parliament
Cosmo Mumba thinks the upwards salary adjustment for the President was justifiable because he has a lot of responsibilities to attend to . Absolute nonsense! When did a President in Zambia use money from his/her pockets to attend to these so called responsibilities . The President must laughing all the way to the bank because everything from toilet paper up to bottles of wine is paid for by tax payers money. Even this clause in the constitution whereby tax payers money must be used to build a sitting President a house is outdated and out of touch and should be scrapped off from the constitution . If civil servants cannot have houses built for them by government ,why should the presidents get one,
UPND cadres must first learn to read and listen before they make noise. Read and understand what I posted @9 before you embarrass yourselves. These chaps are so daft that they do not know that actually it is their own UPND MPs who initiated the clamour for salary increments for themselves. They started this a few weeks before the constitutional debate in parliament. It was widely reported in the national daily papers at the time. I recall that a UPND MP raised a point of order whether newspapers should be debating what he termed “internal parliamentary matters”. I remember passing a joke on LT that UPND MPS are so selfish that if the salary increments are passed by parliament, they will pass the constitution amendment bill BLINDLY. It was a joke but it has come to pass. So what are UPND…
The combined salary increments of just UPND MPs is many times the increment for the president, but they choose to target the president only. Look at HH, is it just ignorance for him to pass that statement? Or it is being underfive? Or a selfish and dishonest desire to enter state house at all costs? Surely upnd MPS must be embarrassed with their “leader”. For the quality of that their leader has always been in doubt, and now this embarrassing episode. But anyway their DNA us such that they have no insoni at all.
Tayali,wangufwisha amafi…ulikapuba
CAMRA, kabiye Kanye mu chimbusu, why do you have to tell us your private desire, or are you asking for toilet paper?
Vote for lungu imwe
I am now kopala, ba PF you are in huge shock. I won’t say more…..assembling!!!
Ba Tayali I wonder why people like you and others of your type are justifying these salary increments for the President and the other Constitutional office holders,Leadership was supposed to be shown by President Lungu by postponing this increment looking at how strained the National Treasury is,The President’s expenses are covered by the STATE and nothing comes direct from his pocket…So why increase his salary when the Govt is even struggling to pay other Civil Servants on time.Does Lungu and his Cabinet have morals….Ba Tayali stop supporting things for your selfish gain, as for Dr. Cosmo Mumba please you should enroll at LUSAKA PLAY HOUSE for a comedy show.
You must be crazy, do you know that police officers have not received any salary increment to date. the Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Davis Chama confirmed it on public media ZNBC and assured the officers of new salaries in February but it was all a lie. He wants a new salary but he has failed to give the people who give him security 24 seven. worse still the money he just spends it in games
Comment:The responsibility on whether to raise or not raise the salaries is vested in the hands of the Cabinet, MPs are not part of Cabinet