Former Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda says PF Ministers who overstayed in office illegally did so in good faith.
In an interview, Mr Lubinda who is recontesting the Kabwata parliamentary seat on the PF seat said the PF Ministers relied upon their own interpretation of the amended constitution in deciding to continue in their ministerial offices.
He said the Ministers respect the ruling of the constitution court because it is the final arbiter in constitutional matters.
“The issue of Ministers remaining in office after dissolution of Parliament is simply a matter of interpretation. We respect the ruling of the Constitutional Court but that is not to say that we misinterpreted the ruling or that our wrong was wrong. We based our decision to continue in office because we believed that the amended constitution allows us to do,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said former PF Ministers have no problem paying back the money they used during their illegal three month stay in office.
“I for one, I felt staying in office was taking away valuable time needed to spend on my campaigns because I was working so hard, sometimes I would be in the office even after hours whilst my opponents in Kabwata were busy campaigning,” he said.
He said the Ministers are waiting to be briefed on the estimates of the refunds they should make to government following the ruling.
Meanwhile, Former Energy Deputy Minister Charles Zulu has said he vacated the office immediately after dissolution of Parliament.
Mr Zulu who is Patriotic Front(PF) Luangeni constituency aspiring candidate said today that he vacated the office after dissolution of Parliament charging that he was not reporting for work.
“I vacated the office immediately after dissolution of Parliament and I was not even reporting for work,” he said.
Mr Zulu also said he was confident of winning the Parliament seat.
He explained that people were ready to vote for President Edgar Lungu and the PF party in the elections.
Dear Illegal Minister,
This just shows how dull you are! Why did you not consult a COMPETENT lawyer (obviously not this Chakolwa that is now squatting in State House) and get an informed legal opinion? You say-
“Ministers relied upon their own interpretation of the amended constitution”…
What does that say about about Ministers? Simple. THEY ARE *****S and cannot even understand the the LAW!!!!!
Time for you to go my friend. Time for a responsible Government that UNDERSTANDS the RULE OF LAW.
Have a nice life!
Just pay back our money!
Yes! The issue of good faith or bad faith can not be raised in good conscience. Ministers staying in office after the dissollution of parliament is a thing that has never occurred since the founding of the Republic. Hiding behind the idea of interpretation is like undressing in public to help yourself and putting a finger in your face whilst announcing to people that no one has seen me. Ati no I was not reporting for work…then why collect a salary for work you were not doing? Imwe fikabwalala just pay back the money and dance to tune of the law!
Zambians will still vote for such rubbish leaders? Of course all thieves say they meant well when caught stealing.
Whether good faith or bad faith, the fact is: IT WAS ILLEGAL! YOUR PRESIDENT WENT AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION! AND FOR THAT, AS I PREPARE TO GO QUEUE RIGHT NOW, MY VOTE IS FOR HH! ONE VOTE FOR HH ON CB! MIND YOU, I AM BEMBA! NDI MUBEMBA NKOONKO!
KWENA ZAYELLO, WHOM WE ONCE PERCEIVED TO BE A RISING STAR IN ZED POLITICS & A FRESH BREATHE OF AIR, has simply TURNED INTO THE MOST PUNGENT CHISUSHI COMING FROM PamaFi’s BOTTOM!!!!!
HOW DID THIS ALL HAPPEN????????????????? Ba na MULOZA bena CHAGWA!!!!
HOW ST-U..PI.D & ARROGANT IS THE STATEMENT THAT THEY CONTINUED TO STEAL FROM US IN “GOOD FAITH???????”
HE IS INSULTING OUR GOOD FAITH AS ZAMBIANS TO HAVE GIVEN PamaFI FIVE YEARS OF PEACEFUL UN-INTERRUPTED RULE!!!!!!! TO ADD SALT TO INJURY, YOUR CHAGWA KILLS INNOCENT YOUTHS WHOSE ONLY SIN, WAS TO DREAM OF A BETTER LIFE IN A BETTER ZAMBIA!!
PamaFI KUYABEBELE!!! ZAYELLO, KUYABEBELE!!!
#CHAGWAMUSTFALL!!! #PamaFIkuyabebele!!
I Thank you!!!
Lubinda, mu masholi ni Wina ni Chakolwa wa mina. You are traitors and looters. You knew what you were doing.
As for the kaDeputy Minister Zulu, you owe us Zambians money you have been getting since 3 January when the new Constitution came in because that was when Deputy Ministers ceased to exist. Your role ended then and not when Parliament dissolved. You owe us bigger money than what you are planning to pay.
BO GIVEN YOUR STAY IN OFFICE YOU PF MINISTERS WAS TO STEAL MONEY TO THE LAST MOMENT. NOW ALL THE SWEET HAS GONE OUT AND THE BITTERNESS ENTERS. I ONCE HAD RESPECT FOR YOU BUT YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM THE PEOPLE OF YOUR PARTY. THE APPLE DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE THEY SAY AND FOR SURE THOSE THAT HAD A CONCIENCE RESIGNED FROM THE PF. SO BWANA PAY BACK EVERY SINGLE PENNY OR NGWEE OR CENT YOU TOOK BY STEALTH.
Ati it’s a matter of interpretation!
That’s why you leave it to well trained legal minds.
Ka menomeno overruled the AG. He know he was breaking the law. But law will catch up with him.
Whether he loses or not we have a drag net set for him in the USA. We have assembled a team to arrest him if he steps on American soil. He will not go back without answering for the deaths of innocent youths in this election cycle.
St.upid Lubinda, you are losing today.. pay back the cash before you go bankrupt.
It was bad faith and in bad taste too. Happily it is time up, and inform us if you have already paid back the money you have stolen through pretending to be a minister in the last 3 months.
So they think we are all dumb
HOW CONDESCENDING AND PATRONIZING. THESE PF PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO BRAINS! HOW CAN YOU SAY IT WAS NOT IN BAD FAITH WHEN THE LAW WAS AS CLEAR AS DAY. SECONDLY IGNORANCE IS NOT A LEGAL DEFENCE. THEN THIS CHARLES ZULU OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS HAS THE ARROGANCE TO SAY HE VACATED OFFICE AND WAS NOT REPORTING YET HE WAS GETTING PAID. THATS STEALING. LUBINDA AND LUNGU BONSE MUST GO.
CHIBE CHIBE LUNGU ALEYA.
RAIN NO RAIN PF MUST BE VOTED OUT!!!!
Deputy Minister Charles Zulu should indicate whether he has been getting his salary since May. If he has, he should be charged with obtaining money by false pretenses since, by his own admission, he wasn’t even working.
Most of the ministers in PF had been getting paid by false Prentice as they did nothing for this country.
Lubinda should know that we talking about “FAITHS” whether good or bad – the point is that their stay was unconstitutional.
They even ignored the advice of their Attorney General which was given to them in “Good Faith” and they took the law in their own hands which shows how irresponsible and evil they are – a bunch of criminals who should ideally be in prison!! Sheer mother fuc.kers!!
If you people of Kabwata vote for Lubinda. Ninshi mulibe Nzelu hahaha.
WE WANT OUR MONEY IN FULL. INCLUDING THE K23 MILLION THAT ECL HAS FAILED TO EXPLAIN IN ALL HIS CAMPIGN. HE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR THE AIR BUT COZ HE KNOWS IT IS NOT STRAIGHT MONEY, HE OPTED NEVER TO MENTION IT. ATTRIBUTES ALWAYS GO IN PAIRS. E.G. TRUE LOVE GOES WITH RESPECT, HUMBLENESS GOES WITH TRUTHFULNESS. HUMBLENESS DOES NOT GO WITH CROOKADENESS NO. THOSE OF YOU WHO MISTAKE THE MAN FOR HUMBLENESS ARE BLINDED FOR A VERY STRONG FORCE & U NEED DELIVERANCE.
Wena kanga Lubinda zwaa fa! You and your team have damaged this country. I can’t believe that in one year you have managed to take us back to HIPC (heavily indented poor country). RB and MMD handed you guys a middle income country in 2011. Now we are the third hungriest country in the world. That is a crime against humanity!
These idiiots, not even an apology from any of them. Goodness. Zambians, we can not allow these crooks to ride on our docility, never.
Ati waiting for estimates of what to pay back.
There are no estimates. You should payback all monies received and pay back everything paid for with our mony—-fuel, talk time and all other allowances.
THE PROBLEM WITH PF GUYS HAVE NO SHAME AND STILL BLAMES THE CONSTITUTION COURT TO BE BIAS. JUST PAY BACK THE MONEYS BAKABOLALA. AM MAKING UP MY MIND TO THROUGH MY VOTE IN PF.
I have repeatedly watched ECL’s press conference on the continuation of cabinet ministers’ in office. I have also read and re-read the statements Chishimba Kambwili was making regarding his interpretation of the Constitution. In both instances the two leaders were arrogant and very disrespectful of those who disagreed with them. It’s as if anyone who doesn’t agree with the PF is a stupid person. Am a non-partisan voter who has been waiting for anyone in PF to encourage me to vote for the party and yet all i receive is ridicule when I ask questions about why I should vote for PF.
In the end, PF has decampaigned itself in my mind. The ruling by the court made it worse. The violence I saw in mtendere sealed my decision. The call by Bangwe Nabile to HH confirmed that there was no need…
Call them what you may, our vote is on ECL. In Zambia we dont vote for illegal land grabbers. So ku Namwala uko vote wisely, mwaimwena ifitala fyenu. Fortunately the revelation has come at the right time, you have a chance to correct yourselves.
At Terrible they committed a crime. What are you saying about them paying back what they owe? that’s the question. Also ignorance of the law does not exculpate you.
@Terrible… you must be TERRIBLY DUM not see what rubbish pf is or you are a drunkard like lungu.
Bo Lubinda is a coward if you are looking for one to squeal start with him ..he will talk!!
What “good faith” is Lubinda talking about? UPND and LAZ advised Lungu at the time that what he was doing to keep these Ministers in their posts was illegal and morally wrong. The Attorney General is said to have advised the same and Lungu rejected the advice. What steps did the Ministers take to confirm that their boss was legally right? At law ignorance has no defence. All the illegal Ministers by staying in their posts illegally now have a criminal record and have to pay back all moneys with interest.
Lubinda – keep all your thoughts to yourself – believe me we are not interested in all that nonsense just pay our money back . Charles @ I left office immediately after parliament was dissolved (foolish enough) – so you have two cases, the first is to answer to your boss Chagwa why you were not working despite being told to do so and secondly pay back our money else…!
The concourt ruling is a political checkmate for the outgoing PF regime…the ramifications are yet to be tested after voting is conducted and results announced. A lot of petitions to annul seats are lined up for each of the 63 ministers and their deputies. It is simply time for HH and the UPND team to take over or rather, sweep over!
What’s there to justify bo Lubinda. You knew very well that you were breaking the law.
Just pay.
The once powerful and admired Lubinda, you were our motivating factor to most of the youlths we trusted that one day you could make a good President but alas only to be be deceived by PF crooks. Mr Lubinda you have really disappointed most of the people expecially the youths that’s why Mr Sata mhsrp said lubinda behaves like a snake in the grass. shame on you.
It was not as if Lungu was unaware of the implications of his decision. While it was illegal for the former MPs to continue as ministers, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu is to some extent in his own wisdom understands that the people surrounding him can not be relied upon especially that these are people he had to whip and brought them inline and are supporting him because of their belies, There is no real leadership loyalty. Thats why even Given Lubinda is now acting like we have never known him. True colors always come out. If Chagwa had followed the law, we would have seem a mass exodus from PF by most of these ministers including Lubinda which could have completely dashed Edgars chances of re election.
What a douche bag! Fall from grace s someone lightly put it. Instead of building a nation so the nation can benefit all Zambians through job creation, building economies so we can compete on the global market, they choose to steal that very money so how can we develop? Given the thief! I remember when he was minister of tourism bunjee jumping to help our tarnished reputation when the Australian national fell in the Zambezi river. That was service recovery indeed by a minister. But now look at a.mafi! Corruption on its highest level. Sata ali kuchejela MHSRIP. You had vision-less Lungu who did not care what you bakabolala did. Its time to cough up every single dime you stole. Where will you go next after all this? Begging to HH for a job saying its Lungu’s fault he had no vision?…
kaDeputy Minister Zulu, you owe us Zambians money you have been getting since 3 January when your post which cancelled. You have been staying in a government house, bought land cruiser at 10% cost price, telpehone allowance, servant, gardner and maid oh plus security men. You still owe alot.
Pay back our money. My calculation for you is as follows;
Government rentals = 15000×8 = 120,000
garden boy = 1500 x 8 = 9,000
telephone Allowance 2,000 x 8 = 16,000
Car which you have sold = K800,000
Min refund from you kaDeputy Minister Zulu is = K1 Million. “pay back our money” you were busy clapping like fools when Dull Lawyer Edger Lungu was addressing a press conference at state house.
You campign using government resources so dont start defending before you go to court. Foolish coward.
And people actually want PF back in office? YABA
IF OPPOSTION DO NOT WIN THIS ELECTION – WITH ALL THIS CORRUPTION GOING ON – THEN ZAMBIANS ARE IN TROUBLE…!
Zambians will be fighting with goats and cows for grass to eat. Once the elections are over, that song PF is dancing to will no longer be played. What electricity are they going to use? Let them do their last dance and see what happens for the next 5 years. We tried warning them!!
Lubinda is a disappointment. Ever since he became a minister he thinks he is more knowledgeable than any other person. I would have killed for Given before pf came into power because all he spoke about was sense. Today very statement he makes there are traces of arrogance. Given you have failed me and i will not hide from you i voted against you my brother. we are now seeing who you really are Mr Lubinda. I hope if you win Kabwata someone will petition the results based on you had an advantage over the rest of the candidates as you had govt machinery on your disposal. one that goes through you will have to come and contest after five years and kiss goodbye to the kabwata seat.
How can this idio.t of a person say that their stay in office was in good faith when they were stealing from us? It is very stu.pid of him to insult us in this manner when they knew right from the beginning that it was illegal for them to stay on. There are no provisions in the constitution that support what they did. The idio.ts are just embarrassed and caught with their pants down. We want all our money back. You cannot justify the illegality by saying the stay was in good faith. What good faith? If really you were for “good faith” you should have vacated the office immediately parliament was dissolved. So what good faith is he talking about when they have stolen from us? PAY BACK THE MONEY