THE Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has implored Government to avoid spending tax payers money on wishful and wasteful undertakings such as the appointing the commission enquiry into the political violence which took place during after the 2016 general elections.
CSPR Advocacy Communication Programme Coordinator Maxson Nkhoma said in a statement yesterday that the current fiscal deficit the Government was experiencing one would not imagine that government would prioritize the setting up of a commission of enquiry whose main aim was to foster political expedience at the expense of national development.
He said CSPR was disheartened and in deep shock to see that even in light of the growing budgetary deficit manifested by delays in paying salaries for public service workers, failure to complete infrastructure development projects,prolonged delays of funding to most Government departments meant to finance development activities.
He said Government programmes could still find pleasure to engage in another wasteful undertaking by appointing a commission of enquiry whose objective can only be understood and appreciated by the appointing authority.
“CSPR believes there is no sufficient justification to warrant the appointment of a commission of enquiry into the political violence which took place during and after the 2016 general elections because the country has the Zambia Police service whose job is to bring about law and order in the country and the 2016 general elections were not exceptional,” he said.
Mr Nkhoma said It was long held view that Zambia Police had the capacity to decisively deal with the perpetrators of political violence which erupted at the time but for unknown reasons the Zambia Service grew cold feet and failed to so more especially if the cases involved the ruling party.
He said the Government should have therefore asked the office of the Public Protector (OPP) to investigate the failure by police to maintain law and order during the general elections in selected parts of the country as opposed to appointing a commission of enquiry on flimsy grounds when we have institutions which could do that work.
Mr Nkhoma said CSPR called upon President Edgar Lungu to extend his good will of appointing commission of enquiries to sectors which would help the people of Zambia understand and appreciate how public funds were been utilized in light of the revelations by the Auditor General’s report for 2015 which shows a general increase in abuse of public funds meant to finance development.
“We therefore ask President Edgar Lungu to appoint an enquiry to investigate how the Eurobond Funds were used especially that most of the infrastructure development Projects for which the funds were borrowed have either stalled or not implemented a clear sign that these some of the funds could have been diverted for personal gain,” he said.
He said projects which have stalled include rehabilitation of the railway lines, rehabilitation of the Solwezi- Chingola Road, Chipata-Chandiza-Vubwi Road and Lundazi Chama Road among others.
He said areas where the projects have been completed Government has not yet paid the contractors their money for the work done.
$ 2, 000, 000 went to Lungu
This is the first sensible thing that this NGO has ever said. We seriously need a commission of enquiry and international audit of how the Eurobonds were stolen, abused and squandered. How can roads in Chawama be tarred yet the Kitwe-Chingola dual carriageway and the Chingola-Solwezi road have been abandoned, infrastructure that is the lifeline of the national economy? Who got what money and for what? We need answers.
Lungu is simply a tool for corruption….he is simply a Lazy Bum; people said that when he wins he will bring his own people..really laughable…he has retained the selfsame people and to add salt to injury brought back the same people the accused of corruption 5 years ago.
And he didn’t pay tax on the income
here is someone talking sense, CSPR. i hope can listen
WHAT EUROBOND??
Zambians are really dopey, daft, & docile.
Remember fossil ex-minister Chikwanda discussing giving cash to P.F. campaign teams, ma 50 pin in U$ Dollars.
THAT’S WHERE YOUR EUROBOND CASH MAINLY WENT TO, including P.F officials pockets. Really was Sata’s rotten vision for “more money in their pockets”
I.M.F, is coming, & you silly Zambias will dance Pelete on hungry bellies you daft people!
Country men bitterness and making rude pronouncements wont help what will help is if we can sort out our internal affairs. Our party is bleeding it has been invaded by the court appearances disease and lawlessness. Remember MCS refused to yield to the Motorcade of the then VEEP , he in effect by that one act laid the seed for disrespect for the law we shouldn’t do the same. We are heading in that direction if we keep crying foul but are doing nothing to reorganize. Let us go for a convention and stop the bleeding let us go and agree on how we approach our failure to win the Presidency yet again. Let us not be hoodwinked by failed pastors that they are suddenly cleverer than us, or indeed corrupt businessmen thinking they know better…Zambia forward!
Nice shooting CSPR! You are right about the police. They can investigate crimes, because that’s what they do come rain or sun. But issues surrounding the “disappearance” of the Eurobond money needs a commission of enquiry. If I gave my wife the VISA card and within two weeks the account had been emptied, and there was still no food on the table, there would be a commission of enquiry setup with immediate effect!
Asking monkeys to investigate the rampant theft of maize in the field and groundnuts in the barn…really laughable!!
IMF& Worldbank shd come up wt a commission of inquiry & jail the cowprits. A domestic commission of enquiry will b corrupted by pocketing them wt the remaining change of eurobond& coz of poverty they will do nothing BT create a self made record & label it as findings. Sata’s demice saw the resurfacing of all worste corrupt individuals bn embraced by the president thru Wako Niwako Maxim and theses are the ones who have formed gvt or control gvt from their homes. They even had their court cases die a natural death? Do u then xpect corruption to be fought in such a stinking scenario? Never at all. Its jst a pity! We need Z to be colonised by Whites once again coz its wen things will b on track!
@ 8 Luci, Sata himself was the Godfather of Corruption, Nepotism, Political violence & intolerance, so lets not tell lies & say Lungu started this rot.
This Sata moved the Road contracts board into his bedroom, & shared the contracts with Thugs like late Willie Nsanda, in the process helping bleed Zambia dry. Chagwa is merely adding finishing touches to the Rot & Curse that Sata unleashed on the poor nation called Zambia, & its people.
Whats wrong with You Zambian’s kansi?? Very short memories, atase!!
Haaah! @ Zimbabwe has paid off IMF debt! the country is messed up coz of corruption. It is broke and about to miss in paying its installments. Balibatana a bailout fund, coz of not sticking to IMF conditions. It is bad, bad!!! Imagine daily cash with draw over the counter is between K100 to K 200 if at all your bank has cash. Banks have run out of cash.You can have money, but can not withdraw!!! That’s why they want to introduce bond notes! But people are resisting, as they suspect that government want to introduce local currency through back door. South Africa has shot itself in the foot, I believe ICC is part of ICJ a court under UN. There are trade disputes concerning world trade, so how are they going to handle such disputes, it is shameful for them.
How will the government investigate the Euro-bond expenditure when they are actually responsible for it. instead the government should give us a 5 years Financial and investment plan since they claim to have one and a short term annual plan. this could be the way to make us understand the wage, employment freeze and the resume of 8 hours load shedding.