In the case of the orphan 48 houses, we have, sitting before us, a reminder to Zambians as to why the majority of Constitutional Ammendments that Minister Lubinda has proposed are dangerous. They go totally against the changes we would be expected to be making, given our reality.
So, yesterday, members of the public were left scraping their collective jaws from the floor. This was because the Anti-Corruption Commission was reported as announcing that it has, in its possession, 48 houses that must have (corruptly) built themselves because no owner can be found.
This leads us back to the FIC report.
Remember that the FIC has told us that between 2015 and 2018 the Treasury lost almost K12 billion to corruption, money laundering, fraud and straight out theft.
That amount is equal to the eurobond we issued in 2015.
In other words, a whole eurobond has gone into private pockets. Citizens, for their part, have been left strangled with punishing debt repayment resulting in crises such as the closure of CBU, removal of student meal allowances, shortage of medicines in hospitals and delayed/non payment of salaries.
Back to the Constitutional Ammendment Bill 10 of 2019.
Bill 10 proposes to remove Parliamentary oversight over debt contraction. Debt, if the Lubinda Bill passes, will be decided on entirley (and secretely) by Cabinet only.
Remember, this is the very Cabinet that has got us into the current crisis as it ignored the current constitutional requirement to get Parliament support for debt contraction.
Further, Bill 10 proposes that the Bank of Zambia will no longer oversee monetary policy. This function will sit, I guess, with the Ministry of Finance. A simple explanation of that is that the Bank of Zambia will have no say on whether we print money or not. Cabinet will decide that alone.
If Bill 10 passes, the President will no longer need to consult the Civil Service Commission in appointing the Secretary to the Treasury. The ST holds the keys to the Treasury. No money comes out of there without his/her signature.
Finally and very worryingly, Lubinda would like the FIC lose its independence and be a department under the DEC muzzled by intelligence laws. In other words, we won’t have the figures included in this post.
The questions that Zambians should ask themselves about all this are:
1. In a situation in which we have not only over-borrowed but whole loans have disappeared, why would we want to ammend our constitution so that debt contraction is easier for the very Cabinet that has got us into this mess
2. Isn’t it because we have such weak controls on debt contraction and use, as well as accountability generally that individuals can steal such mind boggling amounts as to build 48 houses?? Why are we then weakening controls?
I ask again, what informed the Constitutional Ammendments Minister Lubinda is making? Why would you propose to take down the grill doors on a house that has been broken into multiple times? Shouldn’t you be suggesting that perimeter wall should be heightened and razor wire placed on top of it.
Eh kaya ba
#HandsOffOurConstitution #YellowCard
By Laura Miti
Laura, i love you.
PF is the worst thing that has ever happened to Zambia. We need to work on the electoral process so that we can have a government system which reflects the peoples votes. Going by the last election, imagine one half being governed by Lungu (PF) and another being governed by HH (UPND). We would not have this nonsense we are seeing.
Love you too Laura mwah!!!
Laura is a role model of a Good Wife. She is not that hotty, but she got it all. God positioned her heart a centimeter to the right. I am enjoying this soul God sent to Zambia. Keep going Laura.
48 houses, and 48 firetrucks.
Ba Edgar accused HH of not building toilets in Katuba.
But he can’t find anyone to praise for helping Minister of Housing construct 48 house for citizens.
If Ba Edgar squeezed Chitotela 48 times, he will tell him who owns those houses, nangu ni HH kuti azala.
Why are we all pretending that we don’t know who owns those 48 houses? The only logical explanation is that No. 1 owns them. That is why the ACC is giving such illogical explanations!! The owner is a very big fish, if not the biggest.
And some lazy moron is there making utterances with his full cheeks saying show me evidence of corruption…he is not even ashamed that this is happening under his watch – am sure one of his corrupt ministers are linked in this scandal that’s why ACC stopped in their tracks!!
Lora’s analysis is Spot on. PF is desperate to have the Bill Amendment 10 passed by Parliament to ensure and preserve ECL and PF Rule in 2021. They are covering up their theft from past Corrupt Deals and making sure they are not made to account in future corrupt deals should they retain Power. They want the corrupt PF Govt to remain in Power and continue looting. They must be voted out b4 they ruin the Zambian Economy and Peoples lives. Period.
Lusaka Times why are you blocking my comments on pretext of moderation? Stop it .Operate in a more professional manner.The comments are normal and far from some of the most reckless ones I am reading now..
Imwe Ba LT stop blocking my people, who do you think you are, ACC?
It is embarrassing that you can’t handle insults, when your PF is insulting you that you failed to know who are building in your Lusaka. And you call yourself:
LUSAKATIMES. Which Lusaka do you refer to?
I own 35 houses all over the world and it took me 20 years of sweat and blood. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my one and only white vanilla sugar honey swiss wife Elisa . This woman supported me all the way unlike my many African exes who were just milking me dry. Bane it’s only a problem if u amass such houses on a supposed meagre government wage within short time. As for me I have worked for international organisations and my wife Elisa during her employment years was earning over 140000 pounds a year.
Neez l doubt you even one house
This is banditry
How these people sleep at night i don’t know … because everything that goes up must come down so many many examples out there I mean just cross the border not so long ago.
The PF f-o-o-l-s think that law is an impediment but is a protection to the economy and its citizens. Look at the western countries they function well and have developed because the law protects public money which is used to provide useful services needed by the public. In other words law provides a legal and social foundation.
If true very worrying, NO, actually scary! I don’t mean scared for myself or the country, NO, I mean scared for the culprits when their time comes! You can’t be too smart or hide forever, a filthy prison fit for pigs awaits criminals one way or another.
Ba Lubinda cinangwa.We don’t need him in PF.He is so short sighted .Laura Miti we love.Please ba Lungu Lubinda is making you unpopular by such useless bill careful.We PF youths we distance ourselves from Lubinda.We don’t trust him.I’ts like he wanted to be a president in 2021 hence the frustrations.Please don’t allow to make you unpopular
How any cadre can shameless support this is beyond me!!
So sad BUT not surprising that Given Lubinda could sink so low to think of better ways of stealing from Zambians unlimitedly. How could we let a normal Old Ass, Given Lubinda, come up with such stupidity?
Now I understand why even some very dull PF Cadres like Davies Mwila have rejected Lubinda’s Constitution! Without shame, Lubinda is on his own – how much more st.upi.d is he ever going to be?
Lubinda will and must go to prison when there is a change of Govt.
The reason A.C.C alleges they cannot find the owners of those houses is because……………THEY BELONG TO JONA CHAKOLWA, TASILA, & KITOTELA, Chapwa!!!
Look at the PF theives in state house and in cabinet scampering for cover like the rats they are after being exposed by FIC ……
That is why lungu had his mfwiti mfwiti meltdown on a airport runway…..
The release of FIC to the public has left they scampering for cover like rats.
International donners , which Zambia depends on , want to see action.
Zambians are masters of bending rules to enrich themselves. We seem to have a faulty gene which makes us first hate ourselves and second always pressing the self-destruction button. This Lungu, Lungu business is putting wool in people’s eyes and the real vultures are busy stealing. How do you just get up and build 48 houses without a trace? Surely someone must have applied for title deeds for the land, planning permission etc. Pressure should be on ACC to deal with the so-called 48 orphaned houses otherwise suck the boss.
It is possible that Anti-Corruption can not figure it out because they belong to powers at be.
These are the same people with the power to erase the paper trail. Someone worked overnight to make sure this does not trace to anyone in power. But they forgot to attach it to a John Doe.
Great one Laura. Indeed its only in Zambia where we can have miracle houses.
#48 MIRACLE HOUSES!
What a disaster!
She makes a good running mate for any political party
Colleagues…. building 48 houses at an estimated cost of say K600,000 each means the investment “someone” made was K28.8million Kwacha. Now who has that kind of money in this country running a business or from savings from a salary? The source of those funds are clearly from corrupt or illegal activities. It is worrisome that someone can amass such an amount without a trace or report of those funds missing. And to make it worse no business or company can afford to lose that kind let alone make such money just like that. That implies the only place/institution that can have that kind of money and lose is our Government coffers through theft and corruption.
For that very reason ACC cant state that the owner has disowned the houses and so its ok… No freinds… the real issue is where…
did those funds come from? How did we lose that money and no one knows about it? For that reason this implies it is a government theft and abuse of office by office holders just like the FIC have been reporting. There is no real will to follow through to close such massive sink holes of funds in our government yet petty thieves face the full wrath of the law! Come on ACC… don’t allow yourselves to be used like toilet paper!
Lubinda is just a law student, not a qualified lawyer. Don’t expect much of him His assignments are written ffor him by his fellow students He must go to jail after PF goes down period!
The best thing that has come out of these miracle houses ( Even the fake prophets are unwilling to reveal who owns them , Jesus or Moses?) is that the information is out there and since they are in the possession of ACC , they can dispose of them.
The real owners would pop up if there was an advert to auction these houses to the general public. In any case you would expect a minister or the president to make a statement regarding these units and make an appeal for the owners to own up.
A few questions arise in this instance;
1. who is the land registered in?
2. Who was the contractor?
3. Who pays for the services and rates?
It must be EASY to find out the owners of these properties really!
For the Stated reasons and others the NDF inspired Constitutional Amendment Bill must be withdrawn from Parliament. If the Bill is not withdrawn then all MPs are called upon to vote against this Notorious Bill to preserve our Constitutional Democracy in our Country. Let’s all intensify our fight against this Evil Amendment Bill.
Ba N.e.e.z, you are milking Elisa. There is no need to mention her salary on media and not yours. Focuss on the issue and ACC are bluffing. We are not stupid. Do your job as we trained you with public funds.