Information has emerged of how Defence Permanent Secretary Stardy Mwale made a US$2 million one off payment to purchase a farm from a white farmer in Mazabuka’s Chikankata area.
But Mr Mwale says he managed to buy the farm using his personal resources because he is a rich man.
Highly placed sources at Ministry of Defence Headquarters have exclusively revealed that Mr Mwale early this year paid US$2 million cash to Mike Arnold, a White Australian farmer to buy part of his vast Simoonga Farm, about 10 KMs from the Mazabuka road to Chikankata mission.
The sources further revealed that the other half of the farm was purchased by millionaire businessman and owner of Inyatsi Construction Ltd Michelo Shakantu.
The sources also revealed that Mr Arnold was astounded that Mr Mwale who bought the bigger portion of the farm paid cash up front.
“The White Farmer has even relocated back to Australia. Before leaving, he kept telling people in and around Chikankata that the transaction was a jackpot for him and he couldn’t believe that a Zambian paid him that much money for a piece of land,” the sources revealed.
“When selling, the farm was split into two. So Shakantu purchased the farm house and other pieces of farm equipment while Mr Mwale got the bigger chunk of the farm land comprising Maize and Cotton fields, as we speak, Mr Mwale and Shakantu are now neighbors.”
And a senior Lusaka lawyer whose law firm provided transaction services over the deal whose identify has been withheld confirmed that Mr Mwale paid cash for the transaction.
“I was also shocked that my client went ahead to settle the purchase amount all in cash. US$ 2million dollars is not a small amount,” the lawyer said.
Meanwhile, the sources have also revealed how Mr Mwale has orchestrated unceremonious transfers of key officials from Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Lusaka to mostly remote areas.
“The last few months, the P.S has been singing off letters sending key staff from procurement and finance to rural areas. It appears he now wants to destroy all the evidence of massive corruption that has taken place since he became P.S,” the source said.
The sources said most officers at Defence Headquarters are living in fear as Mr Mwale is harassing and threatening those that appear to disregard some of his directives.
“For now, all procurements and all payments of suppliers has to be sanctioned by him. No body gets paid unless Stardy knows the supplier. If you appear to be challenging the status quo, he will write you a letter of transfer.”
The sources have since appealed to President Edgar Lungu to take an interest in the happenings the Ministry of Defence.
“There is no way a civil servant, a controlling officer can be moving around with US$ 2 million dollars purchasing farms. This goes to show that he has more money stacked somewhere. But the question is, where did he get all that type of money?”
The source added, “ most local people in Chikankata know that a prominent figure in government bought part of the farm but what they do not know is the details of transaction and who this prominent figure is.”
“You know there is road construction taking place on the Kafue-Mazabuka road but what is interesting is why the project did not involve the entire road from Kafue Turn Park to Monze where it connects to a better Livingstone road. However, the short stretch being done leads to Simoonga Farm which is now owned by Mr Mwale and Mr Shakantu.
The sources have since challenged Mr Mwale to deny the allegations saying they have all the evidence to prove the allegation.
“We challenge him to deny this. We are not doing this with malicious intent. We just want Zambians to know that there are some government officials who are moving around with that kind of money.”
“As we speak, Mr Mwale has started stocking his newly acquired farm with animals. He recently bought lots of cattle from Namwala.
When reached for a comment, Mr Mwale confirmed that he bought the farm from Mr Arnold but disputed the purchase amount.
“Yes I can confirm that I bought Simoonga Farms but not at US$2 million dollars. Nobody can pay all that money for such a dead farm. I can take you there and you see for yourself, it’s a dead farm,” Mr Mwale said on phone.
Pressed further on the purchase price, Mr Mwale said he could reveal the actual price but that it could be “around K600,000 or maybe K1 million or just under K1 million.”
He claimed that he was a very rich man who can buy any farm anywhere.
“If you know me very well, you will know that I am very rich. Infact I used to make more money before I joined government. I bought a brand new Mercedez Benz E-Class from Southern Cross, you can go there and check for yourself,” Mr Mwale claimed.
“When I was in Masaiti, I was one of the biggest farmers there. I had more than 1,000 cattle at my farm. I run Riso Zambia, one of the biggest office equipment suppliers in Zambia. I supply the Ministry of Education, Health and I also deal with the National Assembly. I am a very successful businessman and used to make a lot more money when I was outside government.”
Mr Mwale also charged that the scandals involving his businesses are the work of his enemies.
“These people are just malicious. They started with the Clinic, we are now sorting the issue of the clinic and they bring in Simoonga. It looks like these people just want to finish me off,” Mr Mwale protested.
Sturdy Mwale was until recently a common Cadre in Ndola. The unprecedented theft and corruption in PF is simply evil. These motherphuckers must have an escape plan once out of power starting from that toothy imbecile in statehouse to the lowest cadre in the bus stations because I swear tatwakabaleke. We will change the law with respect to theft of public funds and resources and make it a non-bailable offence so that as you are ferried to court for the next fifteen years you maggots are behind bars.
Ba lebomba mwibala ba lumendo. By directive of the commander in thief. Na tolele fye.
Sturdy. What a name. It smells of bukabwalala bweka bweka. K30 million in cash came from where? What bank assisted in laundering this stolen cash. Where’s the sleeping ACC?
These criminals, awe sure!
So apa manjemanje muzanvela Makebi Zulu na Tutwa saying that it is HH who sold the farm.
Lusambo called for arrest of Stardy Mwale for theft of clinic money. Be focused people.
Stardy didn’t steal a farm.
Cash payment for such a large amount should raise a red flag. I am sure it was to avoid FIC picking it up.
ECL: Why do you appoint criminals as PS? They are just too many
Who authored this article?
Before I comment I must be clear that stories like this that seem to sound like post newspapers articles that were bent at character assassinating people are counter checked.
The brutal narrative of the story requires testing in the courts of law or in investigations by the ACC.
The story be anything to go buy, we speculate that Stardy must have alot of uncompleted projects and the narrative is that he transfers Government project funds for personal projects.
I concur with you, Thorn. If this “source” had so much information, ACC/DEC/ZP officers would have picked up Stardy Mwale by now. Smells like a post/Mmembe style assassination by slander.
“….ACC/DEC/ZP officers would have picked up Stardy Mwale by now….”
PF rats musterb.ating lies as usual , we all know ACC/DEC/ZP Only act on political opponents of lungu when lungu farts ….
There are just too many crooks in Zambia. President Lungu can appoint from the UPND, they end up being murderers. He appointed Professor Luo my favorite, she ended up starting fights with students. Now fish and cows are suffering. At P.S level they crooks started in the MMD.
SkyLab – of course FIC picked up given that he paid cash through his lawyers. They don’t have powers to arrest.
@1.9 Spaka
When you begin not to make universal sense I switch to PF defences. When you get to unsubstantiated claims and speculations the salt of the story is removed and the discussion becomes political.
I refused to be bent by Mmembe’s tabloids for his malicious articles, I detested ZWD for their biasness in my one day perusal of the site and I have found havens on this podium LT where we can debunk falsehood and uphold progressive narratives. Who do you want to believe this US$2 million hoax. Who wrote this article? I am moments away from declaring this story fake news.
The last person u’ll hear from on this issue is ECL.
It’s one of those moments when I get so depressed that I nudge myself and ask if I’m awake. If this is wht Africans can do to their own kind, why should former slaving nations apologize for slavery and and colonialism? If Africans can’t act in the interests of the their own countries and their people, why should foreigners do?
Not surprised. We’re living in crooked Lungu’s Zambia. The ACC, the DEC, the police should look into this and if it’s confirmed that this guy is a bandit like the bandit we have in the State House, then he should forfeit his ill- gotten assets and send his behind to prison for life. The chief bandit in State House, robbing the Zambians blind, will be arrested once he loses the 2021 election. Then we’ll recover everything he has stolen from us. PF bandits.
We shall know them by there fruits
HH is a “Privatization Theft Rich Man” and Paradise Papers have confirmed that! They have also confirmed that he is a Tax evader. Meanwhile Africa fimomo has confirmed that he supports sex HAGAINST the HORDER of NATURE.
My message to all Zambians….please 2021 vote PF bandits out….i don’t care who you will vote for but definitely not PF bandits….enough is enough……and all these thieves should be brought to Justice….just like Kapoko…..
Zambians busy celebrating Lungu holiday declaration and jumping up and down like monkeys whilst Lungu and Stardy Mwale are busy filling their pockets…buy the time sleepy Zambians are waking up from the 5 days hungover US$ 2 million is gone .
Zambia….what a backward country
Zambia….anything goes…Broad day bandits and Lungu is the Bandit in chief
Meno meno tefintu, thats why we need HH to follow these bandits to the latter. Kalaba may end up forgiving them.
GOVERNMENT WORKER GETTING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?????? MWIBALA
Mutale
The f00l has the chick to confirm that he has contracts with government, these pipo will not even need a prosecutor, let him just open his mouth and he will be marching himself to jail…
Imagine Mutale. People are rich aaai ati “around K600,000 or maybe K1 million or just under K1 million.” Wait any minute now there will be a headline “HH forces PS to buy farm” bad HH, very bad HH.
@My Life is a movie. This Mwale could have learnt tricks from HH
@Malio I see your point but yet we still fail to arrest and cage some of these cr00ks
He could be rich. But who will believe him without evidence? Everyone says they used to make more money outside govt. Remember Wynter Kabimba? After he got flashed out of govt he started failing to pay even for rent.
So this Mwale he is mostly a government supplier and he calls that successful business man? That is cheating. These are the people overpricing contracts by more than 3 times the market price.
Pf cadres are stealing through overpricing contracts and President Lungu too incompetent and complicit.
What does the law say about money laundering and how much did ZRA collect from him. It’s very easy to boost about being rich when ZRA doesn’t know where you getting those millions.
Its time to see if those teeth can bite
I wonder why LT has to moderate me when I just commented truthfully
Sturdy. What a name! It smells of bukabwalala bweka bweka. K30 million in cash came from where? What bank assisted in laundering this stolen cash. Where’s the sleeping ACC?
I am sure the Alfa will only say he is surprised and then go back to sleep
AMEND THE CONSTITUTION SO THAT ACC OFFICIALS CAN ONLY BE HIRED AND FIRED BY PARLIAMENT THAT WAY THEIR BOSS WILL BE THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE. ALSO AMEND THEFT BY PUBLIC SERVANT TO CARRY A LIFE SENTENCE
This would be the most progressive way of governance placing power where it belongs in the people! It should extend confirmation of appointments to critical positions that are sensitive to advancing the national economy including ministers! This is the kind of proposals that parliament would have been better dealing with than the divisive trivialities being debated! ACC in its current administration is a “sniffer dog” for the leadership of a party in government!
Thieving is the new normal. I don’t get moved now. Just like when ZESCO power delays to go I wonder what problem the company could have – suspecting the switch to have jammed.
Ifinti ni Lungu, Vote Lungu in 2021, the man was chosen by God we can not do anything about it.
One of the angels put a hallucinogen in God’s drink when he picked this twit of a president as leader.
Ni Lungu fye mwe as things stand.
Vote secured in vault for now.
A wina iyi yeve.
All rich people are thieves
He’s a natural thief this one
it appears in Government circles particularly with regards to the big Fish, there are allowed to do business with Government departments without declaring conflict of interests and can even brag about it.This is the more reason we are sinking as a Country. It also shows that There are a lot of these Companies in Zambia owned by these Politicians who are defrauding Government coffers through dubious tenders etc and with impunity.
Its high time, action was taken and this scourge came to a halt otherwise we will be finished.
Just look at the photo and you can see he is a gangster.
I don’t know why people are acting surprised at such stories, this is the norm under lungu……and don’t be surprised if the other half of that farm is for lungu and his family……where you find inyatsi , you find presidential corruption
Under lungu , the president who does not deny that he is a corrupt thief, stealing and looting is the norm bane….
Just get used to it….for now until you get rid of lungu.
HE IS SHOULDER HIGH INTO CORRUPTION, CANT SEE BEYOND HIS NOISE.
If this Sturdy Mwale can brag about his business deals with Government and the National Assembly, the how much business is his boss doing with Government ministries? This is proper insider trading. By the way Mwale is only a PS what about the Ministers, they should also be suppliers to government institutions. Wake Up Zambia.
These ways were set up under Chiluba and the MMD. Chiluba and HH sold our mines for a song. Then came the Dr. Mitis of the Mwanawasa years, then the Euro Bonds of the Sata years; poor Lungu has to deal with the fact that this is the information age. We know all before even he does sometimes. If the president can get smarter, he can become one if the not the greatest presidents Africa has ever had. Wishful thinking on my part I know. All these crooks need to go, from the PF to the UPND.
At least Chiluba used to urge the public to show him evidence but what evidence does our current president require. Councillors buying road machinery, people having the cheek to build in road reserves, party cadres collecting money at markets and bus stations, government officials boasting about government contracts and even failing to execute some of the contracts, houses without owners, forest land shared among government officials and so on. The buck stops at the president. KK’s leadership code was another extreme because even genuine people were not allowed to develop.
We Hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
Pilfering of public funds through revolving door of friends and benefactors should carry a death penalty by firing squad.
For Mr Mwale to claim to be rich sounds ridiculous .Curiosity make me wonder what it really means to be rich and on simple analysis I realise it’s a tall order for an African still struggling to not only own their own land but also manage it not to mention the meagre skills and resources at our disposal . Ask yourself why you feel like skinning Mr Mwale alive and you realise it’s out of the simple frustration of failing to make your childhood wire car to fly. If you can’t make even a simple machine to create capital you remain poor and that’s Africa for you
Mr Mwale early this year paid US$2 million cash to Mike Arnold on government credit card.
The sad thing is even as everyone smells a rat in this “I run Riso Zambia, one of the biggest office equipment suppliers in Zambia. I supply the Ministry of Education, Health and I also deal with the National Assembly. I am a very successful businessman” come 2021 when such a person ‘crosses’ to UpNd…he will be welcomed as a hero and considered a ‘scoop’ by hh….and then when we don’t vote for him for embracing certain persons he will say polls were rigged…let me goggle riso and see what I come up with
This story is a sham. No real meat but bones. Speculation, innuendo and rumors
I lose interest when stories go like “Meanwhile, the sources have also revealed that… “.
I am like whose your source punk? What source you 1d10t? Stop wasting my time, I am a busy person …”the source has added that”… yada yada. The writer and the source have no balls to come out in the open and assert their story.
Be like bold men on the flip side. The Makebis, Chandas, Sinkambas and Tutwas of this world. Diarrhea mouthed CKinsultors of this world. The Sejani’s Only a Tonga mantra. They are never in shells. They say it as it is. Those are credible sources. We know them. They spill the beans. They will call you a liar outrightly. 48 houses ati awe iwe its actually 51…
Usually such so called sources can’t even testify in the Courts of Law.
Mr . Mwale May have issues with corruption hence he was dealing with Chimanse but for this story I need to wait for more finding.I have no doubt to believe that the “ SOURCE “ is UPND zealot.
Let’s wait for more updates on this matter.
Sounds like unfair contemplations.
We can’t blame people for being wealthy.
The only irony in this matter is that Zambians are purchasing back large tracts of their own land heritage from Westerners. Be careful not to sell your assets to foreigners or you will need to buy them back.
The President should fire this guy. Better for him to resign actually.
LET’S ROLL!
The smart Zambian enterprise working at full throttle.
You see now what comes with the ‘ubomba mwibala,alya mwibala slogan? Every Jack n Jill wants to plunder everything around them including this Mwale fool.
Hakawine pa pa last mwe.
Sharon azala pa last!
Drain the swamp.
Not so long time ago, there was a certain Mr Sorry Dr Edgar C Lungu who used to call for evidence whenever any of his thieving cohort was mentioned. It will be very interesting when is told one of his *****s has gotten $2 million from under his pillow to buy a virgin field.
Zambians are a strange species. They will turn a blind eye to Rampant stealing
Pf government to pay $35000 cash each Chipolopolo player if they beat Algeria in afcon qualifier.
Useless government on this planet.We have some workers in parestartal companies who have gone months without getting paid,i.e zampost workers, 7 months arrears.Why cant this government help the dwindling zampost?
Zambia is being lead by a nincompoop.Lets work together and vote this government in 2021 for the betterment of our childrens.
Stop critisizing let us join hands and work as a team to develop this country together. Critisizing will not take this country forward, always when you talk too much you benefit less. Because you’re exhosting your energy in critisizing instead of offering a solution of developing your own business etc…… Zambians wake up why china is developing they don’t but work, but us we sleep and talk…….
2 million dollars is nothing, ignorance is a disease. We have minerals in this country. You people flood RTSA offices,shoprite and night clubs you have never visited ministry of mines for inquiries. Use what you have. It pains me. Four colours on the Zambian flag. Black,red green and ORANGE for minerals. You have the RIGHTS to own land. Kavindele sold his piece of land to the Chinese at a give away price now see what the Chinese have done at mukulumpe farms.( turn off mufurila). Look at the number of people they have employed. Sir, Mr PS call me we survey your land may be they are minerals. You need to employ these hungry Zambian.
What is of interest is here is a public officer bragging that his private company Riso is the biggest in Zambia which supplies various MINISTRIES ,my question is where does this leave an ordinary Zambian who runs a like business, will he ever get a contract or they be circulation of wealth amongst those in gvt.
Until he is proven guilty, then let him refund all the money as the government is in a hurry to make sure that those with dirty hands are enemies to National development and are not supporting the vision of the party and the President Dr. Edgar Changwa Lungu. Leaders in public offices you’re there to hold hands with the Rupublican President and help him to put the developmental agenda first. The President has trusted you as good service men and women in the public offices.