Socialist Party President Fred M’membe has swiftly moved to lend support to the recently fired permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr George Magwende.
In a post on his Facebook page, Dr M’membe acknowledged that Dr Magwende has been very close to him for many years, going back to 1992 when he entered Medical School in Lusaka, adding that he has been a brother and Comrade of his for many years and that the Dr Magwende he knows is very different from the one who is being summoned to the the Anti Corruption Commission ACC over corruption allegations.
Dr M’membe said that Dr Magwende is an absolutely incorruptible man, an honest and selfless human being and he has no doubt whatsoever that Dr Magwende cannot engage in the abuses that are being insinuated and bandied around, further adding that, if anything, Dr Magwende can only be victimised for his integrity – inability to do wrong things and his courage to say no to wrong schemes.
Dr M’membe further said that by being fired, Dr Magwende has been investigated, charged, tried and judged by President Hakainde Hichilema, and has been found guilty.
“With these happenings, what would be expected of the ACC? To disagree with the President’s verdict?” he Dr M’membe questioned.
Below is the full post
YES, DR MAGWENDE IS CLOSE TO ME
There has been some ceaseless media reports that Dr George Magwende has been fired from his job as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health because of his connection or association with me. It cannot be denied that Dr Magwende has been very close to me for many years, going back to 1992 when he entered Medical School here in Lusaka. I can say he has been a brother and Comrade of mine for many years. And the Dr Magwende I know is very different from the one who is being summoned to the ACC.
The Dr Magwende I know is an absolutely incorruptible man, an honest and selfless human being. This is a man who has undertaken very risky humanitarian assignments in Mozambique and Malawi when those sister nations were hit by floods in the early 2000s. The Dr Magwende I know is a doctor who I had asked to go to eastern Congo in 2000 to take care of the ill brothers and sisters in response to the request from President Laurent Kabila. All this was for no pay.
The Dr Magwende I know is one who responded favourably to my request to help President Hakainde Hichilema and ensure his health and safety when he was incarcerated at Mukobeko Maximum Prison where Dr Magwende was the Head of Health Services and the only active medical officer. And Dr Magwende paid a very high price doing this – he was fired from his job.
And here we are talking about a very young man with very young children and a young wife being jobless. I am talking about a trained officer with the discipline of a loyal lieutenant.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Dr Magwende cannot engage in the abuses that are being insinuated and bandied around. If anything, Dr Magwende can only be victimised for his integrity – inability to do wrong things and his courage to say no to wrong schemes.
And if he had done something wrong as a serving Civil Servant, what measures were taken to charge him and hear his side of the story? By being fired, Dr Magwende has been investigated, charged, tried and judged by the President, and has been found guilty. With these happenings, what would be expected of the ACC? To disagree with the President’s verdict?
This is certainly not the best way to treat other human beings. Yes, corruption must be resolutely fought, but it must be fought in a just, fair and humane manner.
One thing about DR Mmembe you cannot sweep anything under the carpet for him ,he will dig deeper.i would mention here that the appointment of ACC director was not done in good faith most of us know he is a UPND sympathiser who will be taking instructions from state house.The Question is was the President correct in his statement that his appointments will be made on merit
Well, let’s just wait for the due process of the law to take place and then we will who Dr Magwende really is. I also know Dr Magwende from his clinic, St. George’s clinic. He is a good medical Doctor
The young man is being victimised. But like Mmembe has said, he will come out clean.
The minister has acted unfairly by reporting falsehood to the president.
IT ALL STARTED IN LIVINGSTONE……….. what really happened in Livingstone?
I think GRZ are desperate to fix the chaotic health sector……………
Silvia masebo is probably out of her depth at that ministry…………..
So you also know that masebo is a waste of of space…. Sata tried to shield her from being exposed in a scandal involving her then ministry.
Deja vu
Some of us don’t carry luggage in as far as mediocrity and service delivery is concerned………
Same Party , tribe or relative…………
You don’t deliver……you are for the chopping board
…”Very highly likely”he refused an open invitation to fvck the infected Masebo…
The best hh would have done is fire masebo and appoint Dr Magwende as MoH Minister
I agree with the 2 posts above……..
Masebo is becoming a liability………
That posts needs someone who has experience in medical science and procurement of supplies…………..
Busy defending someone even before evidence is produced just because one is a friend and this man wants to stand for higher office.
I never take what Mmembe says without a pinch of salt but I doubt whether he is lying here. If Dr Magwende is what Mmembe portrays why is he being harrassed? Is HH such a sadistic nincompoomp that he just attacks for lust? Are we seeing his real side now?
No matter how hard you try or how long it takes, the truth will always come out. So, if Dr Magwende is being victimised, in due course he shall be exonerated and the real culprits shall be seen in broad day light. We can sympathise with his current situation but let’s us not jump to judgement yet. All human are fallible, no matter how we know them personally. Let the law take its course and I am sure that the President will be the first to apologise to Dr Magwende and re-appoint him if at all he’s found innocent.
Zambian media is crazy. Swiftly? The man was fired one week ago!
Are you giving us imagined headlines?
Refuse to align with the requirements of their businesses, you are done.
mmeembee is just and it is apparent he is busy identifying and corruptly supporting those who might have siphoned huge sums of money from govt with a sinful hope of maklng them join and channel the stollen money to his party. Ccrruption can make even some credidiblepeople..remember jesus knew judas escariot as trusted man and thats why jesus appointed hin as a treasurer but because of corruption he changed so membe should shut his beak over mangwende who he knew 50 years ago in school. and whoever supports any element of corrution must be a big fool
I don’t like Masebo. She doesn’t strike me as a leader who will drive positive change.
In 2011 Masebo lost the Chongwe seat to Mwakalombe. But because of something I still don’t understand Mwakalombe surrounded the seat to Masebo. There after Sata appointed her as full cabinet minister and accusations against her started. She ditched the PF because she didn’t like Edgar Lungu. But strictly speaking she is not better than Lungu…her track record is testimony enough.
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mmeembee is just broke and it is apparent he is busy identifying and corruptly supporting those who might have siphoned huge sums of money from govt with a sinful hope of maklng them join and channel the stollen money to his party. Ccrruption can make even some credidible people to change..remember jesus knew judas escariot as trusted man and thats why jesus appointed hin as a treasurer but because of corruption he changed so membe should shut his beak over mangwende who he knew 50 years ago in school. and whoever supports any element of corrution must be a big fool
membe has now lost value in the eyes of many. but i think he is just too broke and desperate hence corruptly supporting those suspected to have siphoned huge amounts of money from govt with a hope of making them join his party and channel the purportedly stollen money to his party. corruption if left unchecked as it was under pf can change even the most credible or trusted people. remember what happened to judas escariot. he was trusted by jesus and thats why he was even appointed as treasurer general but later changed and bbecame the most corrupt on earth. so membe shouldn’t think that magwende he had knowt to be credible about 50 years a go ,,,,,,,,,,,,,remained the same under the practice of corruption under pf