The Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the UK has criticized British newspaper, the Financial Times for “misleading its readers” regarding the Chinese influence in Zambia.

The FT on October 8 published an article entitled “ TV tax stirs Zambian fears over Chinese debt-trap diplomacy” which touched on the alleged takeover of ZNBC by China.

In the same edition, the FT also published an article entitled “Beijing relations with Ghana raise the emotional heat” which gave a detailed account of Ghana’s Chinese loans.

But in a letter to the FT, Zeng Rong, Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the UK said the reports are pure fabrication.

“First, China has not caused a massive debt burden on African countries. From 2000 to 2016, China supplied $114.4bn in loans to African countries, which accounted for a mere 1.8 per cent of Africa’s total foreign debts,” Mr Zeng said.

“In Ghana’s GHC 213.9bn of foreign debts, China accounts for less than 1.5 per cent. Second, Chinese loans are mostly concessional, with long maturities and low interest rates.”

He said the Chinese loans are primarily aimed at facilitating the continent’s economic take-off and laying the groundwork for long-term development, rather than pursuing short-term hefty profits.

“Third, China is committed to economic co-operation and trade with developing countries including Africa in a mutually beneficial and win-win spirit,” he said.

Ms. Zeng said China provides assistance within its capabilities, and focuses on infrastructure projects and personnel training.

He said this helps enhance African countries’ capacity in self-development and sustainability.

“At the recent Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation, the participating African leaders pledged to further deepen co-operation with China in various fields to achieve common development, mutual benefit and win-win results.”

He added, “It is hoped that Financial Times would produce responsible and fair reports, rather than seeing things from behind tinted glasses and misleading your readers.”

Government has dismissed 13 civil servants who were involved in various offences concerning public funds.

The dismissed officials, mostly from the accounting cadre, are from Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Provincial Administration – Lusaka Province.

Ministry of Finance Spokesperson, Chileshe Kandeta has confirmed the development to ZNBC News.

Mr. Kandeta says under the Ministry of Education, Chizaso Thole, a Senior Accountant, Eliya Mwale, Accountant, Lazarous Chanda, Assistant Accountant and Ivy Sibajene, Accounts Assistant, have been dismissed in accordance with section 21 of the disciplinary Code and procedures for handling offences in the public service.

He also said Moses Thole, Accounts Assistant, under Ministry of Commerce has been dismissed, while Mr. Rogers Mwanza, a Senior Accountant, and Mr. Lukanda Matambo, an Accounts Assistant, were both dismissed from the civil service in December 2017, for similar offences.

Two officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also been dismissed and these are, Noel Mulopa, an Assistant Director of Operations, and Lawrence Phiri an Accountant.

Under the Provincial Administration – Lusaka Province, four officials have been dismissed, namely, Grace Zimba, Psela Banda, Nzewa Chumbu and Gideon Zulu.

Mr. Kandeta said government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public resources through implementation of Public Financial Management Reforms is bearing fruit, after the enactment of the Public Financial Management Act.

Below is the full statement from the Ministry of Finance

GOVERNMENT ACTS AGAINST MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS

Monday, October 22, 2018

The Government, through the Civil Service Commission, has dismissed twelve [12] accounting and one [1] operations staff who were involved in various offences involving public funds. The dismissed officials, mostly from the accounting cadre, are from Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Provincial Administration – Lusaka Province.

Under the Ministry of Education, Mr. Chizaso Thole, a Senior Accountant, Mr. Eliya Mwale, Accountant, Mr. Lazarous Chanda, Assistant Accountant and Ms. Ivy Sibajene, Accounts Assistant, have been dismissed in accordance with section 21 (a)(v) of the disciplinary code and procedures for handling offences in the public service.

Mr. Moses Thole, Accounts Assistant, under Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, has been dismissed, while Mr. Rodgers Mwanza, a Senior Accountant, and Mr. Lukanda Matambo, an Accounts Assistant, were both dismissed from the civil service in December, 2017, for similar offences under the same Ministry.

Two [2] officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been dismissed. These are, Mr. Noel Mulopa, an Assistant Director – Operations, and Mr. Lawrence Phiri an Accountant.

Under the Provincial Administration – Lusaka Province, four [4] officials have been dismissed. These are, Ms. Grace Zimba, a Principal Accountant, Mr. Psela Banda, an Accountant, Ms. Nzewa Chumbu, an Accounts Assistant, and Mr. Gideon Zulu, an Accounts Assistant.

The Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public resources through implementation of Public Financial Management Reforms is bearing substantial fruit – especially after the enactment of the Public Financial Management Act, 2018. The funds misappropriated by the dismissed officials will be recovered from their terminal and pension benefits. In addition, the due process of the law will also be followed to the latter in reaching conclusive positions in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2018.

The Public Financial Management Act, 2018, is now the principal act on public financial management matters. Since its coming into force, the Act has helped to facilitate easy enforcement of regulations; offered clear guidance on management of financial reforms; and, stipulated offences and penalties related to public resources in both local and central government.

The Public Financial Management Act, 2018, is also embedded with provisions that have now operationalized the IFMIS and The Treasury Single Account in law.

Upon the instruction of The Republican President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, and on the guidance of the Minister of Finance, an Internal Audit Oversight Committee has been constituted whose mandate is to make decisions on internal audit reports from Ministries, Provinces and Other Controlling Bodies, and to analyse and give guidance on management reports assigned to respective government institutions by the Auditor General in order to forestall adverse reports in future audits.

The Government of Zambia Internal Audit Oversight Committee is Chaired by the Secretary to the Cabinet and also comprises the Secretary to the Treasury; Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet [Administration]; Controller of Internal Audit – Ministry of Finance; Accountant General – Ministry of Finance; Permanent Secretary [Public Service Management Division – Cabinet Office]; and, Chairpersons of Civil/Public/Teaching/Local Government/Police & Prisons Service Commissions.

Following the upgrading of the Office Controller of Internal Audit to the level of Permanent Secretary by the President, the Ministry of Finance is in the process of strengthening the cohesion and functionality of Audit Committees in Ministries, Provinces and Other Controlling Bodies. The Ministry is also in the process of developing a Risk Management Framework to ensure that, going forward, we achieve a significant reduction and ultimately, elimination of infringements related to the handling; storage; care; and, utilisation of public resources.

We take this opportunity to clarify that a media report stating that over K453, 998 went missing at the Ministry of Finance as a result of the crash of the Integrated Financial Management Information System [IFMIS], is a mix-up. The funds in question relate to the Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission [CCPC] under the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, which were fraudulently paid to an individual for the year ending 31st December, 2017.

The IFMIS, an automated and integrated information technology platform aimed at improving the acquisition, allocation, utilisation and conservation of public financial resources, developed operational dysfunction in January 2018, and was restored in some sites by March, 2018, and following its re-installation in all the configured sites [Ministries and Provinces], became fully operational by the end May, 2018.

The Controller of Internal Audit, an office under the Ministry of Finance which is in charge of internal financial controls in all Ministries, Provinces and Other Controlling Bodies, is currently undertaking a post IFMIS RE-INSTALLATION AUDIT for which a report will be produced once the exercise is completed. Only then, will we know whether there has been any infringement of the provisions of the Public Financial Management Act, 2018, in handling financial transactions during the period when the system was in an unusable state.

Concerning the K453, 998 that is reported to have been paid to an individual instead of Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, we wish to clarify that, the IFMIS is a government wide platform at Ministry of Finance but operated in other Line Ministries and Provinces. One of its most important features is an in-built audit trail configuration. It is this audit-trail configuration which caused the Controller of Internal Audit to trace the suspicious transaction and raise the same in a report shared with the Office of the Auditor General. When the matter was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, under which Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission fall, the leadership of that Ministry acted swiftly and dismissed two individuals who were involved in the fraudulent transaction.

Mr. RODGERS MWANZA, a Senior Accountant, and Mr. LUKANDA MATAMBO, an Accounts Assistant, were both working under the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry at the time they committed the infringement of law on public finance, and were dismissed from the public service in December, 2017. The case is now under investigation of law enforcement agencies and the due process of the law will be followed to the latter in reaching a conclusive end on the matter.

The Ministry of Finance also wishes to confirm that THE REPORT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL ON THE ACCOUNTS OF THE REPUBLIC FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 2017, has been received. The Minister of Finance, Margaret Mwanakatwe, has since instructed the Secretary to the Treasury, Fredson Yamba, to ensure that the report is studied thoroughly and an action taken report prepared before the next Joint Financial Governance Forum for Ministers and Controlling Officers, scheduled for December, 2018.

Chileshe Kandeta

For and on behalf of MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Lawyer, Tutwa Ngulube has said that the Zambia Institute for Advanced Legal Education should not be blamed for poor students results. Mr. Ngulube said that the quality of students coming from Universities leaves much to be desired hence their failure to pass bar exams.

Mr Ngulube told ZNBC News that ZIALE should not compromise standards to accommodate students that are half baked.

But, United States based law professor Kenneth Mwenda has questioned the quality of lecturers at ZIALE. Professor Mwenda says those teaching at ZIALE need to get additional academic qualifications.

Professor Kenneth Mwenda said that being appointed State counsel is not enough to teach law students.

Only 4 out of 384 students who sat for the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) 2017 final intake examinations will be admitted to the bar.

And the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) is disappointed at the number of students who failed the examinations.

Last year ZIALE had a high number of people admitted to the bar, but Lusaka lawyer Dickson Jere explained, early in the year, that ZIALE registered the highest number of students sitting for examinations last academic year, and as such it recorded the highest pass rate, as well as a record high failure rate.