Transparency International Zambia TIZ has demanded that Government silently and quickly reinstate the clause of the abuse of office offence in the revised Anti Corruption Commission Act that has been removed.

This came to light last week when Katuba Member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa questioned the Vice president during the vice president’s question time in Parliament as to why Government has removed the clause from the revised ACC Act which will be presented to parliament for amendment.

Transparency Executive Director Goodwell Lungu says it is not too late for the Government to reverse the grave mistake made by removing the clause for unknown reasons.

Mr Lungu explained that the complete removal of the clause from the ACC Act will completely kill the fight against graft in the country, in view of the high corruption levels.

[pullquote]Vice-President Kunda last Friday threatened Katuba MMD Member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa when the latter questioned government’s motive for removing the offence of abuse of office from the revised ACC Act during the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament.[/pullquote]

He also observed that the move by Government is contradictory to the African Convention against Corruption as well as the United Nations guidelines and provisions on the fight against Corruption to which Zambia is a signatory.

He said there was need for amendments to the Anti Corruption Commission Act which will build confidence in the people of Zambia with regards the fights against corruption and not amends which will only benefit a few individuals.

Mr Lungu said Government should rescind its decision to remove the clause from the Act if it is aware about what is best for the Zambians.

And Mr Lungu said there need to consider broadening the definition of what constitute corrupt acts and abuse of office.

He also reaffirmed the need for ACC commissioners’ appointments to be ratified by Parliament.

Vice-President Kunda last Friday threatened Katuba MMD Member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa when the latter questioned government’s motive for removing the offence of abuse of office from the revised ACC Act during the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament.

QFM

GOVERNMENT has instituted investigations to establish how K1.7 billion has allegedly been misappropriated at the Lusaka City Council (LCC).

Minister of Local Government and Housing Eustarckio Kazonga said Government is seeking a comprehensive forensic audit to trace the money and the culprits involved in the alleged scam.

Dr Kazonga said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Government is concerned and disappointed with people that are misapplying public funds, adding that stringent measures have been put in place to ensure that the culprits are punished.

He said police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have moved to the LCC to investigate the matter.

“We have instituted investigations to establish how the K1.7 billion went missing at the LCC, these are funds that were meant for service delivery but now, people are misusing the funds.

“These people are frustrating Government efforts in the delivery of quality and improved service to the people,” Dr Kazonga said.

Dr Kazonga said once investigations are concluded, Government will act in accordance with the recommendations that the investigative agencies will come up with.

He said Government is concerned with the missing funds and that it wants an account of how the local authority will recover the money that was misapplied.

Dr Kazonga said Government has set up financial regulations to ensure that all local authorities spend money on service provision and less on personal emoluments.

“We have just concluded our internal audit and what I can confirm now is that K1.7 billion has been misused. We have asked the Anti-Corruption Commission and police to move in and investigate the matter because we suspect more funds have been stolen,” he said.

Dr Kazonga said his ministry is working out measures to ensure that development targets are attained in all the 72 local authorities.

The statutory audit reports for 2008/9 have revealed irregularities in the Patriotic Front-run councils.

In April, this year Mr Kazonga gave LCC, Ndola City Council and Kitwe City Council a 60-day ultimatum to prepare an action-oriented report in which the local authorities are expected to explain how they would correct the weaknesses in the management of resources.

Dr Kazonga also wanted an account of how the councils would recover the misapplied funds, set up financial regulations and ensure that they spend more funds on service provision and less on personal emoluments.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

PARLIAMENTARY chief whip Vernon Mwaanga says a formal complaint against former Minister of Defence George Mpombo will be lodged to Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa in a proper manner if it is established that Mr Mpombo breached parliamentary privileges.

Mr Mpombo, who is MMD Kafulafuta member of Parliament (MP), is reported to have breached parliamentary privileges when he recently commented on the proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act outside the House.

In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwaanga said Parliament has its own internal procedures for determining breaches of parliamentary privileges by members of the House.

“Should it become necessary, a formal complaint will be lodged to the Speaker in a proper manner against Mr Mpombo. And should the Speaker deem it necessary, he will then refer such a complaint to the committee on privileges, absences and support services,” he said.

Mr Mwaanga said once the Speaker refers the complaint to the committee on privileges, absences and support services, an inquiry will be instituted into the matter.

He said after analysing the complaint, the committee will then make a rational determination and recommend appropriate sanctions against Mr Mpombo.

Meanwhile, the Copperbelt Welfare and Environmental Protection Association has accused Mr Mpombo of allegedly abusing parliamentary privileges and ethics by debating an issue outside the National Assembly.

Association president Sydney Njamba said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Mpombo’s behaviour is a clear case of misconduct because he went outside the House and criticised an issue before the House without due regard for parliamentary proceedings.

“Mr Mpombo went to the media to insult Vice-President George Kunda arising from a parliamentary debate which is a clear indication that he does not respect authority and Parliament and penalties that go with such behaviour should be applied,” Mr Njamba said.

He said Mr Mpombo’s alleged undesirable attitude to the Vice-President has the potential to encourage media comments that can undermine the National Assembly.

Mr Njamba said Mr Mpombo should realise that the Vice-President is the leader of Government business in the House and that what he says in Parliament represents Government’s views.

“So, to direct missiles at Mr Kunda as though he was representing his personal position is a misplaced way of looking at things,” he said.

Mr Njamba said Mr Mpombo is a veteran MP who should know that if he had commented on the proposed amendments to the ACC Act in Parliament, he would have been protected.

“We wish to state here that the recent behavioural impropriety by Mr Mpombo is yet another illustration of a politician who has taken practices of social immorality to new extremes and should not be trusted,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

CHIEF Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha yesterday said former minister of Defence George Mpombo breached parliamentary etiquette when he commented on the proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act outside the National Assembly business.

And MMD chairperson for information and publicity Dora Siliya said the ruling party was now surprised that a man who served as minister of Defence could exhibit such reckless behaviour against his appointing authorities.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said Mr Mpombo should disclose the reasons for his demotion from the position of minister of Energy to that of deputy minister for Copperbelt Province by late president Levy Mwanawasa before he could start condemning others over corruption matters.

Gen Shikapwasha said the Kafulafuta Member of Parliament did not have the right to insult the vice-president before the amendments were officially introduced to the National Assembly as a Bill.

He said prior to the Bill being introduced to National Assembly, MPs were restrained from debating classified information to the media and warned that charges of illegality could be preferred against Mr Mpombo.

The standing orders in the National Assembly were documented as regards to matters that were already on record as having been put together for purposes of consumption by the National Assembly.

Gen Shikapwasha was commenting on the The Post newspaper of yesterday which carried unprintable material against vice president George Kunda claiming that he intended to remove some aspects from the ACC Act.

Gen Shikapwasha, who is also minister of information and broadcasting services, said Mr Mpombo did not have the right to condemn anyone until he explains why he was demoted.
He said the Government would not allow Mr Mpombo to insult the vice-president who had done a lot in fighting corruption while Mr Mpombo did not have any track record in that regard.

The minister said Government was aware why Mr Mpombo was demoted but would allow him to disclose to the public.

He wondered what Mr Mpombo had done in the fight against corruption and that the only record that existed was that he was demoted as cabinet minister.

Meanwhile, Gen Shikapwasha has cautioned Zambians not to be excited by the promises from some opposition politicians whose track records speak volumes of selfishness and greed.

Gen Shikapwasha said Zambians should not be excited at the promises that opposition politicians were making, but they should critically analyse their track records and how they had acquired their wealth, before they could listen to their promises.

It was shocking that some opposition politicians, who had contributed to the problems the MMD Government was trying to solve, were the ones promising people that they would revive the country’s economy.

Gen Shikapwasha said it was sad and disappointing that some opposition politicians were so desperate to form government and that they had resorted to telling lies about the Government and making promises that they would not fulfil.

“Most of the promises that the opposition politicians are making are mere lies and so Zambians should not be excited by these fake promises, but should critically analyse these promises.

“Some of these opposition politicians who are making promises of improving people’s lives have a track record of selfishness and greediness and one wonders how they can improve people’s lives,” he said.

And General Shikapwasha has advised Zambians to look at the way some opposition political party leaders were running their political parties before they could give them chance to rule Zambia.

He said some opposition political party leaders have no human interest at heart as evidenced from the way, they were running their political parties and it would be disastrous to give them the Republican presidency.

Meanwhile, Gen Shikapwasha has urged the media to desist from promoting hatred among politicians and concentrate on highlighting developmental and progressive debates that will benefit the people in various parts of the country.

He said he was saddened that some sections of the media were only reporting about political mudslinging when they were supposed to report on developmental issues and the various challenges and problems facing the country in its efforts to achieve economic recovery.

The media had a critical role to play in maintaining peace in the country and it was imperative that the private and public media were responsible and objective in their reporting so that they do not promote hatred among politicians.

And Ms Siliya said the MMD would deal sternly with the political future of Mr Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande for their continued attacks on President Banda and Mr Kunda.

She said the attacks were unjustified and was certain that they would be shunned even by the opposition political parties.

[Times of Zambia]

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has warned Government officials and the beneficiaries of the various empowerment funds to strictly use and account for the money as requested and approved.

And President Banda has cautioned farmers against selling their maize to briefcase traders who are buying the produce at low prices.

Mr Banda strongly warned and urged Government officials and the beneficiaries of the Constituency Youth Development Fund (CYDF) and the Citizens Economic Empowerment funds to strictly use and account for the money as requested and approved for.

He said the Government through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) had disbursed funds to each province hence the need for officials and the beneficiaries to strictly use and account for the money accordingly.

President Banda said this in Monze yesterday in a speech read for him by Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarckio Kazonga during the 15th Lwiindi Gonde traditional ceremony of the Tonga people of Southern Province.

The empowerment funds were targeted at empowering youths, women, people living with HIV/AIDS, the physically challenged and citizens who had been historically marginalised and disadvantaged.

Currently, Southern Province has 27 business persons that have benefited from the empowerment fund.

President Banda also warned farmers over the ongoing crop marketing especially maize which was Zambia’s staple food.

“People should sell the maize and reserve for the consumption and desist from selling to briefcase businessmen and women at lower price who in turn even export the maize and create food shortage,” Mr Banda said.

In Southern Province, Government disbursed 155,888 bags of fertiliser and 139,115 bags of 10 kilogramme seeds in Monze last year in which 320 households benefited in the District.

President Banda also said the Government was in the process of resuming cattle restocking programme which was stopped due to the Contagious Bovine Pleura-pneumonia (CBPP), a livestock disease.

Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe was happy that there was unity and peace at the ceremony.

“We need to remove political tags at such important ceremonies so that people appreciate them,” he said.

Speaking earlier, paramount Chief Monze urged the police service to allow many people attend the ceremony which ends today.

Chief Monze noted that some people were scared to attend the ceremony due to the heavy presence of the police.

Lwiindi Gonde traditional ceremony patron Hakainde Hichilema said there was need to promote unity amidst different tribes and languages in Zambia.

Mr Hichilema said Lwiindi Gonde traditional ceremony was all about celebrating culture and heritage and that the ceremony focused to celebrate ancestors who helped to have good rains and harvest.

Lwiindi Gonde ceremony Organising committee chairperson Rex Natala urged the Government to recognise Chief Monze as paramount chief.

Mr Natala said Chief Monze was recognised and gazetted in 1929 as a paramount chief.