THE Government has been urged to thoroughly investigate alleged cases of corruption committed during the reign of late president Levy Mwanawasa as revelations coming out suggest rampant abuse of public funds in his era.

New Revolution Party (NRP) president, Cosmo Mumba, said in Lusaka yesterday that while the late Dr Mwanawasa could have genuinely wanted to fight corruption, what the people under him did suggested otherwise.

Mr Mumba said the corruption that the Government under President Rupiah Banda was being blamed for actually happened under Dr Mwanawasa.

“The Mwanawasa Government committed a lot of corrupt practices hidden under the purported fight against corruption which was only targeted at Dr Frederick Chiluba and his regime,” he said.

He said the corrupt practices committed under Dr Mwanawasa if properly investigated would lead to the arrest of more senior officials than the investigative wings were currently dealing with.

Mr Mumba said it was surprising that the Government could decide to abolish the Central Board of Health, which provided serious safeguards against theft of funds intended for health.

He said the investigative wings should seriously probe the relationship between officials in the Ministry of Health and the commercial banks that they were dealing with.

He said even the ministers who worked in the Mwanawasa Government should be probed because it appeared that a lot of money was stolen, while attention was focused only on the Chiluba administration.[quote]

Meanwhile, Lusaka Province Minister, Lameck Mangani, has said the president will not shield any corrupt minister or civil servant because he hates corruption.

Mr Mangani said in Lusaka yesterday that the Dennis Chirwa tribunal that was set to probe Dora Siliya’s alleged corrupt practices was an example.

He said this when the MMD women’s wing went to his office to show solidarity with Mr Banda and his stance in the fight against corruption.

The minister said Mr Banda never wrote a letter to anyone that Ms Siliya should be cleared but that the judiciary acted according to its jurisdiction and cleared her.

MMD women acting chairperson, Tafira Lubinda, said the women commended Ms Siliya for being calm during the tribunal.

“We stand in solidarity with her zeal to fight on for her rights considering that she is a woman,” she said.

Ms Lubinda commended the unions and the Government representatives for the manner in which they conducted negotiations for workers’ salaries.

She said the women were disappointed with United Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema for allegedly inciting nurses and civil servants to continue with their strike.

She said this showed how immature Mr Hichilema and some political parties were.

[Times of Zambia]

UPND President, Hakainde Hichilema, has denied allegations that he is inciting striking workers in the country to continue with their work stoppage.

Mr. Hichilema says all he has done is to push government to engage unions in serious discussions.

He said no leader can encourage workers to go on strike.

On Tuesday, Chief government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikwapsha, warned opposition political party leaders of possible treason charges if they incite employees to stay away from work.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha alleged that Mr. Hichilema is one of the leaders encouraging workers to continue with their strike.

He said the UPND leader risk being prosecuted for his actions.

Health workers country wide are on strike to press for better conditions of service.

Unions representing the workers have agreed to the 15 percent pay rise offered by government.

However, the workers have rejected the offer.

[ZNBC]

President Rupiah Banda has with immediate effect reappointed former Communications and Transport Minister Dora Siliya to cabinet following the High Court Judgment which has cleared her of any wrongdoing.

In a media statement made available to ZANIS by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Dickson Jere, Ms Siliya will now serve as Education Minister.

President Banda has since moved the Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa to the Ministry of Communications and Transport.

Yesterday , the Lusaka High Court cleared Ms Siliya of the Dennis Chirwa lead tribunal’s findings which stated that the former minister of Communication had breached the constitution in the manner she handled the RP Capital Partners issue.

High Court Judge Philip Musonda quashed the tribunal’s findings that Ms Siliya breached the constitution when she ignored the Attorney General’s advice over RP capital partners.

Ms. Siliya resigned from her ministerial position after the judgment of the tribunal findings.

Meanwhile, President Banda has constituted a five-Member Cabinet Committee to find a lasting solution to the ongoing financial and technical problems at the state-owned Zambia Telecommunications Corporation (ZAMTEL).

The committee comprises Finance and National Planning Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Communications and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa as well as the Mines and Mineral Resources Minister Maxwell Mwale.

Others are Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Felix Mutati and his Energy and Water Development counterpart Kenneth Konga.

Mr. Banda has further directed all Permanent Secretaries serving under the ministries in the Cabinet Committee to form a technical committee which will serve the Cabinet Committee.

Meanwhile, Lusaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani has called on Zambians to respect the verdict of the court that has cleared former Minister of Communications and Transport Dora Siliya of the tribunal findings that she breached the constitution in the manner she handled the RP Capital Partners issue.

Mr. Mangani says the rule of law should be allowed to prevail as Zambia is a country guided by law as embodied in the republican constitution.[quote]

He said President Rupiah Banda’s administration will continue to subject its management of the country to the constitution.

Mr. Mangani said this is why President Banda did not interfere in the Dora Siliya tribunal investigations adding that President Banda is committed to the fight against corruption in the country

He was speaking when he addressed Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) women cadres at his office in Lusaka today.

Mr. Mangani has further called on Zambians to desist from blaming President Banda for high levels of corruption in government.

He said it is the responsibility of all Zambians to desist from engaging in corruption and to report corrupt elements to law enforcement agents.

And acting MMD Women’s Chairperson Tafura Lubinda said the MMD women were cheered by the verdict of the court that cleared Ms. Siliya.

ZANIS

ZANIS

Renowned local musician Maiko Zulu has called on the corporate world to supplement government efforts in helping raise and improve the standards of prisons in the country.

Mr. Zulu says the private sector can contribute to bettering the welfare of inmates and the less privileged in society by exercising their social responsibility.
He lamented that the plight of prisoners in Zambia was bad hence the need to complement the efforts of government.

Mr. Zulu was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today after making a donation of assorted goods that included books, clothes and bath soap to Kamwala Remand prison.

The reggae artist said he was compelled to make the donation after his stint at the remand prison following drug charges against him.

ZANIS

Embattled MMD Mazabuka Central Chairman, Davis Bbilika has been suspended with immediate effect for allegedly de-campaigning President Rupiah Banda during the previous Presidential by-elections.

Constituency Secretariat, Roster Sholoka who confirmed the development in a statement to ZANIS in Mazabuka today said the decision to suspend Mr Bbilika was reached at during a heated constituency meeting yesterday.

Mr. Sholoka said apart from decampaigning the President, Mr Bbilika is also accused of having failed to account for the Eighteen million kwacha (K18,000,000) released for campaigns during the by-election.

Mr Sholoka said the suspended party official is alleged to have given an interview to Mazabuka Community radio station in which he publicly said he was not in support of President Banda’s candidature.

Mr. Sholoka also accused Mr Bbilika of having solicited undisclosed amount of money from a Minister without the knowledge of the committee to repair the broken down MMD party vehicle which he later diverted to repair his vehicle.

Mr. Sholoka also took a swipe at MMD district chairman, Trywell Himoonga for failing to take appropriate action against Mr. Bbilika for allegedly abusing party funds and de-campaigning the President.

But Bbilika when contacted for comment dismissed the allegations describing them as baseless.

Mr. Bbilika also said he will not accept the suspension because the party constitution does not give powers to his subordinates to suspend him.

He also explained that the K18 million was properly used adding that his constituency secretary and vice chairman, William Walimuntu are bitter because they did not receive allowances during campaigns.

Mr. Bbilika said he received instruction on how to use the funds from the Provincial Executive Committee.

He added that Provincial Vice Secretary, Emmerson Machila was in a better position to clear the suspicion by his junior officers.

He has since challenged the duo to publicly state how they abused campaign funds before he could expose them.
ZANIS