Former Local Government and Housing Minister Sylvia Masebo has
denied allegations of corruption in the procurement of 100
hearses,150 constituency vehicles, boats and utility trucks.

Ms. Masebo has challenged her successor, Benny Tetamashimba to state clearly the people that were involved in the purchase of the 100 hearses at a cost of US$2.9 million.

Ms Masebo has however, described the move taken by Mr.Tetamashimba to call her and explain to the public about the transaction of the hearses and other vehicles as cheap political propaganda.

She told a media briefing in Lusaka today that Mr. Tetamashimba, who is the current minister in the same ministry, was aware of the transaction of the hearses for which, K14 billion was been paid towards the purchase during his (Tetamashimba) tenure of office.

She charged that the decision to purchase the hearses was made in May last by her, with the help of the former Permanent Secretary (PS) Joel Ngo and Mr. Tetamashimba himself, who was then Deputy Minister with Dr. Eustachio Kazonga.

Ms Masebo explained that she was responsible for making decisions but did not take part in the implementation processes which was regarded as any administrative matter and required the attention of the Permanent Secretary and Directors in the ministry.

She pointed out the decision was reached at after various consultations from the Directors within the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, the Zambia National Tender Board (ZNBT), which even advertised for tenders to supply the 100 hearses to the Ministry.[quote]

She stated that that it was irresponsible for Mr. Tetamashimba to claim that there were some irregularities in the transaction when he was part of it as a Deputy Minister.

Mrs. Masebo added that there was no need for Mr. Tetamashimba to claim that he does not understand the transaction, adding that the implementation process and partial payment and delivery of the hearses were made during time he took over the ministry as minister.

She further advised Mr. Tetamashimba to stop issuing reckless statements but instead report the matter to law enforcement agencies that can come up with a conclusive report for the public to understand the transactions.

Ms Masebo was reacting to Mr. Tetamashimba who said he has reported her to the Anti Corruption Commission and the Auditor General Office so that she could explain the transactions in the purchase of 100 hearses to the pubic and President Rupiah Banda.

ZANIS

Health workers at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) have defied government’s directive to return to work or face dismissal.

Last week Health Minster Kapembwa Simbao and Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha gave striking health workers and nurses an ultimatum of up to today, June 29, 2009, in which to resume work failure to which they were told to consider themselves dismissed.

A check by ZANIS at Zambia’s highest referral centre the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) revealed that the nurses have continued with their strike action as many wards are still deserted while others were found closed.

In some wards such as the maternity wing and the casualty only a skeleton of student nurses and senior Doctors were found attending to a large number of patients.

The situation at the children’s ward was no different as most of the wards are still closed and only a few patients were found at the out patients section waiting to be attended to.

Meanwhile, Nurses were found seated at the car park of the main entrance near the casualty ward while others were found loitering within the hospital premises.

And patients talked to expressed concerned at the stance taken by health workers not to resume work.

Sharon Ntembwe said the current situation at the hospital is sad as many lives have continued to be lost due to lack of medical attention.

And another patient Chisanga Mulenga called on government to quickly intervene in matter by offering a lasting solution to the problem and save lives of vulnerable people who can not afford to seek medical attention in private clinics.

Mr. Mulenga charged that the ultimatum by government is likely to worsen the situation adding that government is supposed to engage in dialogue with workers.

And UTH Public Relations Manager Pauline Mbangweta referred all the queries to the Ministry of Health who could not be reached by press time.

Nurses and other health workers in the country have been on strike for more than 35 days demanding improved condition of service such as the risk, uniform and night duty among other allowances.

ZANIS

LOCAL Government and Housing Minister Benny Tetamashimba has reported his predecessor Sylvia Masebo to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the auditor general concerning the purchase of hearses from China.

Mr Temashimba said in an interview yesterday that he had directed his permanent secretary, Coillard Chibbonta, to report the matter to the ACC and the auditor general’s office for investigations.

He said that as minister, he had his own suspicions because a single hearse could not cost US$29,000 and that was the reason he directed the permanent secretary to report anybody who was suspected to have benefitted from the transaction.

“I believe that there were irregularities in the transaction and if it is proved that the price of the hearses was not inflated and that the terms of conditions were adhered to, I will resign as minister on principle,” he said.

Spokesperson for the auditor-general’s office, Ellen Chikale said she was not aware of the report and efforts to get a comment from Ms Masebo failed as she was reported to be in a meeting while Mr Chibbonta refused to comment.

Mr Tetamashimba said he told Mr Chibbonta to report the matter to the ACC and the office of the auditor general last Friday but that he was disappointed that both institutions had not been to the ministry.

The minister said that he had put his head on the “chopping board” and would write President Rupiah Banda to say he had failed him if it was proved that there was nothing wrong in the purchase of the hearses.[quote]

He said it was surprising that the same hearses had not been taken to the ministry and the person contracted to deliver them had not been to the ministry to explain anything on the matter.

He also said he had denied Ms Masebo more documents involving the matter because she went to the ministry with journalists and addressed them within the premises.

He explained that Ms Masebo had earlier asked for permission from President Banda so that she could give her side of the story, which to him proved that she knew something.

He said that Mr Banda made it clear that the former minister was free to discuss the hearses because they did not go through Cabinet for her to ask for permission to release any information.

Mr Tetamashimba said on Thursday last week, Ms Masebo went to the ministry where Mr Chibbonta gave her documents related to the hearses and she later addressed journalists.

He said Ms Masebo thereafter talked to him on the phone and asked to meet him. When she went to his office, she asked for letters she had received from late president Levy Mwanawasa between 2007 and 2008.

He said he told her that he could not avail her the letters because they were from State House and needed clearance.

She further asked for some letters exchanged between Mr Tetamashimba and Mr Chibbonta which were also not availed to her.

The minister said he was shocked that when he left, Ms Masebo went back to his personal assistant to ask for letters from president Mwanawasa but that they could not be traced.

He said it was at this point that he asked Mr Chibbonta not to give any more documents to Ms Masebo and that he should report her to the ACC and auditor general.

[Times of Zambia]

THE Government has said nurses from neighbouring Zimbabwe are ready to work in Zambia on local conditions of service and made a final appeal for health workers to call off their strike or lose employment.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said in an interview in Kabwe yesterday that the Government would not allow a situation where people continued to die as a result of the strike by the nurses.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha maintained that nurses who would not report back for work today should consider themselves fired and new ones will be recruited.

“There are Zimbabwean nurses itching to come and work in Zambia and so nurses that will not report back for work today should consider themselves fired. We shall replace them with those that retired as well these from Zimbabwe.

“It is immoral and against the oath of allegiance that nurses take when being employed to continue to be on strike when people are dying in large numbers because of their action. The Government is ready to discuss with the nurses once they resume work,” he said.

Labour and Social Security Minister Austin Liato said in a separate interview yesterday that the Government would guarantee security to all nurses who would return to work as agreed by the Government and union leaders.

“There is no need for nurses to fear that they will be picketed by anyone. And let me warn those that will attempt to disturb their colleagues that they will face the wrath of the law,” he said.

This assurance comes in the wake of Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao’s ultimatum for the nurses to return to work today or be dismissed.

Mr Liato advised all the nurses to seriously reflect on their action to stay away from work because that had caused anguish to the sick who required their services.

He said the nurses should consider returning to work and serve the country because it was better to keep a job than losing it, especially at this time of the global economic recession.

He said that losing a job as a result of an illegal strike would impact on the nurses’ future especially that the Government had not refused to attend to their demands.

He said what the Government wanted was to follow the law and that there was no way it could discuss issues with people who were on the street.[quote]

The minister said the Government was not expected to act on nurses’ demands through public acclamation but through roundtable discussions.

A check at the University Teaching Hospital revealed that several nurses had not returned to work and security personnel were only allowing emergency cases to enter the institution.

Meanwhile, the MMD in Kitwe has challenged the opposition to help convince striking health workers return to work because their Members of Parliament (MPs) were part of the decision to award public service workers a 15 per cent salary increment.

MMD district vice-treasurer, Gideon Kamponge, said it was unfair for the opposition to blame the ruling party for the continued strike by nurses because MPs collectively awarded civil servants the 15 per cent salary increment which the nurses were protesting against.

Mr Kamponge said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that the MPs had approved an 11 per cent salary increment for civil servants during the Budget approval in Parliament, but the Government decided to make it 15 per cent.

[Times of Zambia]