THE MMD in Luapula's Chiengi constituency has started conducting interviews for parliamentary applicants after President Rupiah Banda’s government’s recent assurance to free Katele Kalumba from his corruption cases before the courts of law.

Well-placed MMD sources disclosed yesterday that the action follows State House’s promise that Kalumba’s corruption cases would be given the due attention before the general elections are held this year.

The sources said there had been talks between State House and senior people from Chiengi, who included chief Puta of the Bwile people and MMD officials that the government had heard their demands to free their area member of parliament Kalumba from his cases.

The sources said initial discussions were held in Lusaka during the period the nation was mourning late former president Frederick Chiluba. The discussions are expected to be finalised by a meeting involving tourism minister Catherine Namugala, finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, mines minister Maxwell Mwale and traditional and MMD leaders in Chiengi.

Namugala, Dr Musokotwane and Mwale are expected in Chiengi during their current tour of Luapula Province to assess the adoption process made by the MMD structures in the province.

“In fact, instructions have been issued to all the party structures in Chiengi to re-start the adoption process following the outcome of the meeting between State House and emissaries from Chiengi,” the source said. “Chief Puta himself is not opposed to the re-starting of the interviews.

It is not by mistake that you saw Ronnie Shikapwasha officiating at the recent fundraising dinner dance for the Ubwilile traditional ceremony just a day after Chiluba’s burial.

“When did you ever see government become so interested in the organisation of the Ubwilile traditional ceremony? And during that same dinner dance, Shikapwasha promised that there was going to be development taken to Chiengi.

It is interesting that there is sudden interest to develop Chiengi. If you noticed, the government officials and chief Puta looked very relaxed and jovial during that dinner dance.

In short, it was just a celebration to consummate what had been agreed upon concerning Katele Kalumba’s issues or cases.”
The source said State House was desperate to make up with Kalumba because of the possible damage the strained relations could have, not only in Chiengi but Luapula Province as a whole.

The sources said leaders from Chiengi had placed a demand that they wanted to see progress in the Kalumba case before the general elections were held.
“At least when we had president Chiluba, we anticipated that there would be problems in Chiengi but not in Luapula as a whole.

Without him now, we feel Katele has remained a major force in the area and we could jeopardise our chances if we antagonise him more,” the source said. “We are worried at the rapid defections of strong people in areas we consider as our own strongholds… the likes of Sylvia Masebo in Chongwe and others.”

And when contacted for comment yesterday, MMD Chiengi district chairperson Thomas Kazembe, who recently announced the suspension of interviews for people wishing to contest the position member of parliament and councillors until Kalumba was freed, announced the party’s U-turn on the matter.

“We are now back to normal. We are now accepting candidates,” he said. “In fact, we have invited them, they are coming. So far we have two who have applied but I have heard there will be five. Cosmos Mpampi and Stanslous Kaunda are the ones who have applied.”

Asked why they had U-turned on their position, Kazembe said Kalumba was retiring from his parliamentary position but not from politics.

Asked further on why they had U-turned since Kalumba had not yet been ‘freed’ from his cases, Kazembe responded: “No, the issue has been resolved. That is our internal issue. It has been resolved internally.”

Last month, MMD structures in Chiengi resolved to suspend interviews for those who had applied to be adopted as councillors and members of parliament until Kalumba is freed from his corruption cases.

The MMD in Chiengi also said President Banda promised chief Puta that he would free Kalumba from his cases. Chiengi MMD Constituency chairman Emmanuel Muweleni said President Banda openly promised chief Puta that he would free Kalumba.

The Lusaka High Court last week set July 29, 2011 for the appeal hearing in a case where Kalumba and six others were jailed five years for corrupt practices by the Lusaka magistrate’s court.

According to the notice of hearing, the six appellants are former finance permanent secretary Stella Chibanda, former directors of the defunct Access Financial Services Limited AFSL Faustin Kabwe and Aaron Chungu, former Ministry of Finance chief economists Bede Mpande, former finance ministry director of budget Boniface Nonde, former secretary to the treasury Professor Benjamin Mweene and Kalumba.

The case will be heard before a panel of three judges who include Jane Kabuka, Dr Patrick Matibini and Nigel Mutuna.

Kalumba and others were convicted on 23 charges on overpayments made to two US companies, Wilbain Incorporated and System Innovations, totaling US $20 million.

On May 26, 2010, then Lusaka High Court Deputy Director of Operations Edward Musona who sat as a magistrate, handed Chibanda five years simple imprisonment while Kabwe, Chungu and Kalumba were slapped with five years imprisonment with hard labour for corrupt charges related to overpayments to Wilbain Incorporated and System Innovations, which were engaged to carry out security contracts on various government installations, including State House.

[The Post]

RUPIAH Banda is saying there is no corruption in Zambia in order to justify the graft practices his government is engaged in, says Lusaka lawyer Wynter Kabimba.

Reacting to President Banda’s recent remarks in Ndola that there is no corruption in the country, Kabimba, who is also PF secretary general, said it was shocking that a President could issue such an unfortunate statement.

Kabimba said the question of corruption in this country was not debatable, not only to the Zambians but also the international community.

He said therefore the statement from President Banda was unfortunate and inappropriate.

“What it means in effect is that the man is not serious with the fight against corruption. Mr Rupiah Banda served in late president Mwanawasa’s cabinet under a president who was very, very serious with the fight against corruption,” Kabimba said.

“For him to trivialise the levels of corruption in our country now that he has become President is not only an insult to the Zambian people.”

Kabimba said there were various reports from international organisations which had ranked Zambia as one of the most corrupt countries in Southern Africa, saying President Banda could not dispute these reports.

“There is a report now that came from the US State Department to the effect that the Zambian government is interfering with the independence of our judiciary. We didn’t hear the Zambian government dispute that statement.

That is part of corruption,” Kabimba said. “So our appeal as PF to the President is that he must get serious if indeed he’s committed to working for the Zambian people and arrest the cancer of corruption that has afflicted our country, especially under his government.”

Kabimba said the nation had seen corruption levels rising under President Banda’s government than under late president Mwanawasa because the two stood for different ideals.

“The only reason why President Banda would make that statement is that he wants to justify corruption and he knows that his government is engaged in corrupt practices. That is the reason why (a) they repealed or amended section 35 in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act,” Kabimba said.

“That is the reason why they removed the provisions in the Act dealing with money laundering to prevent financial and banking institutions from asking the source of the money that lands in people’s accounts.”

Kabimba said all this was being done to encourage corruption because those provisions were put in place to arrest corrupt activities.

He said the nation had witnessed obnoxious amendments under President Banda which actually encouraged corruption rather than arresting it.

“If indeed that is the policy position of government (that there is no corruption in Zambia), let him go ahead and disband the Anti-Corruption Commission.

What is the Anti-Corruption Commission doing, being paid money appropriated from government if there is no corruption in the country,” said Kabimba. “Let him disband DEC, ACC then we will take him seriously that indeed he has achieved zero-tolerance for corruption.”

During a presidential luncheon at Mukuba Hotel last Saturday, President Banda said Zambians should not listen to people who say there was corruption in the country.

“Let’s not listen to doom speakers who say that there is corruption in the country. I feel the enthusiasm of the people when it comes to the movement of the country forward,” he said.

President Banda urged the people to prove those that were saying there would be problems in Zambia after the elections wrong.

Former Church of God overseer Bishop John Maambo has said he feels sorry for church leaders that have continued to endorse presidential candidates publicly.
And Bishop Mambo has maintained that church leaders are compromised .
Bishop Maambo's comments come following the three churches that have endorsed President Rupiah Banda as the rightful candidate for the 2011 elections.
The three are International Fellowship of Christians led by Bishop Simon Chihana, Life Gospel Fellowship Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Kazhila and Living Water Global Ministries led by Bishop Bernard Nwaka.
Bishop Nwaka also said the fact that the Patriotic Front party leader Michael Sata failed to attend the funeral of second Republic president Fredrick Chiluba was an indication that he was not a believer in reconciliation, forgiveness and peacemaking.
He said if Zambians made a mistake of voting for Mr. Sata, they would be allowing the demon to enter State House.
But Bishop Nwakas endorsement of president Banda and his allegations on Mr. Sata has angered Bishop Mambo who said the role of the church should be only to encourage the Zambian people on the importance of voting.
In an interview with Flava FM News, Bishop Mambo adds that the church has many followers who are affiliated to different
political parties hence they should not be forced to support a particular candidate.
Efforts to get clarification from Bishop Nwaka proved futile as his phone went unanswered and eventually switched off.
Meanwhile Bishop Mambo says the change of government that is being advocated for, calls for leaders that will be friends with the poor.
He explains that Zambia needs leaders that will address the key issues affecting the living standards of the people
.. Bishop Mambo fears that if the
church does not take a strong
stance, the tenets of democracy
will be destroyed.

Zambia Youths Association in the Fight against Corruption has demanded that President Rupiah Banda retracts his media statement that there is no corruption in Zambia.
Executive Director Rickson Kanema says it shocking that the head of state made such a statement especially that not too long ago; a corruption scandal was unearthed at the ministry of health.
He says such statements are a sign that the government is not committed to fighting the scourge.
Mr. Kanema has since urged Zambians to scrutinize all aspiring presidential candidates to ensure that only those committed to fighting corruption are given the mandate to govern the country.