MINISTER of Finance Alexander Chikwanda has told Parliament that his ministry is pondering to submit findings of an audit conducted at the Zambia Railways Limited to law enforcement agencies for scrutiny.
Mr Chikwanda says a team of auditors sent to the Zambia Railways Limited has revealed that there are some corrupt activities allegedly involving former chief executive officer Clive Chirwa and some board members.
He was winding up debate on the report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the report of the Auditor General presented to the House by Chipangali member of Parliament (MP) Vincent Mwale (MMD) on Tuesday evening.
“We have taken appropriate steps, and in some cases we may even refer some of these issues to law enforcement wings…We benefited from the controller of internal audit who looked at Zambia Railways Limited and brought a report,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda said his ministry is reinforcing audit committees because they play an important role in the fight against corruption in parastatal organisations where the scourge is suspected to be taking place.
He said corruption in parastatal bodies and other organisations should be stopped because it is retrogressive.
“One way of getting our country to run better is for us to put our heads together, and where we see impropriety we should condemn it without any reservations,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda said Government is trying to make the offices of the Accountant-General and Controller of Internal Audit in his ministry more effective so that they can detect corruption.
“These offices are independent, and it is important that they should not be fused into each other…the office of Controller of Internal Audit can even watch over the activities of the Accountant-General,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda said because of its work, the PAC has instilled fear into some officers and forced them to do things properly for fear of being summoned to appear before it.
He urged the committee to be firm in executing its tasks, saying public resources should not be abused.
Moving the motion, Mr Mwale said PAC is concerned about financial abuse in government ministries and appealed to the Secretary to the Treasury to tighten regulation.
Monze Central MP Jack Mwiimbu (UPND) said people who abuse public funds should be taken to task and that PAC should be reformed to include other expertise such as law enforcement officers.
Lupososhi MP Chungu Bwalya (PF) said issues raised in the PAC report should be addressed, failure to which the country may continue grappling with them for a long time.
He said the office of Accountant-General should be turned into a constitutional office and that powers of internal controls should be vested in its function.
Katombola MP Derick Livune (UPND) said officers who misapply funds should be dismissed from their jobs to deter intending wrongdoers.
I thought thes people cleard mr Chirwa of any wrog doing but found the dissolved board wanting?
i thought so too!! these people sounded like they cleared Prof chirwa, retired him and paid him off his benefits,,, this sounds wierd!!
am now confused. so is clive chirwa cleared or not? was he retired with national interest in mind and given a full retirement package or not? can i get this clear from you bwana minister? i dont know what to believe. if indeed he was found with a case to answer,why is he being given a full retirement package wasting money,when the man should have been fired in that case. If he was indeed cleared as i earlier read in some papers,why was he retired. he needs to complete the job he was hired for. it is unfair to retire somebody when they aint done nothing wrong.
I have always had a problem with Prof Chirwa’s acquittal and retirement with full benefits, coz I believe it was stage managed. And why does our govt think that merely dismissing those that steal from govt wil deter others with similar intentions? These are criminals who deserve to be jailed. By failing to institute criminal charges against them , you only encourage them to steal more than they’d ever have to be paid up to retirement
Please don’t be surprised this is pf for you. Pf disorganized govt in the world. One minister will say one thing and another will say some thing else. Eg guy scott is makes a statement in parly that gabon disaster name for the new stadium will while kambwili announce at the same that “listening govt” have named it heroes national stadium.
This is govt lead by no other than sata who boast of having risen from ward chairman, branch chairman etc to president
Please don’t be surprised this is pf for you. Pf disorganized govt in the world. One minister will say one thing and another will say some thing else. Eg guy scott is makes a statement in parly that gabon disaster name for the new stadium will while kambwili announce at the same that “listening govt” have named it heroes national stadium.
This is govt lead by no other than sata who boast of having risen from ward chairman, branch chairman etc to president
Welcome to UKWALAND my Friends!
What we say today, is only for today. Forget about having the same answer tommorrow.
PF runs in circles without direction. 1st they cleared Clive, now that he is gone they allerge he was corrupt.
Now Clive also lied that renounced British Citizenship, but he quickly ran to UK and been there since. Enjoying the Money cool sitting in his bank account.
But akami sue’inga for defamation. lwenu.
This is why you confuse yourselves and mislead the gullible. Who told you that Clive Chirwa is back in the UK? He may not have renounced his British citizenship but the last report I heard was that he was still in Zambia.
Britain is not Zambia when you renounce your citizenship it does not mean the door is completely closed you can simply reapply for it free of charge….so how can someone lie about such a simple issue for what purpose… let’s be objective please.
2.1 and 2.2 Chirwa is not in Zambia. U basing on reports in a media u have failed to name, but i’m telling u the truth. Right now they want to finish him off by taking him to the courts run by Chibesakunda.
Sata does not like people with duel citizenship and Clive had to bend to get the ZRL JOB.
@ 2.1 Not nkowing when you heard that last report, maybe he went back after that last report. That means maybe you and Pobo are both correct.
Ala bwafya pa Zed, kuti nabasambilila nafi international exposure ba Chirwa.
Meanwhile, Zambia and South africa game played at the magnificent Levy Mwanawasa stadium in Ndola was an epic replica of the 2012 AFCON final in Gabon. They boys fought hard to a nil-nil outcome in regular and extra time.
The two teams were separated through penalties, when Zambia goalie Danny Munyau stopped one shot from Lerato Chibangu of South Africa. Zambia goes to the final to meet Zimbabwe. THIS WILL BE A FIGHT FOR THE UNWTO super host, kikikikikiki.
Good job supersport television channel for those wonderful pictures.
Bakabwalala aaba. Lip-service will not benefit our country in anyway. Clive Chirwa and his team are thieves, and therefore they should be caged, period.
“Katombola MP Derick Livune (UPND) said officers who misapply funds should be dismissed from their jobs to deter intending wrongdoers”…then shouldn’t Sata(n) and crew be dismissed?
This is not de ja vu, i’ve heard this rhetoric before…
Thats how Sata has used eurobond by hiring a mad scientist .by theway . The chinese are on the ground to shut this site as well.
This government is obsessed with corruption.I wish they were that obsessed with development.Do you really think Clive Chirwa left London to indulge in corrupt practises,I think he really believed in turning the railway system which we badly need around.Can more focus be put on addressing our dilapidated transport system than witch-hunting.More money is being poured into persecuting people than addressing education or health issues in the country.
Dr
Clive Chirwa is an international Conman and yes, he left Bolton (Not London) to come and syphon as much money from Zambia as he could. As if the emolutions offered where not good enough, he even went as far as attempting to engage his own dormant company in getting more.
yes Minister There were some corrupt activities at ZRL involving Clive Chirwa and some board members-Chikwanda but no there is nothing Amen
This is just a song.We will see how many corrupt ministers will be brought to book.
And what about corrupt pratices at:
ZAWA
MoD
Energy
Refurbishing State House
DBZ
Zamtel
the list is endless.
What say you, bwana minister?
The issue at hand is that Clive Chirwa had a go at Plundering the very resources meant to alleviate poverty for the most less privileged zambian. He is a Con man from Bolton period!!
chikwanda too has joined the under 5. PF is under. yesterday Clive is cleared today clive is corrupt.
A government of baboons… one baboons does not know what the other baboons is saying
UBUFI
@ engineer, They’re baboons in their own country whilst you’re an unwanted orangutan in some one else’s land.
Just because you’re abroad doesn’t make you a different species from the people you inherited your genes.
Why should Chikwanda ponder or think about it if there is an irregularity report it but I’m sure ACC is aware of this why have they also handed investigation findings to the DPP to decide? This is a joke you can not fight corruption like this.
And If Chikwanda fails to report the crime he himself must be arrested!
Spot on….Chikwanda pondering over this selfsame issue is aiding to corruption in itself. Would Chikwanda have pondered if it was mid-level ZRL managers involved? In other countries a politician wouldn’t touch this issue with barge pole it would handed straight away to the relevant authorities BUT since there are bigger forces at play everyone (appointees) seems to be pondering.
Its official corruption is ingrained, its the norm in our society – mid-level corruption can be drastically reduced by incorporating ICT and investing in training BUT the biggest cancer is this selfsame high level corruption at the top which is retrogressive to development and its going to take a generation and a cultural shift to eradicate it.
Sorry Prof. Chriwa you were too selfish you didn’t give them their share as you had planed. 50/50 you kept it all by yourself. It is pay back time and that is the game with Sata and his PF.
To be Honest when it comes to preferences who should be running the Nation, I’m one who does not really care getting into needless mud slinging debates i.e. P.F, M.M.D, UNIP,NADA, etc. All im interested in Good Accountable, & Moral Governance. If a Goat can deliver i will be the first to Vote it in. Manje’ problem pa Z, is that President has too much Power for Democracy to function properly. How can Anti Graft/ Corruption agencies be transparent, when the Head Honchos are appointed from PLOT 1 ? What happens is you end up having policies of ” Munkombwe’s Dem belly full, we Hungry”- I’m looking after myself!! This leads to an Inept Sterile selective Anti graft agency, & More money in pockets of the privileged few. Not what Zambians were promised if I remember correctly.
@11 Cindy,
Your analysis tops them all. Corruption is the way of life and survival in Zambia, even Guy Scott admitted that corruption was rampant in the country.
Mr Chikwanda should also do us a favour and let us know whose company refurbished state house soon after PF came into office. How was the tender (if at all there was one) awarded to that company?
I feel sorry for Pro Chirwa about the mess he landed himself. He should have known that it is very risky to abandon your good job for a political appointment.
Chirwa may ve bn cleard but with his ofenses.Crime is cleared elsewhere by the court of law.Jst like any staff despite resigning frm does not separate any wrong doing comited during tenure of ofice..A scourge wil continue to be a scourge no mater wht.So chirwa remains anwerable or acountable fr ofeneses comited undr his admnistration except fr maters which re not criminal these re caried by incoming adminstration.
Where is Prof Chirwa anyway? is he still in Zambia? If not, then it is futile to carry on the investigations – unless off course against the board members. But then again we all know this is all just rhetoric – nothing will come out of it.
Smoke screens !!
You have to be one of those sebana wikute kind of person to accept a job from Mr. Chilufya Sata. One should know already that they will sooner be humiliated. This is what inevitably happens in almost all cases when dealing with king cobra.
Or maybe Prof. Chirwa is the fall guy and will be blamed for the disappearance of the EURO Bond allocation to ZRL.
Or they could all be in it together – who knows? Anything goes.
Can someone make a movie please? “Chasing the Bond” or some such title.
I doubt it if these ministers even have cabinet meetings as there is too much confusion…there is no cohesion its a free for all. How can the minister of finance state that his office carried out an audit when we were told that the $120 million was not touched. What was it that they were auditing when ZRL balance sheet was in the red…this is the problem with lies and covering up lies you just make it worse than it is. We deserve better than this we are not school kids.
Wake up people!!
Are we still hunting Chirwa — will we ever make any progress. Could this be a ploy to get back the full benefits we paid him after we terminated his contract?
We are too petty as a nation, as a people. We all need to grow up, we need to mature.
1. We hired Clive.
2. We assessed that he was not performing, we fired him
3. And now we want to fire him again?
Zed is the only place were everyone gets off on seeing that everyone is as poor as them. PHD => Pull Him/Her Down. Ma jealous, nsanje, if I can’t have it, then you can’t have it.
Bottom line is whether Clive goes down or not will not reduce unemployment, will not put medicine in hospitals, will not put more money in your pockets. All this is a chasing after the wind.
#Bufi
Thanx
Chirwa please go back to uk where they will pay you for doing nothing.You can not fit in this societ where talk and deeds are married.Please secure your passport and fly out first thing in the morning.
Chirwa was corrupt. Let whatever is supposed to visit him visit him. Equally so the corrupt board members
Spare a thought for the whistle blower who was vilified for leaking this scam!!