Vice President Guy Scott has said that the Movement for Multiparty Democracy government had allocated K2.4 billion to the Office of the First Lady in 2010 but this was reduced to K1.4 billion in 2011.
He wondered why people were raising concern now that the PF government has provided K1.5 billion to the office for the year 2013.
The Vice President advised Members of Parliament (MPs) to constitutionalise the Office of the First Lady in 2016 if they so wish.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, we are not here to create a constitutional office. The Office of the First Lady used to be included under Cabinet all these years but if you wish to change, it can be done in 2016,” Dr. Scott said.
In an attempt to settle the controversy which arose over the K1.5 billion budget which parliament approved for the office of the First Lady, Dr. Scott said the Office of the First Lady enjoys general administration expenditure merely for activities under Cabinet Office allocation from Head 008.
Recently, parliament approved K1.5 billion allocation for the office of the First Lady but the move has raised debate with some civil society organisations and some parliamentarians arguing that the office was not constitutional.
Dr. Scott explained in parliament yesterday that previously, the office of the First Lady used to be catered for under Cabinet Office before the Patriotic Front government came into power in September 2011.
Recently, First Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba said the K1.5 billion budgetary allocation to her office was not meant for her salary but for operations.
Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah also said in a statement recently that the Patriotic Front government was being accountable and transparent in accordance to the promises it made to the people in its manifesto.
Mr. Chellah said it was a legal requirement that at the end of the year, the expenditure to the Office of the First Lady will be subject to an audit by the Office of the Auditor General.
He explained that it was not the desire of government to spend unbudgeted funds.
He said State House deserved commendation and not vilification and wanton condemnation exhibited by certain stakeholders.
ZANIS
You surely do not want to compete with MMD. DO WHAT IS RIGHT. That is why people wanted change. Not a parrot of MMD. No wonder you are picking rejects from MMD.
Good thought
THEY ARE DOING WHAT IS RIGHT PRECISELY BY DOING IT TRANSPARENTLY YOU *****. UNDER MMD YOU DID NOT EVEN KNOW OF SUCH FUNDS!!! THIS NOTHING NEW: YOU ARE ONLY KNOWING NOW BECAUSE AT LEAST THIS GOVERNMENT IS TELLING YOU WHAT IS GOUNG ON!!! THINK!!!!
why do u want to justify what is wrong? we will campaign and we will kick you out come 2016!! we want real change and not this Pathetic Cosmetic Change that we are experiencing now.
VIVA UPND!! VIVA HH!!!!
shut iwe chi blind hh supporter.
HH is useless and can never be President. would rather vote for Fred Mtesa and not some under 5 politician. Seleni tubombeko
Yes. Liato buried 2bilion but we have only buried 1bilion in a THILANI SIPA LENTI manner. PF! Pani yo paFinye.
hahahahahaha
Ba Veep, didn’t you (or someone in PF?) tell us just last week that the MMD never regularized the First Lady’s budget allocation but instead operated some kind of illegal and corrupt slush fund? Now you say that the MMD did regularize the budget allocation and PF merely doing the same?
Please, can’t you make up your mind on this?
Please read, analyse and understand. Icisungu.
WELL, IF MMD WAS SO EXTRAVAGANT AND PF HAS EVEN REDUCED THE AMOUNT BY FAR AND HAS EVEN INFORMED THE COUNTRY ABOUT THIS ALLOCATION, THEN THE ALLOCATION IS EVEN MORE JUSTIFIABLE. FACT IS THERE ARE PEOPLE AND POLITICAL PARTIES OUT THERE TO OPPOSE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING- THEY HAVE ALREADY SAID IT. I PERSONALLY HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THE ALLOCATION. BUT I MAY HAVE ISSUES WITH WAY THE MONEY IS USED.
@Peter
It is their given right to oppose what they don’t like and certainly opposing the allocation of K1.5b Kwacha to an office that does not exist is something that I will also oppose. First ladies, are not elected and should not be budgeted for in a national budget. The OP should use its budget allocation to pay staff who ferry and protect the first lady. Above that her position as first lady should be good enough to raise money for charities and good causes including money from her husbands slash fund.
MMD were voted out due to those excesses and PF were voted in hoping they will not resort to similar excesses and yet here goes PF using MMD as the standard of what is right, justifying what they are doing by what MMD did, what a shame!
THE ISSUE MR. VEEP IS NOT ABOUT THE AMOUNT, INFACT 1.5BILLION IS A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT CAN EVEN BE 4 BILLION BUT THE LEGALITY OF IT.
SIR, TO MAKE IT VERY SIMPLE FOR US, PLEASE OUR MOTHER THE FIRST LADY NEEDS PROTECTION AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG FOR HER TO CONTINUE GETTING UNDER STATE HOUSE BUDGET AND THATS WHERE SHE FALLS UNDER.
SIR AVOID DISGRACING YOURSELF.
What kind of white man is this, I respect whites, but yours starts to give me wrong impressions.
“… MMD had unprotected sex 2.5 times, we in PF are only asking to taste skin-to-skin just 1.5 times. MPs undress please”. They walk out!
Yaba mune wansekesha ala ulimulwele iwe lol
@Peter. Well said. There are far more important issues to discuss in Parliament than this. Was this not approved by the same Parliament? You want transparency but when people are transparent you turn around and complain. Let’s argue over how much has been allocated to Health, Education, Agriculture etc.
are u copy cut??? Y are you comparing yourPF to MMD?? Then whats the point of putting you in power if you want to compare what the past parties did.
It appears that STUPIDITY is what defines the basic character of PF leaders and their supporters. So I’m not surprised that a man who is vice-president of a democratic country and a man who is supposed to be wise going by his age, can today stand up in front of global media and make such a shockingly *****ic statement. Even monkeys and frogs are shocked and mouths are still open as we speak. Zambia has never ever been led by such a group of uniformly *****ic goons. I hope 2016 comes to change this.
@Peter. Well said. There are far more important issues to discuss in Parliament than this. Was this not approved by the same Parliament? You want transparency but when people are transparent you turn around and complain. Let’s argue over how much has been allocated to Health, Education, Agriculture etc.
@Peter – I couldn’t put it any better. Suddenly the goal posts have shifted. I posted in the previous discussion that we need to understand whether or not the First Lady has had no expenditure all the while. We then can argue intelligently. You have pointed out what I was pushing across all the while – that all taxpayer’s monies must be laid out whether or not there is a statutory office. The fact is Office of the President spends on the first lady. The word “Office” does not necessarily mean brick and mortar. It is an expense-gobbling entity…
Here we go again. MMD MMD MMD. When will this Pathetic Folly government think for itself? They don’t have enough brains to run government that is why they are poaching opposition MPs. Every day I read what PF is doing I get convinced that they had No Plan at all. It is government by trial and error.
Question to all what would have happened if Sata was not in power and MMD says its giving K1.5 Billion to the office of the First lady ? More money in the pocket, the question is who,s pocket?
or think of it if its another person saying they need to build their house a year after getting into office.
You will know the truth people wait.
Scott no matter what you will say these opposition fools won`t listen.You might aswell keep quite
Muzungu wanjala
Surely we shouldn`t spend time talking about this nonsense.The first ladys office surely needs a budget.Even in the united states the first lady’s office is apportioned with a budget.President Jimmy Carter had a similar problem in 1978 when he approved public law 95-570, which provided the first lady’s office with a budget.Mr scott go ahead this is nothing new here.Take the critics to jump off a cliff.
Surely we shouldn`t spend time talking about this nonsense.The first ladys office surely needs a budget.Even in the united states the first lady’s office is apportioned with a budget.President Jimmy Carter had a similar problem in 1978 when he approved public law 95-570, which provided the first lady’s office with a budget.Mr scott go ahead this is nothing new here.Tell your critics to jump off a cliff.
Ok PF we as Zambians thank you for your transparently but I think what you need to understand is that the fact that the public knows about it does not make it right. The purpose of transparency should be for public debate. I dont remember the PF telling us that for the country to work we need a strong First ladies office.
HH is going to be president of Zambia only when cows start voting
Baba Scotty, I’ve always thoght that something was wrong, but not to this extent. After the Pig Gate scandal, You should have called it quits, alas, you hadn’t made enough for yourself and you wanted to try the paya famer way. shame on you.!!!!
IT WOULD BE FOLLY TO IMAGINE THAT ALL THE FORMER FIRST LADIES HAD BEEN GALLAVANTING AT THEIR OWN EXPENCE! TAKE MAUREEN FOR EXAMPLE, VERA AND BABY RB!, WHERE WERE CIVIL SOCIETY THEN? THE PF FIRST LADYS IS THE ONLY ONE I HAVE SEEN GOING ARROUND USING HER QUALIFICATION AND NOW HER INFLUENCE TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ZAMBIANS ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN, VIVA DR KASEBA SATA, VIVA PF!
People you are just being naive. When you invite First Lady to officiate at function you think she travels on water. Even water costs money. It is better we know about it than being hidden as slush fund
Kaseba go back to work at UTH. Keep away from our money. If you want more money just ask some from your sugar daddy. After all he just selfishly increased his salary and allowances by 150%. He is already receiving his retirement benefits by building himself a house from public funds. Michael and Christine you two deserve each other. You’re stingy, selfish , self-serving and primordial and disgusting excuse for a first family. The sooner you are booted out of State House , the better.
Brainless white fool, do 2 wrongs make right?
The VIP didnt say the allocation was better done wth PF than the MMD but that the allocation is not new for the MMD to walk out of the house,THEIR merely seeking publicity,bwana mumba work on your mess in your party…..
I am shocked that a man of high integrity such as Scott can begin to justify unconstitutional expenditure based on what MMD did. Come on you can do better than that!
Scott shut up no one listens to you even in pf haven’t you noticed that the only reason you are in pf is because you are sata school sponsor your dad looked after him you not in government base on merit and you know that yourself you were MMD both you and sata it’s embarrassing when you and sata start talking about MMD fact is MMD were very corrupt but you were in MMD so you also stole with them, there’s a saying here in Africa that white people are honest you dude don’t have any muzungu element in you just a white cadre very embarrassing white dude resign for everybody’s sake
Veep u ar on track.very difficult for otherz to contemplate what you mean.
i bet we can disagree with some things but with our Zambia today the country lacks political selfless committed leaders and its fact we need to work like Eygptians, Fact PF has under performed and maybe we need to highten our hopes in fresh blood than losing em 2016.
IT IS SAD TO HAVE ALL THESE WORSTED BRAINS THAT ARE COMMENTING AGAINST SCORT. U ARE NOT EVEN FOLLOWING WHAT HE SAID. EVEN SOME NGOS ARE THE BAND WAGON. SOME NGOS NID TO BE SCRUTINISED . THEY’RE CROOKS.