Ruling Patriotic Front Secretary General Edgar Lungu says the ruling party will consider the views of people of Mufumbwe constituency before taking a position regarding the fate of party area Member of Parliament Steven Masumba.
Mr. Lungu says his party has however take note of the various opinions that have been made on whether Mr. Masumba should step down or exhaust all the processes of the law after the High Court upheld his one year imprisonment sentence that was meted out by the Magistrate Court for being in possession of a fraudulently obtained accounting Diploma.
Mr. Lungu, who is also Justice and Defense Minister, says it is these opinions that the ruling party is also going add to the views of the people of Mufumbwe before giving direction on the issue of Mr. Masumba.
He says much as the ruling party is affected it does not want to hasten in making any decision over Mr. Masumba’s predicament as it is also his personal decision whether to resign or exhaust all the processes of law.
Mr. Lungu says his party will not be swayed by only voice in giving direction on how it proceeds on this matter as it wants to evaluate all the opinion and determine what will the best interest of the people of Mufumbwe.
Asked whether the ruling party is not concerned that the people of Mufumbwe are currently not being represented owing to Mr. Masumba’s conviction, the PF Secretary has told Qfm news that the ruling party is concerned.
He says what is however important is what the people of Mufumbwe themselves are saying about the Member of Parliament.
Mr. Lungu says the people of Mufumbwe are concerned about their Member of Parliament and they have indicated that they do not want Mr. Masumba to make a haste decision.
Please take your time until he exhausts all the legal channels. No need to rush.
that shows lack of man power in your PF,,, no substitutes on the bench,yaba!!!! chimbwi no plan
MP’s are supposed to me people of good standing in society. Masumba fails that basic test if he willingly claimed to be an a qualified accountant, while knowing full well he was unqualified.
What is there to deliberate about? He cant represent anyone….and therefore cant be an MP.
Masumba should be dropped and his gratuity given to those girls getting 6 points. Lazy man.How does a grown ass man fail BASIC accounting?
So an MP should continue to enjoy the benefits of his/her job regardless of being convicted of a crime? There is something terribly wrong with us in this country. How can you hope to successfully fight corruption when the very people at the helm of power are shielded from the consequences of crime?
I shall not forget the way Mr Kabimba bullied the ACC when they attempted to summon him for questioning as they do other suspected citizens.
We are in maningi trouble. Selective treatment in favour of the so-called VIPs. Remember the harshness Gen. Kanene received from the general public. Had Kanene been a political leader in a ruling party, he most likely would have been treated differently by the public. Questions of the girl’s virginity, real age, willingness etc would have been raised.
@Let me say’ u are the one who is terribly wrong. Masumba is not entitled to any benefits at this time is appealing with the courts against his own conviction. But should he win then all his emoluments will be given to him.
No need to rush???
In other words, you think it’s just OK for the good people of Mufumbwe to be “represented” by someone who spends his days locked behind bars and can’t do his job? Is that how irrelevant you believe a MP is to society….. how irrelevant development is for Mufumbwe?
Never mind Masumba is likely to spend 20% of his elected term behind bars. Even ONE DAY should be too much for a government that brags it is committed to democracy and is in a “hurry” to develop the country!
The Zambian High Courts are more competent than the Supreme Court which is just a political Chibesakunda
They are afraid of loosing if Masumba drops down. I think people of Mufumbwe should voice out that they were cheated and coned by the cone men that is why they are going through this tough time without representation.
What I think should be done is that the PF must drop their member of parliament on moral grounds and go for another by-election since we know them for their monkey tricks.
He is convicted criminal, there are no two ways about it. He can not be leader with conviction on his shoulders.
Upholding Msumba s position as an MP paints a very negative picture of Zambia s governance. How does a convict hold an important position? that please must be looked at and considered; in fact as soon as he was convicted his position as MP should have been revoked. Seems there are two laws now in Zambia, the PF members can get away with anything even murder but anyone else is judged for their crimes; where is our country headed. ANIMAL FARM.
PF seem to think they can just talk their way out of everything, this attitude by Minister is utter nonsense
Politicans and diapers have one thing in common,Masaumba should be replaced like a diaper.The law is clear it will be unprofessional for Supreme court not to find him guilty.A precedence has been set by the two lower courts.
I thought the law itself is clear on that subject. Oh! Or is this new Justice Minister saying that while he will be booted out of parliament by the statutory prescription the PF will internally decide to keep him on its books? If that is so, then that is alright. Let the by-elections begin!
Wait a minute @Jano; Supreme court makes it’s own precedences and does not follow lower courts decision unless otherwise. Masumba is entitled to appeal and as such he is still MP unless he resigns on his own. SG & JM is correct on his observations as that is what the law demands. PF has always respected the rule of law hence we have to wait. If Masumba had decided not to appeal that should have been different. Let Justice Prevail kwamana!
Call for by-election, he is a bad example to the youths. How can a criminal hold such a position of representing the people.
ndobo that’s right, ain’t there 10 million people to chose from why should his constituency suffer because of his conviction, surely PF has run out of leaders
so quick with just one term in office, convicts are disowned it will be foolish for the
people of mufumbwe to look the other way and ignore his convictions
“Ruling Patriotic Front Secretary General Edgar Lungu says the ruling party will consider the views of people of Mufumbwe constituency before taking a position.”
Really?!? Does Ruling Patriotic Front Secretary General Edgar Lungu somehow imagine the people of Mufumbwe want to be represented by a convict who sleeps on the floor with other criminals’ feet in his face? Sure says a lot about what Mr. Lungu (and the PF?) think the nation should expect of its “honourable” MPs!
What consultations do u need to make for a criminal? If it had been a UPND or MMD Mp, u wud have rushed it thru. But coz it is one of yo many criminals, u say consultations. Edgar lungu is also becoming ss useless as saulosi and Mwinezed who using their feet to think.
Let the criminal rest please , he is not the only person for mpship .HH and UPND are the owners of that seat ok
Pardon him next week together with George Mpombo. The country is yours ba PF
This is horrible! Am afraid we will one day have convicted criminals as law makers in this country. Masumba’s case is not an issue for discussion. He should have resigned long ago or falsed to do so by PF. What then is corruption (or the fight against it) if one would be convicted and still stand as a custodian of the same law he would flout? Is integrate not a prerequisite to standing and swearing that you would uphold the law choose, vote and act in accord with its supreme and fundamental purpose? (& that this integrity is presumed even before one was adopted or elected). Whatever the cost, PFs failure to act precisely and promptly shows its internal rot. The corruption cancer has devoured every moral principle it once stood for.
LT please edit your articles thoroughly. The grammar is also off the hook. It’s upsetting how you assassinate the language. As for the MP in question, folks this is zambian politics. He will simply appeal to the Supreme Court, and by the time the case is disposed off, his term in Parliament would have come to an end. He will collect his gratuity while folks on socialedia will keep trolling. Zambia has gone to the dogs.
What does the law say, that’s what we want to knw
Hon lungu masumba is going thru this becoz of his love for PF and his pipo. the time for his freedom is now pipo to jail are those who gave him
That’s how we Zambians are, emotional gun jumpers. Kapoko was five years an accused person, a fortnight ago he was pronounced innocent. That lozi money farmer walked free after a lot of tribulations. For all those praying for Masumba’s political head instantly, what would be the cost on the nation if we fire him today then the supreme court declares him ‘innocent’ with costs on govt in September 2016? Plz, don’t just talk without intelligence. If the appeal fails, then the decision ought to be made!
This is now lawlessness at it’s worst! An MP is convicted, sentenced, appeals and the sentence is reaffirmed by a higher court, he reports to jail but his party still cannot follow the constitution of the land to relieve him of his position! No wonder, Sata can die but Lungu will still claim “the PF is still waiting for the deceased to make up his mind because he did not do so when he was still alive”. Kupusa ngako, a Lungu ndithu nzelu za galu ya chiwewe muleke!
And where is the officer Masumba alleged bribed to obtain that Diploma???
Hon masumba is entitled to appeal jus lyk evrybdy else,why shud he b forced to resign wen the case has nat yet bin disposed off? Even if u think his appeal wont succeed let the man exercise his ryt to appeal,then u cn say all dat nonsense,as 4 nw the case is still in court.by the way if hon masumba loses his appeal and is convicted r u goin to b dancin rhumba 4 us? All of u callin 4 his removal
YES SIR , INFACT NO COMMENT ON MASUMBA LET THE LAWS OF THE LAND PREVAIL WITH REGARDS TO HIS PARLIAMENTARY SEAT JUST LIKE PETAUKE CENTRAL, WE HAVE NO MP UP TO NOW, WHY NOT MUFUMBWE