GOVERNMENT will not hesitate to suspend disbursement of retirement benefits including construction of a house for Rupiah Banda if the former president re-joins active politics, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Yamfwa Mukanga has said.
Mr Banda, popularly known as RB, has declared intentions to be the MMD candidate in the forthcoming presidential election.
“The Benefits of Former Presidents Act, Chapter 15 is very clear on participation in active politics,” the minister said.
Mr Mukanga said Government held Mr Banda in high esteem and would want him to continue enjoying his pension and respect accorded to his persona.
“We don’t want the former president to join the political arena and be exposed to ridicule associated with campaigns.
“Already, we are looking into logistics of starting construction of his house,” he said.
“His comeback for now is speculation as far as Government is concerned but once he is adopted, statutory obligations will apply and we shall not hesitate to suspend his pensions since he will be an active player and not a retiree.”
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Banda proved futile as his deputy administrative assistant Kennedy Limwanya said he was in a meeting.
Excerpts of Chapter 15 of the constitution on benefits offered to Zambia’s former republican Presidents include a tax-free monthly pension at 80 percent of the incumbent President’s emoluments; a furnished executive house built or bought in Zambia by the State at a place of his choice; office accommodation, three drivers, three motor vehicles with free maintenance and fuel entitlement to the extent determined by Cabinet.
Other benefits include one personal secretary, three security persons, one administrative assistant at the level of deputy permanent secretary, three house employees, a diplomatic passport and medical insurance for the former president and his spouse.
They also include, in each year, one return air ticket for the former president and one for his spouse and funeral expenses on his death.
And Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president George Chisanga says the association is ready to give PF advice on a legal road map for picking the party’s presidential candidate if formally requested.
Dr Scott on Monday said the PF would seek legal advice on how to interpret its constitution on selection of a presidential candidate.
RB is a very sick and selfish man. He has wife on chemotherapy and himself is limping from surgery on his knee. All indication is he will be spending most of his time attending to his wife in South Africa or to his own medical problems. Has RB got a family that loves him? It is such a pity that the 78 year old can decide to publicly disgrace himself in such a manner
I can only say that AKulu Mpuno is a fooool. We are tired of state funerals.
It appears President Sata (MHSRIP) was spot on when he said “uli Chipuba iwe Mukanga (Sata, 2014). Though you have never been a patriot, let me tell you that to serious patriots the senses of patriotism supersedes personal gain. What is in a Government pension plan compared to the moral responsibility of serving one’s dear country? You think a patriot would turn his back against a call for serve when his dear is on auto pilot to hell of narcissists with their chaos to the levels you chaps have dragged our country to? RB’s patriotism leadership cannot be bought by a Government pension. Get and account for it shortly if you don’t plunder it. We the people who have called RB from retirement for national service at the peak of PF anarchy and madness we will feed him well kwamana.
RB has moral, constitutional and patriotic duty to accept a distress call from concerned fellow patriots to over national leadership lacking under the current madness. He has been called to restore sanity, unity, order, constitutionalism, diversity, pluralism, sovereignty, institutionalization and constitutional reforms Zambia needs for the 2016 free and fair all inclusive elections. he has nothing to lose in bravely driving and delivering on this nation agenda for the common good. Insults will neither distract him nor slow down the support he needs to deliver. Its service above self.
Nicinji kuzisebanya teti askulu a Ala Bee! Mwakulu onse shuwa kulya na manja abili. Nthota gwa monga zotemelela! Mulekeni mwana Nevers ayesekeko vimkange yeka naye, sha! Mutu kuyuma bati.
Solola Bye!
Pf and govt you have even delayed the day he mentioned his ambition to join the race way the day he disqualified retirement benefits. Please remove him from over pay role and with draw the package which goes with his office. This way future former presidents will learn to behave.
These PF ruscals who only think of money cannot digest the fact that some people can have the common interest of the nation and not just “money, money, money”. Is Mukanga suggesting that RB does not know about losing his benefits. In fact who in Zambia doesnt know that a retired President loses his retirement package if he returns to active politics? Zambia needs salvation at the moment and if RB is able to deliver the nation from the shackles of turmoil and inpending violence then please let us have him back. On record, he is Zambia’s best President in terms of delivery.
hahahahahahahah this is funny. It is nice to see for a change the elite acting out in public.
suspending benefits? he can handle that: if he loses, then he can retire again on 21 January 2015 and get his benefits back. This means he will only miss his benefits for 2 months.
He is free to contest the up coming by election.That is his constitutional right.
@austin2021, you are right. i am not an RB supporter, but since it is a constitutional right, I have no objection for him standing. If I do not like him, the the best thing is to beat him at elections and not to bar him from contesting. If we cannot respect the current constitution, then why are we asking for a new one.
get it soonest even today he is very very useless
I think suspending benefits should b for more than three years so that we are not fooled. He has obtained money by false pretense by purporting to have retired. Lets show rb that he is another fossil and we don’t need him. I’m concluding from RBz action that we don’t have a statesman in Zambia. Maybe just Grey Zulu who left politics the very first time they got out of power.
Actually he loses the benefits for good as the previous service record and its benefits will have been terminated by him willingly. So it’s not a matter to take lightly. I’m sure U are also aware that upon his death, most of his benefits cease to apply to the family?
Only from undemocratic kaponya PF govt would you get such an open threat to a citizen’s democratic and labour rights.Its UNACCEPTABLE iwe chi Mukanga.
Iwe kolwe hon mukanga is puttin it the way it is,who wud b scared of an old fart lyk RB anyway?
Pure blackmail by the outgoing PF government. If I were RB I wouldn’t worry a bit. With RB on the scene, PF knows they don’t stand a chance at all.
If you have development of this country at heart, RB is one of the few Zambians who has the charisma to lead Zambia to economic growth. I support his return to politics
You must be as dull as he is or completely loony….
This is the PROOF of just how USELESS these PF ID!OTS are!!!
“Already, we are looking into logistics of starting construction of his house,”
THREE YEARS after Satas retirement house was started, and he had not even retired yet??? What kind of NONSENSE is this???
PF RATS are now running scared! All they can think of is keeping their own jobs. They are there just for their own bellies, but RB is a STATESMAN, he is thinking of the welfare of the ZAMBIAN PEOPLE!
Interesting and mind bending move on the Zambian political chess board.
RB is a major threat to the PF regaining power, UNLESS……
Entry of RB means that Eastern Province has gone and so have the portions of the rural and urban die hards in rest of Zambia.
UNLESSS……the PF CC adopt Lungu to counter the new RB paradigm shift!!
MMD is now back in contention, despite my reservation of RB nafuti nafuti………
My learned colleague, Fred Membe, how does this sit with you? Lungu on PF ticket, RB on MMD, HH on UPND……God must have a real good sense of humour!!!
Do old men learn? Let RB prove everyone wrong. It is not the first time he has been handed a life line, after a failed political career. How well has he learnt his lesson since?
And how suitable a presidential candidate is he? Can he attract any substantial votes to enable him to win? He lost as an incumbent. This time, it is going to a lot harder.
What is it that has buoyed his impetus, I wonder? Is it his young wife who is missing being the first lady and deceitfully driving his ego?
Too bad he can’t cheat on his age. He is too old for any political race. Few, reckless voters would cast a vote in his favor and ignore this reality of his advanced age. Nonetheless, let’s hope he can resuscitate MMD and get it out of coma.
But what wrong has Nevers done to even start thinking of the 78 year old to replace him? I can just understand the thinking going on, is it just some confusion in some folks’ heads? What is really so special about getting Rupiya back? You can as well get KK back, lol. When the mind is fixated on someone or something good or bad your outcome is up to you. Move on, do not cling to one person.
Let the old man retire. The former president is a very self centred man , during his time there was a lot stealing by his useless sons and friends . Travelling in and outside the country is what this old man is missing. Most of the people who need his service are either corrupt minded or thieves.
Rb will never rule Zambia again. He cheated us that he was just going to finish Levy’s term but he wanted more years. He said he was for Levy’s legacy but once in power he said he had his own gender. RB simply can’t be trusted. He is facing criminal cases in court. Let’s look at other contenders. The younger ones.
RB is taking the young generation for granted. Ladies and gentlemen it’s our time as young people. 70 plus plus years. He is out of touch with new challenges of our time. I am urging all young ladies and gentlemen not to give any vote to this old man. He will be the only old man competing with young ones. It’s the time for the new generation.
@viva zamnbia
Write in your personal capacity. Dont use ‘we’, ‘us’…..you are alone. One man = One vote. However much you detest a candidate, you have the same vote as mine; one!
Therefore you cannot say RB will never be President…..since you have only one vote and the rest of of the Zambians might out vote you!
Zambian politics not inspiring at all. Whether it is poverty, docility or whatever, I cannot understand.
Let the new generation try their ability maybe we can have a change. The elderly and the retired politicians let them enjoy their benefits and help the young ones to give advice. We vote for HH, viva HH!
With the current confusion and instability going on I’m not surprise that rb is coming back. Better the devil you know than these in experienced people like lungu who don’t inspire any confidence. As for mumba have always said that the guy is a lost cause and should have been replaced ages ago. I hope rb runs like him or not he was better than the current regime. As for hh just another empty suit
I support RB coming back , if he is a none entity then don’t worry about it. We did not like SAta but we tolerated him. Changed our names to aBemba names. Those of us of mixed parentage stated using our aBemba uncles names or denied our relations with out mothers ,we are not tmbukai, chewe , Lozi or Tonga but we were maginalised.but we tolerated u .so now tolerate RB as well and stomach it. If you want u can bring Sata back to contest bcs the rest of you can only win through fraudulent rigging . 50-50 mwaluza
Chipuba we Mukanga (Sata 2014)
Ati government will withdraw RB.s benefits if he re joins politics.
Government will also withdraw logistics of looking into the construction of his retirement house. Yamfwa Mukanga is real chipuba PF govt began construction of late Sata’s house while in power and RB as former president was swatting all over. Am not in favour of RB returning to politics in the manner things have developed in MMD, may be Nevers Mumba himself is to blame and has caused what is on his plate. However, Chipuba Mukanga and PF have no morals at all to convince Zambians that they are still relevant to the nation. Leave MMD and RB alone evolution is taking place in the party and a new result will soon emerge. Chipuba Mukanga should continue to mourn at the loss of Sata and PF.
Yes RB has his constitutional right to stand. I urge him to stand but he immediately he is adopted withdraw his benefits for ever, even if he says after 21 October that he has again retired do not listen to him but tell him to continue as a politician. WELLCOME RB.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
Alone he will not win.. His old age and ailing health(chronic knee problem) disadvantages him. He has always shared votes with HH and this will disadvantage HH too. Mmd/Upnd merger is the only way to beat Pf with a big margin.
Ya I cant understand hw we the youths r torelatin this nonsense,why r we entertainin thiz ancient remains? Even if he has a constitutional right bt we r tired of old farts in government,i wish the 55 year retirement age could b applied to presidential and ministerial positions as well
Young zambians wen r we eva gon b ministers or presidents? If our great grand parents keep clingin on to leadership positions.RB your agemates hav all gon cnt u see dat u the only old man amongst the aspirants? I doubt if u r even in ur 70s,koz that useless son of urs who is always patronisin east point wit young gals looks old
The Law is very clear, you can have it all. I have just read the benefit of a retired president, its a choice he has to chose. To enjoy his terminal benefit of lose and take a gamble. RB is being hoodwinked by the selfish inner circle who want to benefit from appointments. I do not blame Yamfwa Mukanga, he was merely sounding the consequences.
Take it or leave it. Its like a game of chase
Its better to read the constitution and apply it appropriately. This happened once to super Ken until he threw in a towel. We are not a monarch to be ruled by the same people. This time around lets choose a leader who is from the 1964 generation, such a one will be 50 years or 45 or 40 so that we dont spend more money on health of those in their 70’s
Bwezani smokes a lot of dobo. hey it takes one to know one.