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Money being Paid Back by Ministers is Initial Payment, UPND will Ensure they Pay More Money Back-HH

By Chief Editor
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United party For national Development (UPND) President, Hakainde Hichilema
United party For national Development (UPND) President, Hakainde Hichilema

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United party For national Development (UPND) President, Hakainde Hichilema has described the amount of money being paid back by Ministers who illegally stayed in office following the dissolution of Parliament as initial payment.

Speaking to journalists at his New Kasama residence yesterday, Mr. Hichilema said that that his Government would ensure that a proper assessment is done in order to determine the correct amount each minister was supposed to pay.

Mr. Hichilema termed the amounts being paid back ranging from K50, 000 and K60, 000 as initial payments, saying a proper assessment would determine if more money had to be paid back to Zambians.

“That money belongs to Zambians. They must pay. In fact, they must pay the initial amount now, that’s what I call it. Then, they will be required to pay more once the assessment is done,” he said.

Early this month, the Constitutional Court gave former Cabinet ministers, their deputies and provincial ministers 30 days in which to pay back over K4.2 million which they got from the government in 2016 in a case where Ngosa Simbyakula and 63 others were supposed to pay back a total of K4, 266,664.10 as salaries and allowances for May to July 2016, following the court’s judgment of August 8, 2016 which ordered the ministers to pay back to the State all the allowances and salaries they received when Parliament was dissolved.

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) and UPND general secretary Stephen Katuka had challenged the continued stay of the ministers after parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2016 general elections and the case was decided in their favour, where the Constitutional Court registrar Dorcus Malama said it was common cause that Simbyakula and others were all paid their respective salaries and allowances in full for the period, May to July, 2016, and that there was no evidence of any other further payment of salaries and allowances made beyond the month of July 2016.

Malama however, said the monies which would be paid back was less the K8,000 repatriation allowances which the State owed the respondents.

“I have first assessed the second to 64th respondents respective earnings for the first eleven days of May, 2016. I have further deducted the 11 days earnings for each of these respondents from the respective totals of the salaries and allowances to be deducted from ministers, as re-computed by the first respondent after the deduction of the repatriation allowances from the initial computation. The resulting totals are, in my view, the amounts that should be refunded to the State by the second to the 64th respondents,” she said.

Malama said on the issue of interest that since the judgment of August 8, 20216 which directed the assessment, did not award interest against the respondents, the argument by LAZ that the monies be paid back with interest could not be sustained.

Chief Editor
Chief Editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

221 COMMENTS

    • With all respect what they got cant be what they pay back. They have held on to the pay back for four years during which time that money would have earned interest. If you owed that money to a bank it wouldn’t deman for the nominal figure. Besides we suspect some of them received allowances that should be repaid.

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    • Mukuka Xris He said a proper assessment has to be done. How did the court arrive at those amounts? Zambians deserve to know… Hope Bill 10 and clique will pay because Zambians are not fools. The headmaster misled his ministers and he too abrogated the law.

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    • Steven Simz But is ecl not to be punished for abrogating the law? If the ministers were asked to pay back the money they earned illegally,what punishment should be given to ecl for misleading his ministers?

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    • Mukuka Xris Boss why do PF sympathisers like you exhibt this kind of dullness when analysing important issues like this. In 2006 and 2011, Late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and President Rupiah Banda dissolved Parliaments and no Ministers remained in office after the dissolution of Parliament, so are you telling me that the two Presidents misinterpreted the Constitution by doing that because they dissolved Parliaments under the old Constitution that you want use to defend the incompetence of the entire PF Leadership?. No wonder the Zambian economy is where it is today because of this kind of dullness that is in PF government Leaders and their sympathisers… ULUSE!

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    • Mukuka Xris oh yeah! My definition of dullness in this case is failure to reason based on undisputed facts of the matter at hand. The dissolution of Parliament and retention of the President only there after is a legal provision that has existed in our Republican Constitution since 1991 when we introduced a multiparty type of democracy in Zambia hence it was so strange that the whole lot of a President would choose to deliberately misinterpret such a clear and straightforward Constituitional provision and even mislead his Ministers in supporting an illegallity… Moreover a Lawyer for Christ’s sake!, that is incompetence of the highest order and that’s the exact dullness am referring to.

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    • Emmalito Lias when u are debating do not generalise issues for all pf members are dull yet u just differ in opinions. That’s must caders ‘ll insult debate with sober mind avoid words that maybe misunderstood

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    • Mukuka Xris I was responding based on how you were trying to defend President Lungu on his breach of the Constitution which the CONCORT confirmed. So the dullness am referring to is failure to comprehend a simple provision of the Law.

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    • Mwamba Barnabas This isn’t a problem to some one normal; I had these views that your kakistocracy clueless circus regime must pay more than this.Even a child who never went to school would agree with HH that these mwankoles must pay more. I can’t waste my time schooling you on how the assessment is done.

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    • Some comments, kkkk, even children who have not past pa school knows that ministers will pay more. Meaning those who support the man tabakwete isukulu for them to know that the concourt has ruled already.

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    • Mwamba Barnabas Boss vote for your like minded person. What HH is talking about is a simple and straightforward way of ensuring that there’s proper accountability on the part of those that illegally stayed in office that time and there’s nothing wrong with that. A good Leader must have some knowledge of everything that’s happening around him or her and HH is exhibiting those characteristics. You can’t have a Leadership that does not know what’s happening in their governance structures… AIKONA MAN!

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    • Amijola Joe that’s the mentality I don’t like about you people who support this guy you always see wrong things in your friends just like mad people always see abnormalities in normal people. Shame

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  5. Bally you’re the only hope to the hopeless Zambians.

    These PF thieves have stolen a lot of money. They must be caged full stop.

    PF must go!

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  6. This guy is hurtful, can we have such a leader? The ministers were working, they were not playing around. If he wants to revenge for his own loses in general elections then I urge people not to have such a person as our president. He says he is going to sell the jet, he is going to sell the assets to pay for Nkongole, iwe ukuteka imbwa mano. This country is governed by laws that’s why ECL has told ministers to pay and you want to come up with your own figures, by law what you are saying is contemptuous.

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  7. This man has no respect for the seperation of powers. The case was already determined by the highest court of the land but he wants to make his own judgement, he will never rule.

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  12. I had this view that these people must pay more than this.Very simple and straightforward assessment and it’s only fools and those who failed mathematics and science who think they can pay what they are paying now.Moreover; they must even pay with interest

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  14. Let us all register to vote. As we go to vote. Lets not vote on emotions. Let’s ask those standing to share their manifesto so that we vote or not vote for them based on the ideas/policies they have that affect all of us.
    1. What’s their policy on pay as you earn?
    2. What is their policy on excise tax/ duty?
    3. What’s their policy on corporate taxes?
    4. Whats their policy on Pensions ?
    5.Whats their land ownership policy ?
    6. Whats the policy on education, health?.
    7. What is their policy on agriculture and promotion of local products?
    What’s the policy on easing regulation?
    8. What is the strategy to ending smuggling,???? corruption etc
    9. What is their policy on the rule of law and ending the pathetic cardalism within their parties etc?
    I can go on.
    You can not swim to the shore with rocks double your weight tied to your legs.
    We need transparent leaders. Credible leaders. Leaders who are afraid of losing integrity than losing an election. Leaders who will be willing to eat last. Leaders who will ensure that those who serve under them, have integrity, morals and willing to take responsibility when they err.
    We dont want change for the sake of change. If the incoming portrays similar characteristics to the current, then what change is there. Abolish carders in yory party, let change begin from there. Carderlism is the biggest source of corruption and lawlessness sin thai country. If we can see that in all political parties then the only change is one nonsense to another. That’s not the change we want.
    Cardlerism.is the bisggest source of corruption.. if you claim to want to end corruption, make it practical and end nonsensical cardalism kn your parties.
    I end here for now. I offer free advise and am non partisan.

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    • Bruce Mulenga but what more do you want to hear or see? Do you need a manifesto to vote out PF Now? Which normal adult still requires to continue with this nonsense? Unless you are benefiting together because some of us who are radical and proactive on socio-economic discourses and the future of our children are already resolved for regime change. Continue asking for those manifestos

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    • Amijola Joe simply change for the sake of change? Is that what you mean? Regardless? Yes I want to see change. But you need to guide those aspiring to make change to be on the tight path, advocating for the right change. Even people like you and me should challenge those promising change. Your children will one day ask you why you advocated for a particular change. You should be in a better position to give them facts. You answer should never be ” I did not need a manifesto of those aspiring for the highest office, i simply felt like we needed change”
      No one should just show you the fault of another without you challenging their character before you give them power to rule over you.
      I really doubt you have understood the message… that message is not for a particular politcal party. It’s for all those aspiring. as well as those who will go to cast the vote
      *Vote not on emotions*
      PF has shown what it can do and what they have failed to do..and hence voting them out maintaining them should be based on results. UPND, UPP, NDC, MMD, etc… need to show us how they plan to build or destroy the nation so that we decide the kind of destruction or building of the nation we want.
      Vote not on emotions.. that’s the simple.message and summary of it

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    • Gwedeza Solomon Mbewe Chaponda it’s not. Continue comforting yourself but us we know what’s on the ground.Just like you think the 2016 presidential petition which was irrationally and diabolically thrown out is over.Wait and see and this very discourse we are debating on now was part of the evidence of rigging. We have all the dossiers including gassing and violence

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  17. The reason I don like this guy. He is full of hate and malice. You can’t aspire for presidency to fix your enemies. Chiluba did the same to kaunda and we know how he ended. Kaunda is still strong alive and active.

    You can’t be the judge, the jury and the executor. This shows he will have no respect for the separation of powers.

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  24. That’s your problem, instead of you telling the people what you will you busy planing to punish your friends. Upnd is a police of Zambia ?? what a shame focus more on improving the economy not ivo

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  29. It’s only that you are one-sided = irrational and inward oriented.Please use your simple grey matter to think beyond supporting a looting kakistocracy circus regime.Think beyond HH and see the damage you and your useless flea circus regime have done ? On this one it’s a simple assessment because more has to be paid.I can’t tell you who much but just know that those thieves stayed in office for more than a month and you tell me they must pay less than 70 thousand sure? You must be very dull or you have idea of how much a minister gets monthly.

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  33. Casius Mbalazi it’s not ECL who told Ministers to pay back. It’s the courts and I am sure the Ministers went to him and because on that list others like CK and HK are not in government ECL started talking. Him ECL was or is supposed to be ashamed as a lawyer and President failing to understand the constitution. Those Ministers were not working because they used government resources to Campaign. HH is very right. No Minister in Zambia can draw K60PIN in 3 months. They are Allowances and fuel because they kept moving from place to place

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  37. In all honesty what kind of citizen can vote for a party that’s promising vengeance, terror, threats, all sorts of mayhem, ritribution, revenge, fear, pain, against all manner of citizens, once in power?

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  39. HH is trying to be vindictive. Many have accused him of having stollen during the infamous privatisation of national assets, which he vehemently denies.
    Now he’s behaving exactly like his accusers, which simply means he’s not any different from them.
    Such statements only help to alienate him from people who would want to try him, but are skeptical. The benefit of doubt they may want to give him is eroded by wild statements like this one.
    Where are his handlers? They need to protect him from himself. He’s proven to be his own worst political enemy. When he has an opportunity to sell himself to the electorate, he gets carried away and starts to talk about others instead of eulogising himself, he creates sympathy and empathy for his opponents.
    I don’t know HH personally, but from…

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  41. Amijola Joe, you would do well to just stick to reading instead of posting substandard, irrational, ill conceived perceptions, uncordinated and almost incoherent rants. Gibberish.
    Don’t use abusive language. If you don’t agree with the views of others, you don’t resort to insults, name calling. Engage and try to convince. Most importantly, be factual in your discourse.

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  44. A vindictive character has no place to look for in the corridors of power. He needs to be confined to the dustbin of history as a record all time loser. Allow him into power, and you will regret. UPND even on this site are not known to criticize their own. We see it in public institutions and even in public universities. UPND zealots are not known to criticize each other and their own leader. If allowed into power, Zambia would experience the most tyrannical and intolerant rule ever known south of the equator. All UPND cadres and their leaders talk about is to tell those who do not think like them that “you will see” when HH comes into power. That is exactly a recipe for tyranny and intolerance. No wonder when UPND lost in 2016 Zambians from other regions had their houses torched and…

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  50. Economics teaches us that Money has Time Value. These Moneys should have been paid in 2016. We are in 2020 so this Money should have earned interest over the years at the official legal rate. Is that not the correct way to compute outstanding Debts?

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  51. I can rest assure zambians that HH if he wins there will be chaos in Zambia. This man stole from pravitazation nobody commented even Chief Mukuni . With these comments from supporters iut will be a disaster if HH wins 2021. People will cry and gnash their teeth due to cruelty and revenge which will come from this man. We shall be like westafrica. Take care and dont say you were not warned.
    Take it or leave it. Serious matter

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  55. @Lavu M Zulu is the money they were ordered to pay only for the salaries they got in the 3 months they were illegal ministers? were they not using govt vehicles and fuel for their escapades during the 3 months of campaigns? you mean they didn’t get any bills as ministers during this 3 months?

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  56. Is HH purporting that the Constitution Court errored in its assessment of the monies to be paid back to the treasury? Such kind of dangerous politicking is what cost Sata’s ascension to State House after Chiluba’s third term bid failed, may their precious souls rest in eternal peace. And Chiluba had to go and pick on the late Levy Mwanawasa as his successor and by the time Sata was becoming president, he was already tired. But thanks to God Almighty, in the shortest period of time he was republican president, he still left a splendid example as to how a nation should be governed. HH knows that this is a closed chapter and is merely politicking for the sake of the gullible, the dunderheads.

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  61. The former ministers did not determine the amount of money to be paid back on their own but it was done by competent people through our courts of law. Is HH implying that under his government there’ll be no respect for the rule of law and our courts. Does he think he is the only competent person in the country to decide on all monetary matters? Do our ministers earn that much to accumulate arrears of more than K60 000 in less than two months? Let us be realistic Ba ‘Bloody’

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  65. Calvert Mukwato tell us what they stole if it’s not propaganda, when civil servants are stealing you turn to politicians at what stage do you think stealing is rampant? Civil servants are involved in procurement and supply and we have these overpriced services and products. Get your facts right

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    • Michael Ndalama what is change? What is development? Can you substaciate your claim of good governance in HH. What garantee do you have of better things in HH? At least am better off. Because I don’t think collectively.
      Mind you development is not in HH but in the Zambian people.

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  78. Yes indeed the assessment was greatly undervalued, I was not happy with the radio Phoenix moderator yesterday who was clearing encouraging debate on radio about how ministers should pay back, ati those former ministers who are no longer working should be given time to pay. How? Please note that there is only one judgment, there is nothing like judgment for those who are working and those who are not, all should pay in 30 days

  80. How about the fuel and maintenance costs of their vehicles they were using in during their illegal stay in power to campaign using government resources, how about the salaries government was paying to their maids and workers, and the Zesco power we paying for their houses and offices. Harry Kalaba, being first to pay does not absolve you from the illegality, and also the man who is fond of misinterpreting the law and misleading his ministers is not absolved

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  81. The real issue is that PF regime nurse a complex without panacea, damage by misrule and mismanagement to Zambia is colossal. Any one who states that will put judicious measures in place once in power, breaks them to the core and naturally react with vicious vile in all sorts of style and shape.
    For PF regime to contemplate loss of power, by court judgements make them pay back back stolen money from Zambians and serve jail terms is hard to imagine. However, no one has ever stopped change, and change is coming.

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    • There are absolutely no privatization issues otherwise the man would have been arrested in the past 30 years. Continue dreaming, its either climate change or covid or privatization. Just full of excuses daily, no work being done, exchange rate replicating Zimbabwe ati we are working

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  83. For now let’s even change for the sake of change, we can’t continue like this, this country is messed to the core. If we don’t change, expect the same poor result

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  87. The civil part of the former ministers paying back has been sorted out, the court says they have to pay, how about the one for the illegal stay which is criminal by nature. Who is handling that on behalf of the 18 million Zambians. If there is no one, let us know so that citizens arrest may be considered.

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  88. I am trying to form a new political party purely on grounds that PF has failed. Check all the economic indicators and disagree with me and give me yours. We were very hopeful that these chaps would take us to the next level alas flat battery completely. Just full of excuses

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  91. Finally, let us look at the conclusion of the matter: Shall we all ask God to fill our hearts with supreme love that transcends ideological and political differences. Love your friend disregard of which political party they belong to. We are all brothers and sons of the soil and remember we have no other country to go. It’s just politics dear. As we go to vote, let’s not vote on emotions. Let’s ask the candidates standing to share their manifesto so that we know whether to vote for them or not based on their ideas/policies. I refuse to be partisan in my passionate appeal. Above all, find out whether these candidates will uphold ZAMBIA AS A CHRISTIAN NATION because we need a leader who acknowledges THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST over our beloved country Zambia for our own spiritual…

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  93. PF with all this failure everywhere, why don’t we just pack our bags and go. I was supporting my party PF all along, but along the way, I said this is a Christian nation, let me just be truthful to myself and others. Having looked at all that matters, GDP, Exchange rate, reserves, inflation, unemployment and debt, I realized that we have short changed the Zambian people, as our economic decline started way before Covid even came to Zambia and even immediate past bank of Zambia governor confirmed that the decline had been there for a long time.

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  94. We will constitute a Special Crimes Court with same powers as the Supreme Court to try these criminal offences. Even those cases of Wheelbarrowing Fire ambulance scandal, Mukula trees scandal,eSwatini Villa Scandal etc will swiftly be brought to court, tried and criminals sentenced to death, executed by firing squad and cremated with their ashes thrown in pit latrines in Lusaka, Chibolya, Chawama and Kalingalinga.

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  95. Mr Dictator is on it again, the court has made a ruling on the matter and you think the MPs will just pay more because you have said it? They will challenge you in court and you will lose. Unless if you will be running the courts from your bedroom. If the dictator is going to win he will never last 2 terms, he will fail big time. This will be a one term government. Don’t insult me an entitled to my analysis just like you’re entitled to insults even when the facts are on the table.

  97. HH must avoid overconfidence at all costs.To be avoided as well is inducing fear.Thiis will be an election and any election has two results,a win or loss.
    PF is throwing all it has in the next election and it’s in power.

  98. The context of presentation by HH is deluding many and will never get it as long as mind-set is established. By definition those who commit crime face the law of the land and get serving punishment. This, equally goes to ministers who illegally earned their salaries now required to pay back. Paying back does not make them innocent – they are convicts who stole from Zambians. There is a compelling view that the law was broken whose consequences is still unknown to Zambians. They are liable for criminal act of illegally staying in office, notwithstanding courts having made them pay back what they earned illegally while in office. Further than this paying back is criminal offence of breaking the law. That point is missed by many and view that paying back brings them back to innocence – NO…

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