BEMBA chiefs have called on the state to consider giving back second republican President Frederick Chiluba’s assets to his family because he was entitled and the grounds for forfeiture were not valid.
Chiefs Kaputa and Mpepo in separate interviews urged the government to consider the matter because the manner in which the state had dealt with the Chiluba issue was unfortunate and there was need to reconsider.
Chief Kaputa appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to look into the matter because the Chiluba family were left with nothing and are suffering yet their father led this country and deserved to be recognised.
He said from the look of things there were some people in the system who had vested interest in the matter and properties hence they wanted to play tricks.
“I feel there is a hand that is pushing for this because they waited for the former head of State to die before they re-appealed in the Supreme Court just to get his properties,” Chief Kaputa said.
He said there was need to practice what people preached because what was happening was very wrong and the state needed to come clean and inform the public on what the status quo was.
He said it was for this reason that the matter should be dealt with quickly because the family had continued to suffer.
And Chief Mpepo said the whole thing smacked of malice and that the former head of State was painted black in the eyes of the public.
He said there was prejudice in the manner the law enforcement agencies conducted themselves because they waited for Dr Chiluba to die before going back to court.
“For me I feel mwali ulufyengo (unfairness) in the manner Dr Chiluba and his family were treated because the issue of the assets was clear that they were not acquired through corrupt activities,” he said.
Chief Mpepo called on the family members to appeal and use all the necessary legal channels to get justice.
And Zambia Republican Party president Wright Musoma said Government must do the right thing in the name of justice and hand back the forfeited properties belonging to Dr Chiluba to his family.
Mr Musoma said in an interview in Lusaka that it was a well-known fact that the property belonged to the late President, thus it was unfair for the State to allege that he did not claim it.
“The nation is aware that those forfeited properties belonged to Dr Chiluba and as such they were supposed to be handed to his family. We are appealing to President Hichilema and his government to relook into the issue and give back the property to the family,” Mr Musoma said.
He said that justice was delayed until Dr Chiluba died and it should not be delayed further as the family had endured enough.
This is that Professor Luo pulling strings as she has no respect for the rule of law… PF have zero respect for anything and very soon this matter will blow out and become a national debate as PF are unable to offer checks and balances…very soon this will be a tribal issue. These Chiefs are being used again to settle political scores even for the thief FTJ.
These chiefs clearly were complacent with Chiluba and his rampant corruption. The state is only talking back what was stolen from them in the first place.
No Corruption Zambia – This is why PF can never change ….they are intertwined with corruption and lawlessness..can you imagine any country in the world were they would tolerate this; where someone used his position to amass wealth. These people need to shut up with evidence that was brought up at that London Court. These people are taking us for fooooools.
Zambia’s Chiluba guilty of graft
Frederick Chiluba
Mr Chiluba was Zambia’s president for 10 years (BBC Friday, 4 May 2007, 12:53 GMT 13:53 UK )
Zambia’s ex-President Frederick Chiluba has been found guilty of stealing $46m (£23m) of public money by a UK court.
The judge said that Zambians should know that when he appeared wearing his trademark designer clothes, they were paid for with stolen money.
Mr Chiluba’s spokesman told a Zambian newspaper that the ex-leader did not accept the court’s jurisdiction.
Mr Chiluba was not in the London High Court but the ruling could lead to the seizure of his assets.
The civil case was brought on behalf of the Zambian attorney general.
Swiss boutique
Justice Peter Smith said Mr Chiluba had a global reputation as a “smart and expensive dresser”, with his “FJT” monogram on shirts and suits and specially made shoes with high heels.
He officially earned about $100,000 while in power from 1991-2001 and yet he paid an exclusive boutique shop in Switzerland $1.2m.
This is an historic victory for the people of Zambia
Hilary Benn, UK International Development Secretary
“This was at a time when the vast majority of Zambians were struggling to live on $1 a day and many could not afford more than one meal a day,” the judge said.
Two years ago, he was furious when hundreds of his designer suits, shirts and shoes were seized from a warehouse where he had stored them.
Two years ago, he was furious when hundreds of his designer suits, shirts and shoes were seized from a warehouse where he had stored them.
“What they have done is to bring my underpants out to the general public,” Mr Chiluba told reporters.
Mr Chiluba laundered the money through two London-based law firms, the judge said.
The UK government backed the Zambian law suit and International Development Secretary Hilary Benn welcomed the court ruling.
“This is an historic victory for the people of Zambia and shows their commitment to bringing those who steal from the state to account – however powerful they are,” he said.
“The money recovered can now be returned to the government of Zambia to be invested in the people’s future – such as education or clean drinking water for some…
education or clean drinking water for some of the 7m Zambians living in poverty.”
Unfit for trial
Before the ruling, Mr Chiluba’s spokesman Emmanuel Mwamba told Zambia’s The Post newspaper that local courts should handle any prosecutions.
“Dr Chiluba has refused to recognise the jurisdiction and authority of the London court. He has stated that he will not submit himself to its findings,” Mr Mwamba said.
President Levy Mwanawasa
President Levy Mwanawasa has led a fight against corruption
He has always denied the allegations.
A Zambian court last year ruled that Mr Chiluba was medically unfit to stand trial on corruption charges.
Mr Chiluba, a former trade union leader, ended 31 years of one-party rule when he won the 1991 elections.
And look at who was FTJ’s spokesman at the time no other that EMMANUEL MWAMBA…..FAST FORWARD 15 years later he is still defending thieves in PF. Remember Professor Luo is linked to the Bemba royal establishment and some how related to the likes of Mwamba …these people dont just defend any how.
What properties are those? Chiluba children don’t even know about them.
Why should it be a matter of Bemba chiefs and not all chiefs? Was Chiluba only a president for Bembas? Poor souls.
Is this a Bemba issue or the law!!!
Chiluba was not a Bemba! Know your Zambia
Well articulated by Tarino Orange- omitted one episode during the London judgement. The tailor of Chiluba designer many suits that cost more than £1000 each cried in court (umusowe) when it was put to him that, while he made £000s from Chiluba suits, his people (Zambians) were wallowing in poverty without medicines in hospitals. He cried and pleaded with the court to return all the money made from Chiluba. So, who are these Bemba chiefs, them who kept receiving brown envelopes from Chiluba. What Zambians know is that Chiluba was a thief found guilty by courts in Zambia, Britain and Switzerland.
FTJ did a lot of good things for Zambia and Zambians, he brought the most cherished democracy and freedom of speech and helped to transform Zambians into doing business he allowed Zambians to start owning their own businesses, Every one knows that there is no perfect human being in this world.
The best way to go is to give back the property to the second presidents family.
The man was great he empowered Zambians with houses no one will ever forget his good deeds.
Next time an accountant embezzles and dies, we should return his/her assets to their children instead of returning them to the company or people he embezzled. This is what these chiefs, kavindele and luo are suggesting by saying we give convicted ex-president chiluba’s assets to his family. They were never theirs in the first place. But i see their point, Why single chiluba alone when the last former president and his PF cronies are sitting pretty enjoying what they embezzled from the people of Zambia?
give back the properties imwe bakabolala.you want to punish other tribes.That is being evil.How can dead person defend himself?U think Africa is like states.U want to steal properties bamambala imwe.In the name of fighting corruption.Let us work up and defeat tribalists in the name of rule and order.Zambians should be united and not to jsupport nonsense!!Give back properties to the families
If you are not from western or Southern province then you will face a very hard life under this govt
What is this mentality of because your father was a president , then you will live wealthy ???
If you did not make use of the free education made available to you and your late father FJT could not account for those properties , you deserve nothing.
FJT could not account for those properties, show us how he funded them, if not off the backs of Zambians ……..
So because one father was president , does it mean the Zambian tax payers has to look after his family as well ????
Was there not a block of flats taken away from FJT in Belgium ?????
We also remember the ridiculous explanation of FJT funding the Church in England when asked about large sums of money moving to the UK…….
But this is bad people to say the least. Remember posterity will judge you also harshly. This is not leadership, it’s mediocrity of the highest order. But don’t forget that you also have children and families whom you shall leave on this earth. You can not be 100% perfect
Late Chiluba was president for Zambia and he got into trouble with Zambian law and not tribal law. It’s that simple.
It’s really sad tht some chiefs can be supporting such dity leadership of FTJ, wht benefits do they hv in it? Its really disappointing whn some people could be supporting thieves ad who hd no fear for the Almighty. Such a dirty person even declared Zambia a Christian nation, who ws he to do such a thing. He’s no different to satan doing tht.
Ad its disappointing the some writers don’t research on the history of this nation or they don’t know??? Foolish.
These PFers are good at creating distractions. In government for 11 years they don’t sort the issue out, now everyone is a guardian of the Chiluba legacy? Of course its another issue to drive a wage among Zambians started by the High Priestess and Chief Matron of divisive politics.
…..and when people associate a certain tribe with theft, it’s due to actions like this one
African justice at its best. We use feelings instead of reason. The courts have already ruled and no one can overturn otherwise it’s contempt.it’s above HH.
The man was a monkey incharge of a maize field.
Very well said #20 Nemwine and #23 Barotseland Agreement.
Today, January 4, 2022 the Daily Nation newspaper will run another story quoting someone urging the government to hand back Chiluba’s assets. The newspaper believes that it has power to make people believe whatever it wants them to believe.
When I read the headline, I thought my entire Bemba/Luunda empire was involved. Only to find it’s two very minor chiefs. As of the matter at hand, I just pray that all those involved do the right thing either to hand the property back or the family to leave it and get on with life.
#22 Advocate. Your name and your comments are at variance.
Are Bemba chiefs now bompwes as well? Clowns!!!
They had to do him dirty coz he was a dirty thief
Clique of thieves! These damn kalulus, they think they’re so clever but they couldn’t even plunder in an organised and sustainable manner like a proper criminal organisation like the Mafia, more like a bunch of monkeys stealing like there’s no tomorrow lol. And now wat went up is coming down.
Late Chiluba was not the embodiment of the best that Luapula province could offer Zambia. There are and there were far more decent people and politicians from that part of the country.
#32 Much as FTJ was alleged to have committed grand larceny, without him, Kaunda would have continued as president until the end of his earthly life. FTJ was not part of the original MMD formation. He was invited by the original founders of the movement for several reasons and top of the list was that he was the only person Kaunda didn’t have dirt on. Included was the fact that he was the only person known by almost every Zambian because of his long lasting fights against the Unip government. Other contenders would have been torn apart by Super Ken. Aka had issues with Zambia Ceramics, Sikota and VJ were drug tainted, Arthur Wina had issues as former finance minister. I was one of the young people who actively participated in the movement and I know something.
#32 And who else do you think was better than Chiluba from Luapula at that time?
Mr Mfula.
#37 Mr Mfula from Chipili Anglican Church was going to be mince meat for KK. Just shows you didn’t know KK and neither do you have wide knowledge about eminent persons from Luapula.