Much of last week, I remained holed up in what my Western colleagues would refer to as sticks adding meat to the skeleton of my next project – “One Zambia One Nation; How Hakainde Rejuvenated Our Motto.” When I finally got back to civilization, l found Social media trending with news of compensations by the state; particularly the one involving the Minister of Transport & Logistics Hon. Frank Tayali who has walked away with a whopping K450, 000 for the trauma he allegedly suffered when a gun was pointed at him by an overzealous cop as he escorted opposition party leader then, President Hichilema, to police headquarters for interrogations.
A number of bloggers and personalities of course weighed in and added their voices to the discourse. Of particular interest are the following views:
“I have just made an appointment to meet with my lawyers to sue the state for the 2017 unlawful detention for 7 days and 7 nights. How much should I claim? I would like to donate part of the claim to the youth,” stated UPP leader Saviour Chishimba.
Outspoken UPND Lusaka province party official, Likwanya Matomola, could not be left out at all. “I am sueing the state for torturing me and illegally detaining me 6 times when the police arrested me between 2015 & 2021. Next week on Monday I am taking legal action.”
United Kingdom based UPND member Barbra Chama who is notorious for calling a spade a spade equally shared her thoughts. I will also come and claim compensation for the trauma I suffered due to the insults I faced at the hands of Ichipani thugs…. I want 10 million!”
“Those who suffer harm must be handsomely compensated. And in return, officers who cause the State to compensate victims must be made to personally compensate the State for such conduct,” Green Party leader, Peter Sinkamba, observed.
Topson Kunda, a Central province based UPND official that suffered gushing gunshot wounds prior to the elections maintained that he won’t sue anyone but leave everything to God.
On the hand, others such as the Chilubi MP, Mulenga Fube and his Petauke Central counterpart Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda who escaped prison sentence for urinating in the mouth of a journalist and storming a police post to beat up police officers were sarcastic and less civil as expected; describing the move as nothing but looting the treasury!
I won’t waste time discussing the merits or demerits of what others have said, but would rather share my own opinion in truth and honesty.
The decision by Tayali to sue the state for compensation may be legally right, but of course morally wrong. What do we say so?
During different episodes of our liberation struggles……from British colonial rule, dark days of one party rule through to the days of MMD and the brutal PF regime, various individuals have suffered tremendous pain and anguish at the hands of the state. Have we seen any of them stepping forward to claim compensation? Is our economy solid enough to even sustain such unplanned expenses?
I’ll share a vivid personal experience. When I wrote an article, “Sata’s Family Forest Explained,” during the PF regime which detailed a clear pattern of tribalism and regionalism in the choice of those appointed to government positions, the authorities were livid! Former president Edgar Lungu was Home Affairs Minister at the time. I had never seen a person so annoyed before on national TV.
“This is treason!” He exclaimed as he banged his clenched fist on his mahogany office desk. “We know this is the work of UPND. I am now directing investigative wings of government to hunt down whoever is behind this article and bring them to book!”
During the wee hours of the following day, I tucked my passport in one of the inner pockets of my coat, secured my wallet and disappeared into the night. During the next couple of hours, I steered away from the main road as much as possible to avoid being detected. I somehow got a bit relieved when I finally got absorbed into the dense ZAFFICO plantation along the Ndol/Kitwe dual carriageway. During the next couple of days to come, I survived on wild fruits, drinking water from the puddles, dodging snakes and being feasted upon by the mosquitoes. One fateful late afternoon though, I came face to face with armed bandits who frisked me and took away my only earthly possessions – sleeping bag, phone and wallet.
After loitering about in the wilderness for the next 3 weeks, I finally found the Mokambo road where I encountered a charcoal burner. I borrowed his mobile phone and called my wife.
“No one has been here,” she assured me. “You can just come back home now.”
It has never crossed my mind that I can actually sue the state for compensation for the anguish and trauma I endured during those days and nights in the wilderness until this time. I am now contemplating finding a good lawyer to pursue this case. But are we doing the nation any good taking this route?
If my memory serves me right, Local Government Minister Hon. Gary Nkombo equally had a gun put to his head by a trigger happy cop at a fuel station in Chilanga in the presence of his dear lovely wife, Katendi. Have we seen him jumping on skates to demand compensation? Of course, not!
What about the Lamba bull, Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo, another poor victim of imprisonment on tramped up charges before the elections; have we seen him laughing all the way to the Bank?
No no no….. Hon. Minister…… surrender that money back to government or better still, donate it to charity otherwise you are setting a very bad precedence. Very soon you’ll see every everyone of us dashing to court for compensation.
Besides, the president has already rewarded you with a lofty position as Minister for your contributions to the struggle which is a lifetime achievement in itself. It may be understandable for someone not serving in government such as Obvious Mwaliteta to sue for compensation, but not a Minister for God’s sake!
by Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
…
Ba Kapinga you are addressing a wrong person. Some time this year our friends suffered at the hands of this puffed up frog. After losing a court case over a plot, this frog sent thugs to destroy the house on this plot. Up to now nothing has happened to this moral deficient thug.
Is this Tayali the son of Charles Museba?
@Deja Vu, it doesn’t matter who the father to Frank Tayali is. The fact is Frank mwana wa-mbwa.
Its the worst thug in the cabinet at moment, discard it please. It is a minister for sake of balancing tribes, otherwise I don’t see who is worse between Frank and Lusambo.
And i blame donors who keep on spoon feeding us with useless donations and aid when they know that the money ends up in Politician’s pockets…and the national treasury is being looted right now…by 2026 the national treasury will be negative zero
This article is poorly written and appears to cordon looting of the state treasury. For example the article is justifying payments to Mwaliteta because he WASN’T appointed to ministerial position. Total BS!. What about KK who was incarcerated multiple occasions by the colonial government? What about Frederick Chiluba who detained by the UNIP government? Mr Kapinga, please stop insulting poor people.
Kapinga has nothing else to make him relevant apart from dreaming up poor topics which he can’t even defend.
@ one+love
Now you know why the Western World is more developed than….we have no respect for our nation treasury…imagine a government thats busy scheming to loot all our nation treasury….for the first time in Zambian history that our nation treasury is being looted in broad day light….we need to start sending these Politicians to jail
But the question is, who will send these politicians and the lawyers facilitating the day time robbery to jail? Nelly and Laura Mutty?
………
I totally agree…….
The amount was totally exaggerated…….
Way too much for having a gun pointed at you………
I wish it was me holding the gun to this chi arrogant fat f00Is head. I would have shot him. I don’t miss.
This is what happens in civilized nations around the world. The state can not use the police to abuse people, they should be cost to it. Well done HH
For 2 weeks now ZESCO is just fumbling to sort out low voltage to no supply in most parts of Kabangwe. This same money being shared, why is it not being used to buy spares, if spares is the issue.
The sad part is that now Judges have been given green light to be corrupt….i thought HH was going to fight corruption but he is now enabling corruption…..how are we going to develop as a country when every Jim and Jack is trying to loot our national treasury….i repeat this is only happening under UPND…NOW WE KNOW WHY HH CAN’T DECLARE HIS ASSETS…HIS WEALTH IS ILL-GOTTEN AND THE MOMENT HE DECLARES HIS WEALTH ZAMBIANS WILL BE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT IT ALL CAME PRIVATIZATION AND MASSIVE CORRUPTION
Yes all you need is remember some incident you had with the law…see someone at the court… advised to sue and voila you are compensated.
Unfortunately if you’re a genuine patriot and you want to develop Zambia other Politicians bith from PF and UPND will gang up against you and they will eliminate you….am sure you all know what happened to Ronald Penza….Paul Tembo…Dean Mungomba etc
The only time Politicians work together is when they’re stealing…PF and UPND will definitely work together if they all agree to steal and loot our natural resources but when it comes to developing Zambians they can’t work together
Corrupt and criminal lawyer lewis Mosho was paid USD $4.5 million by AG Likando Kalaluka. There was no court process or trial. Nobody made any noise.
Today PF cadres want to make noise when Tayali is awarded K900,000(just $38,000)
So if Edgar Lungu stole Hakainde Hichilema can also steal. Imagine telling the court that you stole because other people were also stealing… unbelievable defense.
@Deja Vu
Why were you quiet when Lewis Mosho was awarded $4.5 million?
It was okay then.
Please stop supporting looting just because it’s being done by people from your village. “It’s our time to eat mentality” Mr Kapinga will bankrupt our small economy. There are so many poor people being held without trial by our incompetent police service. Why are they not being paid?
@Dependant How do you know I kept quiet. Do you monitor me 24/7?
In Zambia Police are legally allowed to point a gun at a suspect. Why the compensation?
@Just asking
Law enforcement officers are legally allowed to point a gun at a suspect all over the world not only in Zambia but you know HH is just using the Judiciary to loot..
@Independent
You’re the most unpatriotic blogger on Lusaka Times…so for you if PF were stealing so its ok for UPND to continue stealing…is this what you’re saying???? Just like it was not ok for PF to build a house for Rupiah Banda the man who had been in Politics since 1964 and its was not ok for PF and MMD to spend millions building the expensive graves for Mwanawasa…Sata…. Kaunda…Chiluba and Rupiah
I fail to see logic in #independent posts.
@ Deja Vu
This is exactly why Africa will never develop because of morons like independent….like honestly how do you justify stealing just because you see someone else stealing…..thats mind boggling…so in short its now time for UPND to steal…Africa we joke too much
I was in Sweeden a few months ago and i can tell you that the Scandinavians are not rich..they just manage their resources and treasury…NO ONE EVEN THINKS OF LOOTING FROM THEIR TREASURY IN DENMARK OR NORWAY…and now imagine if HH told voters during campaigns that once he is elected into office the first thing will be stealing from the National treasury and now you all know what happened to Faith Musonda’s 65 million…they came up with a the nonsense to justify the disappearance of 65 miilion
@Deja Vu and @Anonymous
Why were you quiet when Lewis Mosho was awarded $4.5 million?
It was okay then?
HYPOCRITES.
Independent is just a prostitute. A huuule for upnd members. Don’t take it seriously
Do you know me to accuse of the nonsense?
Just like your Upnd, you have run out of what to ask, say, do or think.
@Deja Vu
“first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)
Do not misuse the Bible. What log do I have in my eye,? Have I been a recipient of the bogus compensation?
I wonder what UPND would have said if it was the PF doing these compensations and i also believe someone is behind eating this money with him. Its not freely ai