The opposition NDC is challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs to explain how Congolese politician Moise Katumbi has allegedly been issued with a Zambian Diplomatic passport.
NDC Secretary General Mwenya Musenge urged Government to urgently clarify this matter as it has the potential to compromise National peace and security.
“If indeed, it is true that Mr. Katumbi is the holder of passport number.. we want to know how he got the said documentation. As a party, we shall not gloss over this matter until those who issued the said passport are brought to book,” Mr Musenge said.
“As a party, we have nothing personal against Moise Katumbi as an individual. We as NDC have commented on this matter because it raises a lot of questions that require urgent answers.”
Mr Musenge charged that Zambia should not and shall never be used as a safe haven for foreigners.
“If Mr. Katumbi indeed holds a Zambian passport, we wonder how many other foreigners such as Chinese have Zambian passports. If Mr. Katumbi has a Zambian passport, we demand for a clean up at the passport office.”
The NDC Secretary General further demanded that all officers who are behind Mr. Katumbi’s passport be arrested and prosecuted.
“If Home Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo has a hand in the issuance of this passport, we demand that he be fired by the appointing authority. The NDC demands that the authenticity of this matter be clarified by the Ministry of Home Affairs immediately,” he said.
“We further demand for a clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs on how Mr. Katumbi was issued a Green National Registration Card NRC. The NDC is also appealing to the Congolese Government to clarify on the issue of dual citizenship in the DRC.”
He said the NDC further wants the Congolese Government to assist Zambia with information if they are aware that Mr. Katumbi actually holds Zambian citizenship.
The NDC noted that Mr. Katumbi rose to prominence in the 1990s under the Fredrick Chiluba regime under the name Moses Katumbi and that he was Dr. Chiluba relation.
He went further and claimed he was a relation to one of the royal highnesses in luapula province.
After Dr. Fredrick Chiluba was arrested for corruption, Moses Katumbi unceremoniously left Zambia.
He later appeared in the Congo as Moise katumbi and became Governor for Katanga province.
“As a country, we may differ politically, but, we should not allow foreigners hijack and take over our country. We have only one Zambia and we as citizens should safeguard this country from any foreign emissaries and aggressors,” Mr Musenge said.
You are asking a crook to come clean. Since when has a crook come clean?
I dont know why they continue asking a crook to fire a fellow crook….Lazy Lungu can never fire anyone in his govt for anything but aspiring for his seat!!
The constitution of Zambia provides for dual citizenship. So, a Zambian with family roots in Zambia can get Zambian citizenship and also get a Zambian passport. So, it is not unusual for Katumbi to do so, considering that he has had businesses in Zambia for over 30 years; he has houses dotted all over Copperbelt and Lusaka. So getting a passport for him ordinarily is not supposed to be a big deal.
The question is on a diplomatic passport. Why should he posses a Zambia diplomatic passport? Is it because of business? Is it because he is leader of an opposition party in DRC? Is it because he is related to Mwata Kazembe and Chtimukulu, or what? Perhaps these are the questions NDC should be asking.
NDC may wish to know that there are so many Zambians out there who live in South Africa, UK, USA and all over the world who hold both Zambian and other nationality passports. And the same is the case with other nationalities, including refugees who legally hold Zambian passports. Actually, the policy of AU is one passport for all in Africa. Zambia is a signitory to this AU policy. Really, there is no need for noise.
The other important issue to look at is that when Katumbi was resident is Zambia, he possessed a Zambian passport. The question is: If a person who holds a Zambian passport changes country of residence, is he obliged by law to surrender the Zambian passport? The other question is: can one renew his passport without coming to Zambia? If the answer to the first questions is no, and the answer to the second question is yes, then there is no need to shake one’s head for Katumbi to have renewed his passport in June this year, when the Congolese government announced that his Congolese passport had been cancelled in an attempt to block him from returning to Congo for elections
LT what’s this we hear about Lazy Lungu flying off to China today??
By the time we realise that Zambia has been sold off completely, Lungu will already have settled into one of his mansions in rogue countries.
You think the Chinese are in Zambia to play?
You will soon regret ever voting for a drunkard thief. By then, it will be way too late.
Damn this is embarrassing this is not a Zambian he claims to be Congolese Italian. Double standards yet they deported back a Zimbabwean who came to seek Asylum. Lungu is a Joker.
HH is a crook and he will never be President in Zambia maybe a section leader in Namwala.
On what Grounds does he hold a diplomatic passport?? It does not make sense. He is not Zambian, neither is he a Zambian Diplomat. It’s sickening to see such nonsense. This passport should be withdrawn.
This is what Zambia has become under corrupt Lungu’s regime. Honestly how do you issue this guy with a Zambian DIPLOMATIC passport? Is he a Zambian diplomat? The ACC needs to investigate this. By the time corrupt Lungu leaves office, he would’ve sold the country to the highest bidder.
1.8 Sharon. I dont know whether Sharon is a just a pseudo name but you are a man. However I note that you are very much obsessed with HH. If you are lady, then you just admire him but it is not possible to coerce him so you are bitter. if you are a man, then you are just a demagogue
On this one – awe – I will just listen in to comments. Mau-less kabili!
The question you should be asking is does Congo allow duel citizenship the guy is congolesse who wants to accend to the highest office of that land how can he be zambian at the same time
Congo like all French speaking countries allows for dual citizenship. A Congolese I know is both Belgian and Congolese.
Katumbi is a Zambian born from a Zambian woman and a nephew to chitimukulu. He owns businesses in Zambia and lived most of his life there. And whats wrong for Australia to grant me citizenship if i was born in Zambia. If he qualifies to get a passport whats wrong with that. And you call yourselves oppisitions yaak.
Can Australia also grant you a Diplomatic Passport even if you invested 100million dollars?
Katumbi is a Congolese. Just recently, he was the Katanga governor. If the Australian government has granted you citizenship, you followed their laid out laws. You had to wait for a while just like foreigners who gain US citizenship.
Ba oval head don’t lie katumbi used chiluba and chiti mukulu for that fake citizenship he is a pure congolesse balya twita ati Kasai. He’s got Jewish ancestry from his father’s side and a bemba speaking woman from the congolesse side of bangwelu his late brother Solomon Was a very good friend of mine the time I was in kitwe we used to go looking for emeralds with him in Chief Lumpumas area in Lufwanyama
Not Chitimukulu but Mwata Kazembe.
You mean he qualifies to hold a diplomatic passport?
You have a boy like Steven Kampyongo as Home Affairs Minister who was a mere Katondo Street Currency Dealer and you are surprised that Chinese are buying passports like fish at the market!!
We call it dual-citizenship and if you think you cannot be a TTONGGA and LOOZI at the same time then something is wrong with you! And it is CHILDISH to think so. This guy saved a lot of Zambians from starvation with his generosity in Zambia as a businessman. That is why someone is scared of him to be president in Congo. If he becomes President in Congo, Zambia and Congo will be one.
Thank you ndanje for the correction it is in fact mwata kazembe
You have a boy like Gay Jay and HH who were mere villagers yesterday and today they are experts on governance!
Whether true or false Government cannot be reacting to what the Watchdog writes all the time, if you believe this is credible let someone petition the Minister on the issue “If Mr. Katumbi indeed holds a Zambian passport, we wonder how many other foreigners such as Chinese have Zambian passports” a foreigner can be issued a passport under exceptional circumstance for security purpose. What is important is to ensure there is highlevel clearance on the matter. “After Dr. Fredrick Chiluba was arrested for corruption, Moses Katumbi unceremoniously left Zambia” – and then what followed, he never came back?? “The NDC is also appealing to the Congolese Government to clarify on the issue of dual citizenship in the DRC”.- Why are worried about DRC laws??
We do have to worry about DRC laws because in most countries one would have to denounce one citizenship if dual citizenship/nationality is not allowed. For instance if I am Zambian and I apply for British Citizenship, once I am granted British Citizenship, if Zambia did not allow dual citizenship/nationality, I would at that point have to denounce my Zambian citizenship. So in this case it may be a valid point. Also it is important for the Government to react to issues raised by concerned citizens. That is the reason that there are there, more so, if its a false allegation. It allows for transparency and accountability.
On this one , we need clear explanation, We may have ignored a lot of issues based on hearsay, but this passport copy in the picture should not vanish un explained. Our home affairs has a lot of questionable dealings, but no body seems to care. NDC ,we are together with you on this one waiting for answers. What a country without self esteem!! a nation of crooks.
THIS IS VERY SERIOUS, DRC HAS DECLARED MOISE KATUMBI AS AN ENEMY OF THAT COUNTRY FOR CRIMES ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED WHILST HE SERVED AS A CITIZEN OF DRC AND AN ELECTED GOVERNOR FOR THE KATANGA PROVINCE THEN. WE NOW ISSUE DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT FOLLOWING TO THE PREREQUISITE GREEN NRC TO THAT FELLOW?
NOW THAT DRC IN THEIR RIGHTS AND WISDOM ARE DEMAND FOR THE EXTRADITION AND PROSECUTION OF THE HOLDER OF THE PURPORTED ZAMBIAN DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT; WHAT WILL JOE MALANJI, STEVEN KAMPYONGO AND INDEED PRESIDENT EC LUNGU DO????????????????
WE ARE SURELY COURTING TROUBLE FROM THESE GUYS, THEY HAVE LIVED A WAR-INFESTED LIFE SINCE THE SIXTIES AND ARE STILL FIGHTING – DAY AND NIGHT!!!!!!!!! ARE WE READY FOR THIS???????????
WE NEED ANSWERS AS A MATTER OF EXTREME URGENCY BEFORE ALL THIS PEACE WE SING…
I won’t comment on the story but only your comment that DRC want to extradite Moses Katumbi. In all fairness if the DRC were really looking to arrest Katumbi why did they bar him from entering the DRC? Common sense should prevail over political emotions.
When we told you that don’t accommodate the dual citizenship in our Constitution the majority was angered and demanded the implementation of the same. It is very easy for Zambians to get citizenship in other countries because of our peace status low levels of syndicated crimes. FOR THIS REASON MOST ZAMBIANS WHO HAVE FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP FOUGHT FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP. For this reason we should also respect other foreigners who are also enjoying the same privilege of DUAL CITIZENSHIP – be it from Congo, Somalia, Malawi etc.,etc.
If you google some countries like Nigeria, Sudan, Niger, Mali, Mauritania – these are blacklisted countries and require visas to visit most of European nations. These countries will find it difficult to get dual citizenship abroad BUT NOT CONGO.
What’s wrong with Moise Katumbi Chapwe claiming his Zambian citizenship? I encourage him to even move his businesses here, not those shebeens Musenge runs in Kwacha. How many Lebanese, Indians, Malawans, Yao of Mozambique, even Zimbabweans who hold Zambian passports? This isn’t the type of opposition politics we are looking for, ubu bupuba
My worry is that our opposition parties too preoccupied with scandal related stories which will only interest the online critic and not the majority of our citizens. When it comes to real issues they run out of ideas other than promising street vendors that they are going to allow them back on the streets.
He is a Zambian! He lived in Kitwe and had a Zambian wife. Everyone knew him and good to Zambians. This is no problem.
It would have pleased them if the alleged passport was issued to Tendai Biti.
Galu Watchers in Zambia is a mouthpiece of the Tribal Union also called UPND – a COALITION OF THE WICKED.
Couldn’t agree with you more Ayotollah at 9!
Very useless kind of politics from this man.
We should be happy instead of complaining. Are we not tired of always being in another country’s pockets? The so called vision-less drunkard is being more visionary than the cry babies we all know very well. At least we will also finally have a country in our pockets after this Zed Diplomat wins the elections.
Can I also be given a diplomatic passport from Congo please this queuing up at the airport is now too much.
In countries that respect freedom of information, there would be an explanation of the status of Katumbi. A lot of uncertainties have gone on over the years in relation to this gentleman and his DRC connection. What is wrong with clearing this? Without dwelling into the dual citizenship issue, perhaps a simple justification of why he has been awarded diplomatic status if this is true?
There are too many contentious issues on which this regime has decided to remain mute (or at best provided very dubious explanations) Swept under the carpet, blown over, forgotten, ignored, Zambians shown ‘the finger’ etc. has been the order of the day. Soon this will be forgotten and Zambians will move to another topic and ‘flog another dead horse’.
The NRC he has is.not green. It’s pink because the last digit is /2. Green NRC ends in /1 which is what defines the nationality of the card holder. The pink card is what is also.known as the ‘Green Card’ for those that want to emigrate to the USA. It means.Katubi has permanent residency status in Zambia and can.get a passport.
He gets a.diplomatic passport of.course.because he is a vvvip
If you are a permanent resident in the US, you cannot obtain a passport. Passports are for citizens. But Katumbi’s passport reads that h is a Zambian citizen.
If Katumbi was a Zambian citizen before the new constitution, then he broke the law. Since dual citizenship is a new development in Zambia, when did he acquire Zambian citizenship. In short, he was both Congolese and Zambian all along. What does the law say about a non Zambian citizen obtaining Zambian citizenship? Can such a person become a Zambia in a two years? There is something fishy about Katumbi”s case.
His Congolese passport was cancelled….How did you want Kazembe’s grand son to travel around the world….
Please its a pink NRC with /2 not /1 at the end.
It should have been easy for him , especially if he has held a pink NRC before + $$$$.
Now ka useless Musenge go drink doom!
Tom and Jerry, hide and seek politics. NDC has never been relevant to modern politics. NDC has never added any value to the political arena since it’s inception. Kambwili and Musenge are what I may term as Big Dogs
This passport may just turn to be a fake one. A ploy by Joseph Kabila to paint Katumbi a foreigner and bar him from contesting elections. Kabila knows if Katumbi ascends to power in D R Congo, he might be pursued as a thief. These are just dirty politics at play and I refuse to believe as authentic.
@Mutulang’oma, I tend to agree with you. If the NDC was really concerned about the security of the nation, they should just have reported the issue to the police, who would then have interrogated Katumbi instead of causing fanfare. True story may go along the line of Kabila’s Agents giving some money to the NDC, to start this fire. LT, did you bother to phone Katumbi or track him or interview the Lusaka office where the passport was purported to have been issued?
These are called Zambian opposition parties. ..we have so many accusations including the the Lungu is Not Zambian thing authored by Mulongoti and Siwale. ..the mother at the market doesn’t care about all this.