By Sunday Chanda
Reports that thieves broke into the residence of Zambia’s sixth Republican President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and walked away with some household goods must be condemned by all right-thinking citizens and calls for thorough and extensive investigations.
For purposes of this write-up, Zambia has so far had seven Presidents with two of them, Levy Mwanawasa and Michael Sata, dying in office and the first, second and fourth heads of State Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, Dr Frederick Chiluba, Rupiah Banda after leaving the presidency.
Today, Zambia’s only surviving former President is Dr Edgar Lungu.
It is a no brainer that upon leaving Office, former presidents continue to be public figures. Though they may no longer make big decisions, they are, by virtue of having been in State House, still in possession of a lot of confidential information about the country and the government. A former President therefore cannot be separated from that of the incumbent President and Government at any given time on this premise. As such, the need to provide them with adequate security need not be overemphasized.
For purposes of clarity, there is a good reason why there exists the Benefits of Former Presidents Act as amended by Act No 33 of 1994 and No 21 of 1998.
Among the many entitlements accrued to a former President, this Act provides the following:
- “A former President, immediately upon ceasing to hold office, shall be provided housing accommodation as the government considers fit before the executive house is built for him or her.”
- “The State shall provide to a former President, within a period of not more than six months from the date of ceasing to hold office, three drivers, three motor vehicles with free maintenance and entitlement to fuel to the extent determined by Cabinet.”
- “… a former President shall, upon ceasing to hold office, be entitled to a tax-free monthly pension at the rate of 80 percent of the incumbent President’s emoluments, all of which shall be a charge on the general revenues of the republic”.
- Other entitlements include “ one personal secretary, three security persons, one administrative assistant who shall be at the level of deputy permanent secretary, and three house employees, whose number may be increased by Cabinet.”
Let me hasten to mention that the Act applies to all former Presidents, including those that ceased to hold office before the commencement of this Act.
In conclusion, the welfare of any former President, the moment he or she leaves office rests with the state to the extent that it will continue to dictate different aspects of their lives, up to and including their funeral arrangements.
Sad
Lungu should change his handlers
“ The New Dawn” ??
It was Kaizar that stole Lungu’s tv
Hh and upnd are dogs. Oh sorry to dogs all over the world for comparing you to f00Is like upnd
They remain the responsibility of the present government, not the PROPRTY of government
PF STILL HARD AT WORK TRYING TO CAUSE DISCONTECT WITH NO JUSTIFICATION
HOUSE BREAK IN REALLY ????
PF can keep lungu………..
And why 3 drivers and 3 motor vehicles ??
Seems every expensive to keep these former Presidents………..
Does this apply to Sunday Chanda’s racist slurs against Guy Scott? Shouldn’t he be prosecuted?
I think that the house is no longer safe for him. He needs to change houses.
Perhaps Country
Where were his security guards. Lungu is second after ex Nigerian president.
One vehicle NOT three for one person?
KKKKKK one plus one is two, that is the only answer and there is no other answer what ever caculas you may use the answer is two.So it is very logic to find the answer to who did this , very shameful indeed hope the culprits will be brought to book.
Did you know? Every civil servant is also entitled to their contractual emoluments and pension upon retirement. How come the thousands of retirees who were owed by the government under PF were never paid? Hundreds of recalled ex diplomatic staff have not been paid their dues and some of them, since 2011 when Sata entered office? The law provides for a lot of things but sometimes the practicality of achieving them may go beyond the available resources. So, let us not make Edgar Chagwa Lungu a special case.
Sorry. It is theft which is bound to occur to anyone when the security lapses. Therefore, there ought to be tight security at all times to all public figures later on former presidents. I recommend that tight security is needed at all costs.
This is Paul Simbeye writing the above
Why up to and including funeral arrangements? The state can pay if it wants but when a dead president is made to lie in “rest” where he did not want, there is a problem.
In fact, the entire headline is whacked. How can anyone “belong” to the state? A human being is no one’s property unless a slave. Slave to the state, is that what Mr. Chanda has in mind? ?
Property? What an insult! They are human beings. Not property?
ECL is not a former president but a former plunderer of our resources.He belongs to mukobeko prison residence.
Atase, he is the property of his own family, not the country he raped and pillaged. And after all, thieving begets thieving, he looted from a widow and the state treasury, so why should he not be stolen from also? After all, these people were taking what belongs to them and was stolen by this lousy alcoholic kleptomaniac. What I had hoped for was that they pammelled him too, sakalanyongo uja aile saana.