Local Government and Housing Minister Brian Chituwo has said that he can only institute special audit investigations in other council after receiving complaints from the public.
Dr. Chituwo has called on the public to report their complaints to his OFFICE to prove their allegations.

The minister has also said that there is no discrimination in the ongoing investigations of councils in the country.

He says it is cheap politicking for people to label government that it is only targeting councils that are controlled by the opposition political parties.

Dr. Chituwo adds that the local government Act cap 281, gives mandate to the minister in charge to institute statutory audits in all the councils in order to strengthen the systems in the local authority.

He says he should not be pressurized to audit all the councils as he can only institute a probe after receiving complaints.

Dr. Chituwo has further said that he wants to administer the local authority as a civic responsibility while prioritizing people’s interests.

QFM

FORMER Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Edward Mumbi and Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire have challenged PF leader Michael Sata to produce evidence that he has been remitting tax to the Zambia Revenue Authority(ZRA) from consultancy works he claims to have been providing.

They said in separate interviews in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata, who had been claiming that the US$27,000 confiscated in South Africa, was money paid to him after some consultancy work he did was allegedly evading tax and should be prosecuted.

Mr Mumbi said according to the laws of Zambia, those providing consultancy services were supposed to remit tax to ZRA and that Mr Sata should produce evidence that he had been doing so, failure to which he should be prosecuted for evading tax.

He said it was sad that Mr Sata was now trying to intimidate journalists by threatening them with law suits so that they stop exposing his wrong deeds.

“Mr Sata’s new stance of threatening to sue journalists in their own capacity is an act of childish and irresponsible behaviour,” he said.
He said Mr Sata should not rush into challenging him and Mr Phiri to produce the list of Lebanese and Greek nationals he had been borrowing money from.
Mr Mumbi said the PF president should first clear his name on several matters that had already exposed his misdeeds such as the dividing of Northern Province into two, selling of a piece of land in Luapula Province, and the issues surrounding his dealings which are currently before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).

But when contacted, Mr Sata said the issue of the $27,000 had been overtaken by events and that he would rather not talk about it.

“How many times am I going to talk about the $27,000? That money has even been overtaken by events and by now it may even have gone to $100,000. What do Mumbi and Chifire know about ZRA?” Mr Sata said.

He also maintained that he would continue suing journalists in their own capacity as the country heads towards the 2011 elections.

“Where have you seen a driver knowing his boss’ debts? Yes, a driver can know about his boss’ girlfriend but not the debts his boss owes the people,” he said.

He also said he would ensure his former bodyguard and driver, Kelvin Phiri was prosecuted for what he called criminal defamation.

And Mr Chifire said Zambians should be wary of people like Mr Sata who would engage in shoddy deals with the aim of paying his creditors in an unlikely event that he was elected president.

He also said Mr Sata’s tendency of leaking confidential correspondence between him and President Rupiah Banda showed that the PF leader had no confidentiality and should not be trusted.

Meanwhile, the labour commissioner is today expected to meet Mr Sata’s former body guard Kelvin Phiri over a report submitted to his office concerning the opposition leader’s failure to pay K12 million terminal benefits.

Labour Commissioner Noah Siansimuna confirmed this in an interview.

[Times of Zambia]

Commenting on Fr. Bwalya’s Intentions to protest on the need for the country to have a new constitution before this year’s elections when parliament resumes sittings, ZED President Dr. Fred Mtesa says the priest has a right to express himself so long it is within the confines of the laws.

Dr. Mtesa also noted that the country needs more democratic laws to govern the electoral process and that calls to have a new constitution before this year’s elections are prudent.

He added that the government will positively respond to the calls for the Zambians and to adopt the Mung’omba draft constitution.

Dr. Mtesa says the Mung’omba draft constitution contains the true aspirations of the Zambian people.

He was speaking in an interview with QFM news.
[ QFM ]

Youth, Sport and Child Development Permanent Secretary Teddy Mulonga has disclosed that only K150 million has been pumped into youth projects in Luapula Province.

Mr. Mulonga attributed the low levels of funding to lack of interest by youths in the province to apply for funds.

ZANIS reports that he said his ministry never received any application from Luapula Province for funds from the Youth Empowerment Programme until youths were senstised by the District Commissioners (DC).

Mr. Mulonga told Samfya DC that his ministry has a lot of money for youth empowerment.

He said Government wants to engage the youth in productive ventures hence the need for them to apply for funds.

He has since appealed to the youths to apply for funding from the ministry immediately.

Mr. Mulonga made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on Samfya DC, Cleophas Chimembe today.

He said Government has allocated K1.7 billion for youth development and K10 billion as Youth Empowerment Funds.

He said youths were facing economic challenges hence Government was doing everything possible to empower and equip them with skills.

The PS further said the empowerment programmes have the potential to uplift the living standards of young people and enable them contribute to national development.

He expressed sadness at the fact that some politicians are taking advantage of unemployment among the youths to use them for violent campaigns for personal benefit.

He was ,however, happy that most youths have refused to be used as tools for violence.

And Samfya DC, Cleophas Chimembe has appealed to the PS to help youths in the district with bursaries to continue with their education.

He said there are many orphaned youths in the area who have dropped out of school because of lack of sponsorship.

[ ZANIS ]

NRP President Dr. Cosmo Mumba said all well meaning opposition leaders should come on board and unite so as to have stronger ground to defeat the ruling MMD.

Dr. Mumba told QFM in an exclusive interview that divisions among the opposition political parties would give the MMD a loophole to still the votes hence the need for unity.

The opposition leader has, however, suggested that should the opposition unite a council of presidents that will endorse the candidature of an aspiring president be formed.

Dr. Mumba further observed that Zambia needs a new wave of leadership that will live to address the aspirations of ordinary citizens.
[ QFM ]

Itezhi-tezhi District council has commenced construction of houses to help meet the growing demand for accommodation in the area.

The house construction is in phases and thus the council has in the first phase constructed seven houses which are almost ready.

Acting Itezhi-tezhi District Council Secretary Cheembo Mang’wato has confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS today.

He said that the seven medium cost houses being built were financed under capital projects allocation of the Local Government budget for the year 2010.

“ The construction of the houses is almost complete, there are only a few things remaining such as electrical fittings, painting, and ceiling boards, all these will be completed by 20th February this year,” he said.

The project begun in August last year and being constructed by two local companies namely Nambala Contractors and Musonda Investments limited, respectively.

He said that the seven medium cost houses being built will help in alleviating the critical shortage of accommodation in the district.

Meanwhile Mr. Cheembo disclosed that forty five (45) out of fifty five (55) boreholes have been sunk under the DANIDA rural water supply and sanitation programme in rural areas of Itezhi-tezhi district.

He said that of the 45 boreholes that have been sunk, two of them were dry boreholes due to the fact that water could not be found when the contracted depth of the boreholes were reached.

Mr. Mang’wato further said that the 55 borehole that have been sunk with financial help from the Danish government will improve accessibility to clean water in rural Itezhi-tezhi where lack of clean water supply and poor sanitation has become a hallmark.

[ ZANIS ]

17 village headmen of Chief Singani’s area in Choma yesterday stormed the office of District Commissioner demanding to know why Town Mayor Mason Chaboya has been expelled from the opposition United Party for National Development(UPND).

The aggrieved headmen who were representing 57 others from the chiefdom also presented a petition to government not to declare Mayo’s Chaboya’s position as ward councilor for Siasikaboole vacant because they have not been furnished with reasons why their subject has been hounded out of the party.

The traditional leaders told Dstrict Commissioner (DC) Laiven Apuleni that they had travelled to the district administration (BOMA) to lodge an official complaint on the alleged victimization of mayor Chaboya who is their subject.

They said they were not interested in a by-election adding that government and the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) should not declare Mayor Chaboya’s position as ward councilor vacant following his unexplained expulsion from the UPND.

The headmen argued that by-election are not only too costly to government but also distort the way of life of the local people as they divert their attention from their daily economic activities to expending their energy and effort on political campaigns.

They said it was worrying because the UPND leadership has not bothered to explain to them the reasons leading to the expulsion of their subject.

But DC Apuleni advised the headmen that government cannot interfere with the internal wrangles of the UPND.

Mr. Apuleni, however, said there is nothing administratively that stops mayor Chaboya from performing his civic duties until the council and the ECZ declares his position vacant.

The opposition party recently expelled mayor Chaboya from the UPND for allegedly being involved in activities inimical to the UPND.

The party sources in the District confirmed to ZANIS that the mayor was expelled because of openly supporting government policies and programmes.

[ ZANIS ]

The contract signed between the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and KPMG indicates that the commission was expected to pay about K800 million before the three-week audit of the commission was concluded.

The details are contained on page (4) of the contract signed by Essau Chulu and Joseph Jalasi on behalf of ECZ while Hastings Mtine signed on behalf of KPMG, as a senior partner in the firm.

The contract states that 40 per cent of the total amount that was agreed upon – which was K708 million in addition to value-added tax (VAT) at 16 per cent – was due to be paid at the start of the exercise while 20 per cent was to be paid three weeks later, which was the duration of the work.

The other 20 per cent should have been paid upon presentation of a draft report and the final 20 per cent upon presentation of the final report.

The ECZ commissioners signed the documents on November 4, 2010 but according to minutes of a meeting of December 31, 2010 attended by five officials from KPMG and seven from ECZ, director of the elections body, Dan Kalale advised that his team was not prepared for the meeting and promised to get back to the audit firm later.

While the letter of engagement delivered to Mr Kalale by former ECZ chairperson Florence Mumba indicated that KPMG officials would report to Mr Kalale throughout the audit period, Ms Justice Mumba, in her letter dated October 15, 2010, informed the firm that the final report should only be addressed to her.

However, a letter authored by Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei to Mr Kalale dated December 30, 2010, stated that the ECZ director was the only controlling officer for the commission, and urged him to submit audited books of accounts to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

The letter indicated that the responsibility was not to be delegated to any other officer.

“You should submit to this ministry, in accordance with the law in your own signature, audited appropriated accounts in respect of each head of expenditure for which you are responsible, for incorporation in the financial report.

“This responsibility may not be delegated to any other officer,” Mr Ndalamei’s letter to Mr Kalale reads in part.

The secretary to the treasury formally writes controlling officers after the presentation of the national Budget every year, reminding them of their responsibility to manage their respective allocations in line with the Public Finance Act Section 7 (3) and financial regulation number five.

“As controlling officers, you are the chief accounting officer for your institutions,” Mr Ndalamei said in the letter.
Copies of special imprest statements are supposed to be sent to the office of the secretary to the treasury and copied to the auditor general’s office.

One of the signatories, Mr Justice Chulu, in an interview said he was unable to comment on the matter preferring to say something during the week since he had a family engagement.

In his memorandum to Ms Justice Mumba and commission members dated November 9, 2010, Mr Kalale advised that for ECZ’s power under Section 15 of the ECZ Act of 1996 to engage consultants up to the amount of K10 billion, the provision should be read with other laws as advised by the auditor general in her letter dated October 8, 2010.

He cited part 10 of the Constitution and the Public Procurement Act which state that even if such provisions existed, the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) should be informed in line with the ZPPA Act number 12 of 2008.

“Therefore, the appointment must be subject to tender laws and regulations,” Mr Kalale stated.

KPMG, in its letter of October 26, 2010 stated that it had accepted the terms of reference drawn by Ms Justice Mumba which stipulated that the firm should compile financial irregularities at ECZ ranging from impest retirement and adherence to internal audit guidelines.

Ms Justice Mumba quit her position on Thursday last week following a four-day work stoppage by workers demanding her resignation after revelations that she allegedly facilitated the single-sourcing of KPMG to conduct a three-week internal audit at K1 billion.

The allegation was strengthened by a letter written by Ms Chifungula dated November 9, 2010 describing the contract as irregular and in contravention of the Public Audit Act of 1980, the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia and the Public Finance Act number 15 of 2004.

And Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director-General Godfrey Kayukwa yesterday told the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, governance, human rights and gender matters that the commission had started investigations into allegations of corruption at the ECZ.

Appearing before the committee, Mr Kayukwa said he had authorised an investigation into reports of corruption at the elections body.

He said the commission had received a report of corruption from the former ECZ chairperson Justice Mumba, tendered through the commission’s secretary Erick Kamwe, and one from former director Dan Kalale.

Justice Mumba was demanding that a thorough investigation be conducted at the commission to include all employment contracts, while Mr Kalale registered a complaint of flouted tender procedure at the institution.

“We are investigating allegations of corruption at the ECZ based on information released by former chairperson Justice Florence Mumba through Erick Kamwe as well as the other report from Dan Kalale,” Mr Kayukwa said.

And later in an interview, Mr Kayukwa said investigations into the alleged cases of corruption at the commission were in the preliminary stages and the ACC was gathering more information on the two complaints.

He said the commission intended to complete the investigations before this year’s elections because the image of the commission had been cast into doubt.

“We are working hard so that we can have credible elections. We want to make the findings of our investigations public before the next elections,” he said.

And ECZ spokesperson Cris Akufuna has said the confusion that rocked the commission will not affect preparations for the March 3 Mporokoso parliamentary by-election.

Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Akufuna said representatives of the 16 political parties that attended the January 28, 2011 meeting were assured that the by-election would be held as earlier planned.

He said ECZ would today brief officers mandated to oversee the by-election.

The Mporokoso seat fell vacant following the resignation from the MMD of area member of Parliament Maynard Misapa after President Rupiah Banda sacked him as Sports deputy minister.

Meanwhile, acting ECZ chairperson Pricilla Isaacs has said the Ministry of Finance and National Planning has assured the commission that funds are available for payment of outstanding arrears to mobile voter registration officers.

Submitting to the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, governance, human rights and gender matters yesterday, Ms Isaacs said the commission had initially received adequate funding at the commencement of the mobile voter registration exercise but that funding to the institution had been irregular.
[ Times of Zambia ]

United Party for National Development (UPND) Namwala Member of Parliament Robbie Chizhyuka has said Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata could divide Zambia if he is elected president in this year’s elections.

Major Chizhyuka has advised Zambians to support President Rupiah Banda for the country’s unity and stability is to be maintained.
He said in Lusaka at the weekend that he was glad he had been vindicated on the views he had been sharing with the Zambian people on the pact between the PF and UPND.

Maj Chizhyuka said Mr Sata could divide the country if he was elected as president because he had allegedly shown dislike for some provinces.

“There is no pact in Zambia, the pact died the day it was formed. It is dead because it was a selfish agreement made without the interests of the people.

“We make Mr Sata president then we have instability. Can Mr Sata espouse unity? He will divide the nation, that is why he doesn’t campaign in Western and North-Western provinces,” he said.
He also said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema did not stand a chance of winning this year’s elections.

Major Chizhyuka said Mr Hichilema should heed advice to work with the MMD for him to remain relevant to Zambia’s politics.
[pullquote]“There is no pact in Zambia, the pact died the day it was formed. It is dead because it was a selfish agreement made without the interests of the people.

“We make Mr Sata president then we have instability. Can Mr Sata espouse unity? He will divide the nation, that is why he doesn’t campaign in Western and North-Western provinces,” he said.[/pullquote]
And UPND Copperbelt provincial chairperson Elisha Matambo has urged the electorate not to vote for PF councillors and MPs because they had allegedly failed to deliver on their election promises.

Mr Matambo said during a UPND Kitwe District conference held at Buchi Hall at the weekend that the PF should not be voted for as doing so would be to retard development in the country.

He said there was enough evidence in the manner PF had worked, especially on the Copperbelt where the party’s MPs and councillors had failed to deliver, while its party president Mr Sata had served in various governments, but had not made any significant contribution to the country.

Mr Matambo said the electorate were looking for hope and that was why there was need for UPND to carry out door-to-door campaigns for its leader, Mr Hichilema.
[ Times of Zambia ]