By SIMON MUNTEMBA
HAKAINDE Hichilema is not fit to run for the office of the Presidency because he took advantage of his role in privatization of state-owned properties to swindle a lot of Zambians, Economic and Equity Party (EPP) leader, Chilufya Tayali has said.
Mr Tayali said his investigations has revealed that Mr Hichilema acquired several properties from privatization, depriving citizens opportunities to be empowered through job creation, accrued benefits, houses and other properties.
Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, Mr Tayali who gave journalists some documents as evidence for alleged corruption against the UPND president said he deserved to be in jail and not on a ballot paper.
“In my opinion HH should not be aspiring for Presidency but be in jail for depriving Zambians and taking advantage of his role in privatization.
“My investigations has revealed that Mr. Hichilema acquired several properties from privatization, depriving citizens opportunities to be empowered through job creation, accrued benefits, houses and other properties,” Mr Tayali said.
He said he had come across some evidence which suggested that Mr Hichilema corruptly benefitted from privatization.
Mr Tayali explained that one such example was a house on* Plot No. 77/a/609 on Poplar Avenue in Chelstone, Lusaka.
“This house was under ZIMCO and it was offered to a sitting tenant, Mr. M. Jere, who used to work for ZIMCO, at K9.8 m (un-rebased), Mr. Jere paid for the house through SP Mulenga Associates International, but without proper explanations, this house was later brought by Mr. Hakainde Hichilema at K31 m (un-rebased),” he said.
He further stated that “evidence points to Mr. Norman Mbazima who was the joint Liquidator, together with Brian Musonda, of ZIMCO, seconded by Deloitte & Touche, that he is the one that gave a house to Mr. Hichilema. There seems to be a very strong link between Mr. Hichilema and Mr. Mbazima who even went as far as being the Deputy Chairman of Anglo-American.”
He said the Anglo-American was believed to be the key sponsor of Mr Hichilema and the UPND as a party.
He also accused Mr Hichilema of having obtained two National Registration Cards (NRCs) and challenged the police to investigate him.
Furthermore, he said, evidence has come my way to suggest that Mr. Hichilema has two NRCs, 128873/72/1 and 261786/72/1 and I will be bringing this to the police so that they can investigate. It is not me to judge Mr. Hichilema, it is the courts after Police have done their investigations.
For a long time, now, he said, Zambians have been crying about how privatization was corruptly executed, making it look like Late President FTJ Chiluba and the MMD government made a mistake, but in my opinion it is the selfishness of people like Mr Hakainde who make privatization a bad policy.
‘HH not fit to aspire for republican Presidency’
