Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:58:42 +0000
The rubbish spewing from Wynter Kabimba and Sylvia Masebo over his appointment to the ZAWA Board is indicative of the rot and morass that this country is slowly but most definitely sinking into.
There is no sense of shame, decency and let alone respect for government procedures in their statements.
Masebo has no authority appointing a public board single handedly without the authority and approval of Cabinet. As a Minister, Mr. Sata subjected his nominees to Cabinet scrutiny.
Sylvia is not above Cabinet.
Every Cabinet Minister must therefore submit names of candidates for the close scrutiny of colleagues to ensure that there is no corruption, nepotism or favoritism and to ensure that only the most competent people are appointed.
No self respecting Cabinet will appoint one of their own, let alone the wife of the Vice President to sit on a statutory body because this would constitute conflict of interest.
It is utter rubbish and contradictory to Masebo and PF media and publicity director Chanda Mfula explanations that the appointment was titular intended for the Ministry of Justice.
As a lawyer, Wynter should know that Boards are made up of human persons and not faceless institutions. That is why names are submitted to cabinet for scrutiny.
This is all the more reason why the ZAWA Board should have gone to Cabinet to show that nothing corrupt or irregular was taking place.
To imagine that Wynter and Masebo are the people representing legality and probity in seeking the expulsion of Given Lubinda from the party and Government, begs the question.
A word of advice to Mr. Mfula the spokesman of the Patriotic Front; He is better off not commenting ignorantly on Government matters. Government has an established procedure outlined in many cases in the handbook- or better still red book.
There must be seriousness in the Government.
Cabinet must be able to scrutinize and determine the performance of any Parastatal or institution without fearing to tread on the toes of the Vice President.
The ZAWA debacle must be rectified and the sooner the better.
A board is a statutory institution registered by the Patents and Compnay Register. It is not a party function. It is a business function.
It is important that President Sata does not allow the growing anarchy in the governance of this country to continue.
What Sylvia Masebo and Wynter Kabimba are undertaking is a process of attrition gnawing away at the vestiges of legality and legitimacy that the Patriotic Front received from the people of Zambia to lead this country for the next five years.
Culture of fear
The Office of the President, commonly known as special Branch, the bane and curse of the one party state under UNIP is slowly regaining its dreaded image.
The infusion of party cadres into state security systems is blurring the divisions between state security and party security.
We can only hope and pray that the fears expressed by Dr Kaingu and family will be adequately addressed to exonerate the system.
Many people now fear to speak loudly because walls have developed ears and a reversal of roles has emerged, those who stole K14billion from Government are now threatening innocent people like the biblical cruel servant. Those who stole the K14 billlion are now in charge of persecuting others with minor infringements
