By GIDEON NYENDWA
THE PF should account for the K200, 000 nomination fees that its presidential candidates have paid while investigative wings should take keen interest and investigate the source of this money, UPND Lusaka Province chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta has said.
Mr Mwaliteta claimed that some of the candidates who had paid the K200, 000 nomination fees had never had such amounts and were on the verge of bankruptcy.
He said it did not add up that the same individuals were now flushing out huge amounts of money when their bank accounts did not match.
“It is therefore imperative that investigative wings follow the source of that money which according to gathered information shows that the money was not withdrawn but gotten from some known businessman with a view to launder his money which is under investigations,” Mr Mwaliteta said.
But PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa has reacted sharply to such suggestion, saying it was total foolishness for UPND to suggest that investigative wings should take interest in the candidates who managed to pay the K200, 000 nomination fees. “It will be so hard for Zambia to develop with this poverty mentality,” he said.
Mr Chilangwa said this attitude by the UPND would scare away investors and local entrepreneurs to invest in the country’s economy for fear of being investigated all the time.
He said it was foolish to suggest that people who were vying for the PF’s presidency would fail to raise a K200, 000 because the people were not joining the race for the party top seat as individuals, every candidate has supporters who put money together to make sure that their preferred candidate files their nominations.
Acting PF President Given Lubinda said calls to investigate the source of the nomination fees paid by the presidential aspirants are welcome.
But Mr Mwaliteta said that the UPND had tried to analyse all those who had filed their nominations and found that they were all qualified Zambians who could contest any position, but seeing them releasing that amount of money to fund a political party was deceit.
Mr. Mwaliteta said there was need to establish the source of that money, the banks where those accounts are sited and any other information that would satisfy the nation because as it stands, Zambians are so sure the money could be either proceeds of crime or money laundering activities.
Mr Chilangwa said he wonders why people feel that only PF deserves to be investigated in whatever the party does.
He said there were a lot of issues that were happening in the country that were affecting Zambians negatively that the investigative wings needed to focus on.
Mr Chilangwa said there are issues of drug shortages despite the money being released, the issues of fertiliser tenders and delay in the delivery of farming inputs that need to be investigated.
He said the UPND administration was taking people back to the old days where people had to be investigated just for buying a television set in their homes.
Mr Chilangwa said the UPND thought they were the only ones who had money in this country and the rest of the politicians had stolen money.
He said business people were living in fear and could not bring huge investments in the country because the current government was always suspicious of everything that happens.
