Congrats BoZ Governor, AG and SG: But can the President clarify?

Dear Editor,

WELL come back home President Bally and congratulations to your latest appointees Dr. Danny Kalyalya (BoZ Governor), Mr. Mulilo Kabesha (Attorney General), and Mr. Marshal Muchende (Solicitor General). They deserve the appointments and wishing them all the best.

For Dr. Kalyalya, he was initially appointed in February 2015 and had his contract extended in 2018 until 2023. However, the contract was summarily terminated in August 2020. It is in this regard that I have a number of issues I need clarified.

First, it is common practice elsewhere that when some contracts are terminated, the affected employee is paid full benefits up to the time stipulated in the contract when it was supposed to end.

For example in the case of Dr. Kalyalya, at termination of the contract in August 2020, institutions elsewhere could have paid him full benefits up to February 2023. Is this the case at BoZ?

I need to know because, if this is what happened, it therefore means that from this point forward, in effect Dr. Kalyalya will be on double salary and benefits, from the same institution, till 2023.

The New Dawn Government boasts of transparency and prudent management of our meagre resources. If indeed Government means what it preaches, let President Bally verify my concern, and if need be, remedy it.

This issue may sound farfetched, but in reality, it can be abused by a sitting president. A shrewd president abuses his authority by deliberately firing or reappointing the same person, who could be a relative.

A person can be fired and reappointed on two, three, or even four occasions within the same presidential term. If they know they have a simple majority in parliament, they could use this strategy as a shrewd means of enriching relatives.

I am not suggesting this is what has happened in this case, but can happen. So, there is need to understand the matrix at play at BoZ so as to remedy this potential area of abuse, for now and into the future.

The second area of concern related to the first, concerns a central bank Governor who resigns. Are they entitled to benefits as if they had completed their contract?

For example, if the former Governor's contract was scheduled to run for five years i.e. from August 2020 to August 2025, is he entitled to benefits up to 2025?

It is important to understand this scenario to avoid foul play by an incumbent president who may appoint a relative just before elections knowing too well that the appointee will nonetheless enjoy cool cash as if they had run their contract in full, even if they resigned shortly after election, in an event where a new admistration takes over. These questions beg answers because depending on answers, BoZ may run packages for three governors up to August 2023, and thereafter for two up to September 2025.

If this were the case, then where is prudent management of meagre national resources?

I am just "Thinking Outside the Box." So my dear brother President Bally, can you clarify on these pertinent issues raised.

SINKAMBA PETER.