THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE SAGA
WE call it M in istry of Finance SAGA because it is being presented in more than one aspect. We say this because a certain group of people with the support of powers that be, have decided to misrepresent the facts and turned them into the theft of allowances at the Ministry of Finance and calculatedly flooded both the electronic and print media with this propaganda.
But some of us saw through this because what we saw was far from being the so called theft of allowances, but as a gimmick for regional cleansing off certain names out of Government as can be seen from the selective arrests by the Anti-Corruption Commission out of almost everyone in the Ministry who used to be paid these allowances.
Having said that, We would like to inform the nation that, We have reliable information that the allowances that were paid to officers in the Ministry of Finance were actually an entitlement and were duly approved at the highest approval level in Government (Secretary to the Cabinet, the Clerk of the National assembly and the Secretary to the Treasury) contrary to what has been continually peddled by this powerful group of people. We also have information of how stringent the payment system of paying allowances and the payment software are in Government that it is not easy for one to circumvent the system and steal without being discovered in fact the transaction wouldn't go anywhere.
For instance, it is by law that the three Accountability committees at the National Assembly (which are The Public Accounts Committee, The Committee on Local Authorities and The Committee on Parastatal Bodies) do comprise of the Permanent witnesses from the Ministry of Finance, Office of the Auditor General and the Office of Clerk of the National Assembly including their staff, as a result the law entitles them to be paid allowances as a condition of service.
However, what we have seen is that people have been arrested for receiving these same allowances. Is it just these allowances or there is something else? What is it? Truth be told, what we are seeing is rather a calculated scheme to hound out certain individuals with certain names from the Office of the Auditor General and Ministry of Finance who originate from a certain region. We say so because everything about this all saga is not making sense. Even the amounts alleged to have been stolen do not make any sense. It keeps changing.
At one time, it was K1 billion, later on it reduced to K500 Million, today it is at K300 million. What is the
We have observed that out of all the people in the Ministry almost everyone, who received the allowances, the Anti-Corruption Commission decided to selectively arrest only 18 people in February and March 2023 and coincidentally all the 18 are from the Eastern and Northern regions as they claimed that they were only following instructions from above. Isn’t it worrying that the Anti-Corruption Commission is not independent but operating under the instructions of powers that be.
aim of lying about these figures? Was it just to excite the public, however, we are aware that in 4 years the total of all personal related
Payments were less than K70 Million. If there is nothing they are hiding, we challenge the Current Secretary to the Treasury to tell the nation exactly how much was paid in allowances and the names of everyone who benefited clearly indicating how much each one was paid in the 4 years from 2018 to 2021 so that there is fairness.
We have observed that out of all the people in the Ministry almost everyone, who received the allowances, the Anti-Corruption Commission decided to selectively arrest only 18 people in February and March 2023 and coincidentally all the 18 are from the Eastern and Northern regions as they claimed that they were only following instructions from above. Isn't it worrying that the Anti-Corruption Commission is not independent but operating under the instructions of powers that be.
The names of the 18 people arrested are as follows;
Fredson Yamba, Dick Sichembe, Francis Mbewe, Clara Mazimba, Chibwe Mulonda, Kennedy Musonda, Mulenga Pamu, Gregory Kabwe, Nora Mwila, Hector Sampa, Chanda Mumba, Joseph Nonde, Medson Moyo, Angella Bwalya, Edward Zimbizi, Elijah Manunga, Mulenga Kachela, Faides Kalangwa
We have also observed that among the people who were paid the same allowances (as the list is long) who don't come from the Eastern and Northern regions, who were not arrested, examples are the following;
Sadra Kawana (Sisiter Tabo Kawana),
Joyce Sundano (Husband related to Christopher Munto dia of State House}, Bridget Siakalenge ( Wife to Siazongo Siakalenge Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet for Finance and Economic Development), Joma Simuyi Tambatamba (Sister to Brenda Tambatamba, Minister of Labor), Mukuli Chikuba (who was the Controlling officer at the Ministry of Finance) Ringo Zulu (Friend to Sandra Kawana), Mulele Mulele, Paxina Simulunda, Richard Munjunga And many more
We have also observed that Sandra Kawana, and Ringo Zulu who beneficiaries of the same allowances have been promoted to Director and Controller of Internal Audit (Permanent Secretary level) respectively and as a result have been made the lead investigators/ auditors in the special audit investigating the mismanagement of the said allowances, how can these two be impartial and produce an objective report? Have they declared interest? Isn't the likelihood of Sandra Kawana and Ringo Zulu being malicious very high?
If really these allowances were illegal, which we do not condone as OCiDA, why then not arrest every recipient of the allowances like Bridget Siakalenge the wife of Siazongo Siakalenge, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet for Finance and Economic Development, Sandra Kawana, Joyce Sundano, Joma Sumuyi Tambatamba, M.ukuli Chikuba, Mulele Mulele and Ringo Zulu so that fairness and justice is not . only achieved but also seen to be achieved We ask a question why the authorities engaged officers who are conflicted ai1d compromised by receiving the same allowances (Sandra Kawana and Ringo Zulu) to audit and investigate others. Can there be really a fair outcome of the exercise? Why is Sandra Kawana investigating the Auditor General including others long after the arrests have been effected? Did the Anti-Corruption Commission really establish the cases before arrests or they were working under strict instructions from an invisible powerful hand? Why then are they working in reverse?
We are made to understand that the powers to appoint a special internal audit team rest with the Secretary to the Treasury, Can the Secretary to the Treasury confirm that He is the one that instituted the special Audit
Most surprisingly, we are wondering why and how the Auditor General and his two deputies have been drugged into the Ministry of Finance Saga, could it be that He is the main target? Could the Schemers be using the Ministry of Finance as a way to use to remove the Auditor General because of the constitutional protection of the office? Why is the Auditor General being prevented from auditing the executive for the financial year 2022? To this, we are very surprised of the unprecedented and highly suspicious arrest of the Auditor General over his entitlements of allowances which is a total of about K1Million in 4 years.
How can such an important and noble Governance Institution in the name of Anti-Corruption Commission be used to advance an agenda which is clearly a regional agenda as can be seen by the selective and hand picking of who should be arrested and who should not be arrested? Is this the reason the Commission was moved to State House?
We are also aware that the Auditor General's audit focus for the financial year 2022 on Ministry of Agriculture FISP, Ministry of Tourism Hunting Licenses, Ministry of Home Affairs construction of Police Posts and Ministry of Local Government CDF is not sitting well with the Executive. We will follow this matters closely
Interestingly also, Moris Nyambe of Transparence International Zambia ( TIZ) have been calling for the resignation of the Dr. Dick Sichembe as Auditor General because of the schemed arrest. Since when did TIZ become prejudicial? Is this TIZ position? If it is, then let Sampa Kalungu the President also tell the nation. And if TIZ really are convinced that the Auditor General and other accused staff have mismanaged the allowances, why not let the prosecution process in the Courts of Law to be conducted and concluded for justice to prevail then thereafter make demands for his resignation.
Why isn't TIZ also demanding the resignation of Honorable Situmbeko Musokotwane and Honorable Charles Milupi who have also been accused of corruption? Later on why hasn't the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested the two Ministers and then investigate in reverse as is the case with the Auditor General and others? Hasn't the Auditor General and other arrested worked for their reputation over the years and should be protected just as same the reputations of the two Minister are highly being protected and defended by the powers
Even the period the President was referring to as the Auditor General omitting important audits like FISP and Hunting Concessions, it was the new Deputy Auditor General Ron Mwarnbwa who was at the Helm of the Office of the Auditor General ( from 2015 to 2018) Not Dr. Sichembe
We are also wondering why Francis Mbewe has been replaced by Ron Mwarnbwa as Deputy Auditor General when Honorable. Situmbeko Musokotwane assured the nation on the floor of the August house that, those transferred officers to Cabinet Office will go back to their offices once cleared, the question is, has Francis Mbewe been found guilty already? We have not head of any court process.
Lastly, we are also wondering, what is this Ministry of Finance noise all about? What we are seeing here is not corruption nor the fight against corruption, but a calculated scheme aimed at achieving a regional cleansing out of Governrnent of certain names. We can only say, we shall keenly be following these events
and matters to their conclusions in the courts of law, We only hope there will be no nolle presecue like it was in the Mumbi Phiri case