23 June 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
Observers now urge the Government to investigate who is associated with Pharco, a company owned by Italians which was given permission to manufacture ARVs. Pharco as Sunrise also ran Medical Stores.
Pharco was later replaced by Crown Agents in the running of the multi-billion industry of procuring and distributing medicine in Zambia through Medical Stores.
The Auditor General, Anna Chifungula on her recent tour of duty of border areas and Western Province insisted that K27 billion was stolen at Ministry of Health in 2008 alone. She also bemoaned the continued loss of vital accounting documents at the ministry.
Ms Chifungula has always expressed alarm at the extent and abuse of huge amounts of money at the ministry but no particular attention has been paid to her cries.
In April 2007, she exposed a scandal at the ministry where Medical Stores had disposed of drugs worth K24 Billion.
She demanded that then Health permanent secretary Simon Miti explain why he had allowed a system that resulted in such a huge and costly wastage.
She also complained that Ministry of Health officials led by Dr Miti always frustrated the work of her audits and showed little or no cooperation.
Then Minister of Health Brian Chituwo defended the disposal of the K24 billion worth of drugs, defending Miti that he followed all procedures required for the disposal of Government assets.
He attributed the wastage to the dissolution of the Central Board of Health and arguing that most of the expired drugs were 'unplanned donations' from service clubs, churches and NGOs!
Chifungula stated that it was shocking that while the constant cry of Zambians was that hospitals, clinics and health centres lacked medicines, the Ministry of Health had the luxury to allow drugs expire on the shelf and then dispose them as waste!
Magande, who has kicked off his campaign in the MMD and has embarked on a country-wide tour, was recently called for police interrogations over the abuse of State resources to support a private business in Zambian Airways.
Magande justified his 'intervention' as legal, citing the Loans and Guarantee Act as foundation for his intervention.
He stated that he has authority as minister of Finance to intervene in parastatal debts and loans, including that of National Airports Corporation.
He is reported to have informed the officers that he phoned then acting President Rupiah Banda at 22:00 hours to intervene on behalf of Zambian Airways against the decisions National Airports Corporation had made.
NACL had withheld services that threatened the closure of Zambian Airways. He urged Banda to look for "his Minister of Transport, Dora Siliya so that she could direct the managing director of NACL to halt the intended action!"
Clearly, the personal link and interest Magande had in the airline is exposed in his own answers!
The electoral pact
On June 4, 2009, a surprising announcement was made. Two leading opposition parties of the country, the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) would form a formidable alliance against the MMD.
In a Press statement signed by PF leader, Michael Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema, the duo announced that they had come together in an electoral alliance to unseat the MMD.
They promised to offer stringent checks and balances against the "corrupt" Government of President Banda. They demanded early presidential and parliamentary elections.
The two parties have since embarked on political activities aimed at promoting the alliance.
A startling revelation has been Hakainde Hichilema who has emerged with vitriolic political attacks against Banda and his ministers. He lampooned Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwanga as a big man with 'a small brain'.
He further accused Minister of Information, Ronnie Shikapwasha of intimidation describing him: "Your body mass does not mean that you have more power and can intimidate me!"
After Siliya was re-appointed as minister, Hakainde held a Press conference to denounce Banda's decision demanding the immediate revocation of Siliya's appointment and resignation of President Banda.
He has accused the president of having a special relation with Siliya.
Hichilema was known to practice clean modern politics. His politics were likened to Barack Obama, promising a fresh, young start to the current rot in politics.
However, Hichilema has abandoned his quest for clean politics and language for dirty politics and crude language.
Probably his two electoral failures in 2006 and 2008 have taught him a sad lesson
that has left him desperate to achieve a total transformation.
But to morph into a little Cobra spewing enormous amount of venom against everyone, Hichilema has embarked on a dangerous journey. Many saw Hichilema as a softer alternative to Sata.
The weakness of the alliance is the choice of the presidential candidate. Hakainde seems to be counting on the NCC that it will bar Sata to stand at the next election with their wicked clause that demands that a degree holder should be among the qualifications of a presidential candidate.
Sata seems to be relying on his strength and age that can allow him to persuade Hichilema to wait until 2016.
Or in the event that they managed to collapse this Government and their call for a fresh election is upheld, Hichilema will stand in 2014!
The choice of the presidential candidate will make or break the alliance.
But for now, both parties appear to enjoy the attention, interest and publicity the alliance has brought them and the marriage will remain rosy as far as they keep the debate of the presidential candidate out of their bedroom.
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