Issued by George Chellah( special assistant to the President on press and public relations)
Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, the former Minister of Finance under the MMD government has disputed our factual account that the previous regime illegitimately printed money.
Not so surprising, Dr Musokotwane has gone further to describe the facts laid bare by this office as “false, shameful and embarrassing.”
These are very serious charges from a man whose locus standi on this matter and many other oversights unearthed concerning the previous administration, is extremely hard to comprehend.
Dr. Musokotwane seems to be acting like a very useful, but out of control spokesperson of a troubled group seeking to confuse the due process of law with politics.
Nevertheless, his incessant outbursts provide helpful pointers especially to the investigators pursuing the many leads into the wrong-doing that went on under the previous regime. It shall soon dawn on him that there is nothing to defend about the many excesses of the past regime’s unpatriotic conduct.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to make it abundantly clear that the biggest and most serious challenge facing Zambia today, whether Dr Musokotwane and his colleagues agree or not, is excessive greedy and corruption.
Under the previous administration which Dr. Musokotwane served with pride, this scourge assumed endemic proportions as authorities turned a blind eye to it for obvious reasons.
No reasonable person privy to the rot that went on under the immediate-past leadership can ignore the deplorable state of affairs under which the MMD left this country. Dr Musokotwane and his colleagues must just own up instead of trivializing the otherwise serious irregularities the new administration continues to encounter as it cleans up Government.
Dr Musokotwane and his colleagues must not panic and resort to half-truths but instead wait for the due process of the law to take its course.
The Republican President, His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata has repeatedly stated that “this is not a witch-hunt but a legitimate search for the truth.” Let it be known that the President would definitely be the happiest to see that our former leaders are cleared of possible wrong-doing by law enforcement agencies.
Former Finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane is said to have advised President Sata to stop making careless statement on the Kwacha that could jeopardise Zambia’s international position.
Dr. Musokotane said Sata is lying as all the currency which the MMD left in circulation is genuine and he wondered whether Sata would create another unnecessary Commissions of Inquiry for this matter.
Musokotwane challenged the Bank of Zambia to publicly state its position on this matter and say whether the MMD government ever forced the Central Bank to print money.
Halo
December 6, 2011 at 6:54 pm
The sickness situmbeko is suffering from is that he want to became vocal so that MMD should see leadership skills in him. If it was upto bank of Zambia why not let them explain themselves.
If it is found that the money is indeed illegal those responsible must be caged.
mature
December 6, 2011 at 6:55 pm
“jeopardising the international community”. my foot! bo musokotwane since when did our currency become international? snyway just know that alot of us have seen these strange looking K50,000.00 notes. i wont comment on your sharings that took place in your NEC corridors. but liato will. why is that all of you idiots are suddenly worth billions?
atm
December 6, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Ati its the resposibility of boz. Shame on u bo situmbeko. Its really painful to see an educated person trying to defend ama rubish. Where is fundanga
mature
December 6, 2011 at 7:52 pm
atm, its called “passing the bug.” thats the trade mark of tricksters like musokotwane, unfortunately he is so dull that he cant see that he is just being used by the hardcore trickster thieves who have everything to hide. you and fundanga have rendered enducation useless. ask me.
chakaka
December 6, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Foolish mosokotwane. Let him buy more bicycles
chakaka
December 6, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Musokotwane has no wisdom. I hope his election gets declared null and void. Maybe he could do a bit well at UNZA as theory lecturer, which I doubt. Selling bicycles Business will fit his level of intelligence well.
K
December 6, 2011 at 8:11 pm
They should just leave our president alone bapombwe aba. Whats he talking about? Leave our president backbenchers!
Rupiah Bwezani Vabene
December 6, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Bo musokotwane haiba hakuna buniti mwa taba ye,why open up yo f**kin stinking black a**hole?
Man Kafu
December 6, 2011 at 8:20 pm
Thomas de rue,SBNA,and Giesecke all competing to print the Kwachaa,how recruitive.Anyway am not suprised because Caleb Fundanga has always been trading in fake currency.He would get fake currency and change it with original using rural commercial Banks.That man needs to be probed seriously,he could be hibanating trillions of original currency at his farm like that obesity ugly liato.Seriously DEC,ACC start with RB’s farm,Peter Daka,Dora,Fundaga and l bet u will unearth money equivalent to PF’s first budget.
Evance kay
December 6, 2011 at 8:41 pm
If they are false allegation,then why panicking ba musokotwane?let the law take its course.we have seen the different types of k50,000 notes even now i have two k50,000 notes with different printers.
Chikalabwamba
December 6, 2011 at 9:57 pm
2pac musokotwane was the dullest minister of finance the country has ever have. he can not match to the likings of gibson chingaga, edith nawakwi, kasonde, penza and even kaka katele. we are yet to see the once upon tine brilliant chikwanda how he will perform. so far not impressive.
BREAKING NEWS: peter daka questioned over abuse of office and illegal land allocation.
Nevers mumbi summoned again over the plot he grabbed from the widow in ibex hill.
Chikalabwamba
December 6, 2011 at 10:19 pm
musokotwene dullness makes one wonder where he obtained his doctorate. a man of his caliber can not be used as a rubber stump. the guy has no morals at all. his base of argument does not hold water. this chap does he really understand the meaning of the word illegal? the illegal aspect of it comes in when the usual dealers refused to print money when they knew that the country zambia had enough 50 and 20 pins in circulation (probably that could be the cash liato planted). so they (mmd crooks) went to another dealer who easily printed those notes at an exorbitant price. the country lost a lot dr musokotwene and i guess you now understand why the word illegal is used.
Chikalabwamba
December 6, 2011 at 10:25 pm
erratum:
peter daka used force to obtain land.
James007
December 7, 2011 at 5:11 am
Problem with this blog is it’s a forum for sharing ignorance rather than objectivity. You either learn how to insult, be a tribalist or worse still to be privy to the frightening ignorance Zambians are gifted with. Therefore, it becomes difficult to comment on certain issues, when all that bloggers do is believe any allegations without verification. Let us leave the courts to determine those that abused govt resources, rather than wholesomely condemn everyone, afterall we replaced MMD leaders not with angels but human beings.
simeza
December 7, 2011 at 5:38 am
Its like the editor of this blog writes a story with strong accusation and then begins commenting himself! objectivity is important, we know you where to fast to claim you’ve been vindicated, infact you did not even need to claim vindication at all!
If you notice Kwacha is different and you investigate and you discover indeed it is different you report…but when a crazy man says its fake you dont jump to being vindicated…if it is fake then what is real Kwacha???
because real Kwacha is the one BOZ signs off own and distributes, so if that is fake, then where will we get real Kwacha?
we’ve actually had real polymer money that was fading, wasn’t it still real???
Leza uwamaka
December 7, 2011 at 8:02 am
Musokotwane is right how can an entire president declare his own currency illegal how ******, chances are he has the same currency in his pocket lets be objective i know you love the man, but here he has made a mistake period. the problem with my president he is a populist he thinks like an opposition leader grow up old man you are thwe president of Zambia by design or default.
Sly
December 7, 2011 at 8:03 am
James007 I couldnt agree more with you. It wont be long before people start to refuse to trade with certain notes because things are not clear. BoZ should give clarification on this matter.
fair
December 7, 2011 at 9:31 am
Thomas De La Rue are NOT the printers of Zambian currency but a German Company called G&D. This is according to BOZ own website http://www.boz.zm
pp
December 7, 2011 at 9:33 am
Its not about forcing BOZ to print money . Its about whether the notes were illegally printed or not. You are a doctor for Gods sake, be Topical!
Rent-a-Humble Presido
December 7, 2011 at 9:36 am
Don’t condemn Tumfweko for the way they write. They are not trained journalist. Just look at their spellings! You don’t pay them to participate. It’s their own initiative that they set up a blog. I don’t always agree with them but hey, I always log in. Personally I avoid Zambianhotdog whenever I can. Blogs are just like that – they are all tilted towards something or someone. But they do provide a service to the masses.
RB Bwesheni
December 7, 2011 at 9:39 am
Imwe, who gave the authority to print money from other printing companies. All Zambians know about De la Rue not those other two (G&D and SAB) whatever their names are.The MMD government messed up in a lot of ways and they should own up to this. Ba Musokotwane, you were a wrong choice for Minister of Finance. No wonder RB lost. Too many wrong people around him
ken
December 7, 2011 at 9:44 am
Dont get distracted we are all supporting you, go ahead and arrest all these criminals and true search RB Peter Daka Dollar Siliya’s farms and hidden houses, more billions could be unhearthed.
Lozi
December 7, 2011 at 9:46 am
Most of the bloggers on this site are very illiterate and don’t understand a thing of what Musokotwane is talking about, mind you Musokotwane worked in the Bank of Zambia for a good number of years so he knows what he is talking about, problem with most of these bloggers is that they are just commenting for sake of commenting please don’t bloody comment on things that you don’t understand, Musokotwane is one of our most intelligent Economists
musimbi
December 7, 2011 at 10:09 am
Laza Uwamaka walitupa tulachula ifwe naiwe nefwebo tO HAIL. Don’t talk carelessly waufwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kafundisha
December 7, 2011 at 10:17 am
Imwe ba James007,simeza and Lozi so you think you are the smartest? Well and good you mentioned that people must be objective. When I read first few sentences of your pieces of writing, it did make sense. You then blew it by taking one side of the coin which is that of supporting Musokotwane and MMD, without any truth, which does not make you any different from the people you were saying are not well informed.By the way, most intelligent economists are known not these Lusaka economists and whatever? What good papers has Musokotwane written? What research has he done? Don’t mention the 1980 research studies. That guy did colonial economics and may not even be able to teach the new issues that are currently there!!! For the sake of time, let me end here.
yakakana
December 7, 2011 at 10:53 am
peter daka hehehe, using his mother in-law to campain in chilanga, sponsing kitchen parties and weddings for his sencond wife’s relatives. mother in-law changed vehicles like clothes,flew to any country using mmd tickets. maybe he hid some billions in mother in-law’s yard since he electrified her fence mulya my comboni bekala, kulolesha fye fwebo. nga ni land yena nimbwee. ifwe waya at takuli land.
Wartz
December 7, 2011 at 11:10 am
Kafundisha, mature namulasa!!! ati umukulu tapusa kebo.Ba James007,simeza and Lozi you are bunch of crooks just like your fallen party MMD.if you knew the level of poverty in these compounds you wouldnt utter the rubbish you are uttering.Musokotwane’s first statement on the Global crunch was, “we will not be affected by the credit crunch”, how? when we export copper.Its like the buyers have no money to buy your goods and you say you will not be affected as the seller. what a minister of finance!!! its true he did colonial economics iya mu UNIP! Musokotwane just keep quiet nimwe ba pompwe and you dont deserve any mercy and please leave our president alone we love him abd hes the one we chose.
amake
December 7, 2011 at 1:52 pm
I conquer with James 007 most people on this blog are not objective they just go as the wind blows. To them MCS is God and therefore cannot make mistake. Since they have access to the internet I suggest they do some research and go to the BOZ website and see for themselves how the deputy governor commended G and D the company that is printing our money