RB’s PRESIDENTIAL Benefits FROZEN With IMMEDIATE EFFECT

GOVERNMENT has with immediate effect suspended the disbursement of entitlements and benefits to former Republican president Rupiah Banda following the announcement by the MMD that they had maintained Mr Banda as the party’s interim president which is in breach of the Benefits of Former President’s Act.
Chief Government Spokesperson Given Lubinda said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the law was clear on the entitlements of a former President.
Mr Lubinda, who is Information, Broadcasting and Tourism Minister, was reacting to the announcement by MMD Spokesperson, Dora Siliya, on Saturday that the party had resolved to maintain Mr. Banda as its leader in the interim before electing a replacement in the next two months.
“Immediately they made the announcement to the effect that RB (president Banda) is still the acting president, he is also disqualified from receiving any emoluments due to a former president because it means that he is still in active politics.
“There is nowhere in the world where you have a robot president. No political party can be headed by a robot, it is in fact an insult on president Banda for the MMD to say he is a dormant president or to say that he is a robot,” he said
Mr Lubinda was reacting to MMD deputy national secretary, Chembe Nyangu, who when contacted on the matter said Mr Banda was a ‘dormant member’ of the opposition party who is only acting as its leader in the interim before another leader could be elected.
Mr Nyangu said the party was cautious and alive to the fact that the former president would lose his benefits if he continued in active politics. “Even during the national executive committee (NEC) meeting, he remained quiet and the meeting was chaired by the national chairperson Mr Michael Mabenga. So he is just a
dormant member of the party,” he said. But Mr Lubinda, said the mere fact that the MMD had announced that he was still the
acting president of the party, it meant the former president was still active in politics. “The MMD cannot have it both
ways, so immediately they announced that he is their president, Cabinet Office and the Minister of Finance must
take note and forthwith, the calculation of his emoluments is
frozen. “This was the case with former presidents Frederick Chiluba and Kenneth Kaunda. Dr Kaunda was denied his benefits for the whole time he remained in activepolitics so what is so special
about president Banda,” he said. And Mr Banda’s administrative secretary, Mikatazo Wakumelo said he was out of town and that he would only give an elaborate comment once he got back to Lusaka and had consulted the former head of State. Mr Wakumelo said he was sure that the MMD NEC was alive to
the provisions of the Benefits of Former President’s Act and considered this at their meeting on Saturday. “All I hear is that this is
reported in your paper. I have not read the paper and I was not even in the NEC meeting. I
want to ask so that I get to understand what really is on the ground. In the meantime, itn would be wise to get hold of the
party as this is a party matter,” he said. According to Section 5 (1) (b) of the Benefits of FormerPresident’s Act (CAP 15), the
pension and other benefits conferred by the Act, shall not be paid, assigned or provided to a former president who is
engaged in active politics. On Saturday the MMD NEC resolved that former Republican president Banda would continue to lead the party until theformer ruling party holds a mini-convention to elect a neweader.

Posted by Editor on December 19, 2011. Filed under HEADLINES, LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

61 Responses to RB’s PRESIDENTIAL Benefits FROZEN With IMMEDIATE EFFECT

jj

December 19, 2011 at 6:21 pm

U dnt giv benefits 2 some 1 who is stil in enployment,let him first retire.
ChaCha

December 19, 2011 at 7:54 pm

OOOOWEEE KALILA AKAWELE BA LUPIYA. MWAIKATA PANSHI
Dissappointed

December 19, 2011 at 8:11 pm

Last kicks of a dying horse
Child of the Sky

December 19, 2011 at 8:36 pm

whether now or later, he will get the benefits. thanks for nothing. that’s the beauty of zed. you can do nothing for the job, and still collect the pension
P Jay

December 19, 2011 at 9:00 pm

Entitlements or no entitlements, it is my hope that he and others who have stolen from the Zambian people will be made to pay back all they have stolen.
john zulu

December 19, 2011 at 9:50 pm

This should be a Big reminder to all of us that “when we are in power we should never put in place laws that will disadvange others more still use the law to our benefit, because the same law will be used against us sooner than later.” Here we go no entitlement for now. next is abuse of office, next will be eeeee we do not know yet. Ameshi yakokha umufolo
Afro Mavuzi

December 20, 2011 at 4:04 am

Honestly,there has to be a transitinal provisional. It is clear that RB does not wish to lead the MMD, but is waiting for the convention. ****** street vendor goverment!
~Proud and rich Tonga.
RB Almost Sold the Entire ZED had IT NOT BEING FOR ME & MY WIFE's VOTE

December 20, 2011 at 8:16 am

We need cases brought against Rupiah and his cronies– not witholding a pension package-he wont die as he still has a lot of tong in hidden accounts!
lukatazyo

December 20, 2011 at 8:19 am

Plz ba tandiwe pump some sense in that old man of yours advice dont just eating his money.your word could make a difference in his situation.
tila kaluba

December 20, 2011 at 11:04 am

chaipa mweo aruphia banda
Kay

December 23, 2011 at 9:19 am

Afro Mavuzi, i missed your comment on the 20th Dec 2011 but it still carries weight even today it can’t escape my comment. Listen Afro, we are trying to control our language here because we are human beings no matter how frustrated we become. If you speak like you did, you will always miss the point of discussion. We were not commenting on the “government” or “tribe” but because you lost your direction you ended up insulting the government of the day and also you could not hide your personal tribalism. The issue was not about my “Tonga brothers and sisters” but you brought your personal tribal nature into a wrong topic. Wake up Afro, Zambia is one and the people are one, stop mudslinging the good Tonga Tribe by your careless sentiments, pls and always learn to focuss on the topic do not be preconceived.