PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT EDITH NAWAKWI HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY JOB BY PRESIDENT SATA
The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) wishes to categorically dismiss the wrong assertions and the blatant lies that are being peddled by some of our critics that Madam Nawakwi has been given a job by President Sata.

Contrary to the blue lies and deliberate misinformation by such characters like Nevers Mumba, Charles MiIupi, Winston Chibwe and one Beatrice Grillo, President Edith Nawakwi has not been given any job by President Sata but was merely asked by the The Head of State to oversee and preside over the consultations between the local chiefs and headmen in Nakonde and Isoka Kaidi Biomass, the Chinese firm that is interested in investing $450m in the biofuel project in Muchinga Province. Her role was simply to explain to the people of Isoka and Nakonde what this project is all about; how it will benefit them and the fact that President Sata had no intentions of giving land to the Chinese but would allow it to be leased out for developmental purposes.

In tasking her with this assignment and not appointment as these individuals are suggesting, President Sata took cognizant of the fact that Madam Nawakwi is the daughter of Muchinga Province and is therefore very familiar with the people of Muchinga and their challenges.

President Sata was equally cognizant of the fact that Ms Nawakwi is not only a progressive leader who embraces every Zambian regardless of their political affiliation but that she is equally a qualified citizen in the energy sector who has in the past saved diligently as Energy Minister.

We wish to also educate these fellows that this biofuel project is not a new thing. In case they didn’t know as is clearly the case, looking at the ignorance they are displaying in their unwarranted attacks on President Nawakwi, this process was started four years ago by the Rupiah Banda Administration. In 2008, Honorable Felix Mutati the then Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industries on behalf of the Government of Zambia signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with Kaidi Biomass for the development of an integrated bio-energy project valued at US$450Million.

Furthermore, we wish to put the record in straight that Kaidi Biomass is an exclusively private owned company therefore President Sata has no jurisdiction to appoint Madam Nawakwi as he is not part to this company.
We wish to inform these critics that the government of the Republic of Zambia has not spent any single ngwee on Madam Nawakwi since she is neither a government employee nor appointee.

We wish to clearly state that we as FDD don’t believe that the role of the opposition is to gang up against the government and blankently and blindly oppose the government of the day on everything it does, right or wrong, but rather we strongly believe that our role as an opposition political party is not only to criticize government in the name of providing checks and balances but to also provide alternative leadership and work together with all stakeholders, government inclusive in providing solutions that will uplift our people out of poverty, disease, unemployment and so on. This is our philosophy. This is our guiding principle. This is why we are in politics, to work with every stakeholder in a bid to change Zambia for the better.

ON NEVERS MUMBA
The unfounded accusations by one Nevers Mumba that President Nawakwi is compromised because she accepted to oversee a project that will generate 10 000 jobs, build schools, roads and housing infrastructure for the local people in Nakonde, Isoka and the surrounding areas are both laughable and hypocritical.

Nevers stands on a very low moral peddle stall when it comes to being principled in life. This is a man who betrayed his own followers and auctioned his own political party to the MMD for a few pieces of silver.

When his fellow opposition leaders entrusted him with the task of mediating between them and the late President Mwanawasa, instead of representing his friends, true to his untrustworthy character, Nevers Mumba used this opportunity to beg for a job for himself and abandoned his friends. Simply put, Nevers Mumba has no integrity.

ON WINSTON CHIBWE
Chibwe and his UPND should be the last ones to accuse any one of being compromised for working with other political parties. These are people who have been in alliances with virtually everyone from Tilyenji Kaunda, Nawakwi, Sata, Milupi, Ngondo, Nevers to Edwin Sakala in their selfish bid to ride on others to get to State House. Let the UPND take an honest look at themselves before they accuse Madam Nawakwi of working with PF because they are really a shame.

ON BEATRICE GRILLO
Our free advice to Madam Grillo is that let her avoid embarrassing herself by advertising her ignorance in her desperate bid to make headlines in the media and massage her ego. We thought that with her decent education, Madam Grillo would know the difference between an assignment and an appointment. But alas, we were wrong. In any case, Madam Grillo should know that President Sata has no powers whatsoever to appoint people to sit in private companies. Kaidi Biomass is a private company which is exclusively owned by the Chinese hence President Sata has no jurisdiction to appoint Madam Nawakwi to sit on this company.

We urge Madam Grillo to help other hard working women such as Madam Nawakwi to achieve the dream of fighting the gender imbalance between males and females by uplifting women’s participation in politics. We do not expect her to use her position as Chairperson for NGOCC to be maliciously attacking other women for her own selfish gain.

ON MILUPI
We used to think that Mr. Charles Milupi was an independent thinking and reasonable character but it is clear that the role he has chosen for himself to be Hakainde Hichilema’s Chola Boy is really affecting him badly. Anyways it is not too late, let him redeem himself.

Prepared and released by:
ANTONIO MWANZA,
NATIONAL YOUTH CHAIRPERSON,
FORUM for DEMOCRACY and DEVELOPMENT (FDD)