- Stay Connected
Socialize
‘Professor Clive Chirwa’s Nothing’
On November 23, 2012, I asked one simple question, “Is Zambia Sata’s Animal Farm?” I questioned Prof. Clive Chirwa’s dual citizenship – which made him a criminal under the current Zambian constitution. Since many Zambians have been arrested for holding multiple citizenship contrary to section 55 of the Immigration and Deportation Act, I wondered why he was not held to the same standards. Some readers missed my point and criticized me for pointing that out.
After reading newspapers, I could not help but laugh as I saw people insulting Dr. Chirwa – not for breaking the law but for demanding nothing - K140 million- 250 million per month (depending on whom you believe) in addition nothing in rentals – another K38 million (7000).
His reason, he is entitled to it since he is the Chief Executive Director of Zambia Railways.
The only problem is that his nothing translates into an annual salary of $300,000-US$560,000,which is above what the U.S. senators and other cabinet officers make. I guess most of us would praise God and our ancestors for blessing us with a job that would pay us just 5 % of Dr. Chirwa’s nothing. It’s clear that Dr. Chirwa does not know the difference between nothing and over $300,000.
If that is what we call nothing, then he is mentally handicapped and not fit to be the Executive Director of Zambia Railways.
I am not disputing Dr. Chirwa’s qualifications but his lack of judgement.
By the way, qualifications alone don’t make a good leader – judgement, ethics and solidarity do. Despondently, Dr. Chirwa lacks all these qualities. Even if Zambia Railways floated shares, that will not make it right for him to get that amountof money. Dr. Chirwa does not he understand the plight of Zambia Railways’ employees who are struggling to make ends meet.
The man is so self-centered and all thinks about his self-interests. By now, he should know that the majority of Zambia Railways’ employees live on nothing – literary nothing. Others walk long distances to get to work because they cannot afford transport money.
These poor souls pay for their ownaccommodation and are fortunate to receive $200 a month. Sadly, he is like a vulture – awaiting to suck the last drop of blood from millions of Zambians, who are working hard but living on less than 1 dollar a day.
Professor Chirwa should not threaten that he will fly back to the U.K if his demands are not met. He is not the only Zambian who can save Zambia Railways. The truth is, Zambia has many great brains who can do a better job.
The only reason why he is holding that position is that it was not floated – he was appointed without any interview.
I know that he thinks 140 million per month is nothing to him. But maybe it is time he asked his dedicated employees how much they make per month. He must also ask our teachers, nurses and other civil servants – some of whom are cleaning his office how much they make.
That said, I would love Dr. Chirwato look into a poor mother’s face – whose child died for lack drugs. I would love him to tell that woman who gave birth in the presence of people because she did not have the money to pay that 38 million in rentals is nothing.
I would love him to face the mother who carried her 15 years child on her back to the hospital because she could not afford to hire a bicycle that $26,000 is nothing. Let him tell these helpless women that “$300,000 is nothing” if you are at the hem of Zambia Railways.
But there is another way to look at his demands.
Chirwa tells us that what he wants is what Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and other presidential appointees are getting. Friends, how can we justify spending $7000 a month on accommodation in the nation where most people can hardly afford a bottle of soda, hospitals have no drugs, universities have no books and millions of young people remain unemployed?
Is this what PF meant when it promised more money in our pockets?
As Zambians, we all have a moral obligation to stop this superfluous waste of public resources.
It is not what Chirwa or his friends are entitled to, but what is fair to all Zambians. His demands are insults to those who fought for mother Zambia. So as long as people like Chirwa continue to abuse public funds, the revenue needed for national development will remain in the hands of a select few. By the way, Chirwa will be fortunate to escape King Cobra’s teeth. So he must watch his mouth and flee at night – or else KingCobra will bite him for dual citizenship.
Rev. Canon Dr. Kapya John Kaoma
Posted by Kunda
on April 23, 2013. Filed under 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
Gwido
April 23, 2013 at 9:23 am
This man is a vulture indeed
MILF
April 23, 2013 at 9:24 am
Nonsense ba reverand. Zambia will always remain a katemba type of country. Such people like the rev are the people who can’t understand an engineer’s mind. You call K140m too much? How does our Zambian coach gets? Zambia is the least developed country and it is people like lawyers and social scientists who talk and wants to be paid. Zambians are lazy. Which Zambian apart from Clive came up with a roadmap of ZRL recovery plan? People like Saasa, Chona and the rest are just lazy chaps who believe in being payed for talking. It is people like the rev who derails the countries progress. In your mind, every Zambian deserves little. That is poverty mentality. Leave Clive alone and judge after 3.6 years. I can’t believe how Zambians are allergic to Development.
concerned
April 23, 2013 at 1:26 pm
i totally agree with you milf. these people have no idea how much the jews running rsz were making. the company used to pay for everything from tomatoes to vacations and hefty salaries. revamping this industry is not a simple job. and why are pipo attacking chirwa? why not attack the pipo that gave him the contract. he simply negotiated what he needed and i would definitely do the same. how do you bring someone who has lived in england for 32 years and expect to pay him peanuts and stay in compound?
Mosquito
April 23, 2013 at 9:27 am
This chirwa saga will not take zambia anywhere. I think let the job be advertised so that we know which direction this ZR thing will go…otherwise tax payer’s monies will continue going in bottomless pits for nothing.
SUCEESS
April 23, 2013 at 9:31 am
The author of the story tell how you would revamp ZRL? Zambians are full rhetorics and empty words. Is it him who chose to live where he lives? Can any Zambian tell Zambia Railways can be revamped. This is not a job for lawyers or economists who just talks and gets all the money. No. I give prof. thumbs up for settling for more. Zambians are cowards and would settle for anything. What he is being paid for is what was in the contract and gvt acceppted his proposal. You want hime to be living in a thatched house with no running water and Zesco blackouts? Shame on Zambias. This is pure jealous of the highest order. Nchekelako in Zambia has spoiled people.
PanAfricanist
April 23, 2013 at 9:46 am
I must say there are both good and bad stuff about Chirwa..The problem is that the bad outweigh the good. Please Sata, fire this guy before he messes up PF and GRZ & ZR.
Wanu Ngwee
April 23, 2013 at 9:47 am
THIS CHIRWA MAN IS A SERIOUS WARNING TO ZAMBIANS – JUST REWIND THE CLOCK TO NOT-SO-LONG AGO AND YOU’LL SEE THAT CHIRWA WAS ASPIRING FOR PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE. SO, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MUCH BSUNIESS HIS FAMILY WOULD BE DOING WITH THE ZAMBIAN GOVT IF HE WERE PRESDO!
ADVOCATE
April 23, 2013 at 9:58 am
Why so much outcry on Prof Chirwa salary when we are paying Herve Renard and his assistant K500,000 for those bad results.No wonder Engineers are poorly rated and paid.Why didn’t we ask Renard to consider that the are poor Zambians who Iive on less than a dollar a day.
Maano
April 23, 2013 at 10:07 am
Hit nail on the head, Zambians do not mind payng K500,000,000 [old Kwacha] per month for Harve Renards poor results. What hypocricy!
Coin Age
April 23, 2013 at 10:52 am
On Point !
Alfred
April 23, 2013 at 10:00 am
This is what i call “Gold digging in a wrong place”. Please fly back 2 uk now!!!
Henrique
April 23, 2013 at 10:08 am
Prof. Chirwa has a serious attitude- he thinks thats his stay in the UK makes him an exceptionally gifted person. For starters we did not invite you to came back to Zambia, your threat to go back to the UK is most wellcome- PLEASE GO!
You get the sense that his purported qualification and experience could be dodge. The Immigration department should address his issue of due citizenship, which under the current laws is criminal and lock him up.
Wantendekafye
April 23, 2013 at 10:15 am
People let me tell you one thing you are overlooking. Prof. CHirwa is in the media today because his salary has become public knowledge. One thing for sure is that there are a lot more people getting money even more than chirwa is. Ba Rev. who told you that senators and cabinet officers are the world’s higly paid?. It is always Chief executives who are the highest paid in the world. Take the ‘CITY’ in UK for instance, the WALL STREET, thats where highly paid people are found. If we were to reveal how much people at BOZ are getting, Chancelors and their VC’s in universities, chief executives in government departments, believe you me you will not be able to demonize Prof. Chirwa.
Alfred
April 23, 2013 at 10:29 am
The problem is we compairing developed countries to our own zambia, thats why we saying go back where u’r paid millions of pounds, maybe we might employ you when we develop not now.
Wantendekafye
April 23, 2013 at 10:40 am
Ba Alfred and what do you say to Renard who is getting 500 Million? For him (Renard) and football you are developed?. For you own (Chirwa) you are poor but developed for a MUZUNGU. Guys lets be REALISTIC.Its such a shame that people can not reason and interpret issues. If you knew how much people like Prof. Saasa charge the Govt in consultancy you can say that. Anyway your time will come when your eyes will open.
maikalange
April 23, 2013 at 10:41 am
im tired of this chirwa crap,next please”yawn”
Joe Bolton
April 23, 2013 at 10:41 am
This is an unfortunate chapter in the history of our country! Chirwa should rise above his ego and resign. His position at ZRL is no longer tenable. If he cannot see this, he is not CEO material; then again, most of us know he is not!
Even sadder is the lack of leadership at State House. One would expect a true leader to intervene before the relationship between the board and CEO (both appointed by the same leader) deteriorates to this extent.
Nakasangana
April 23, 2013 at 10:44 am
A PROMINENT financial specialist Professor Lloyd Ching’ambo has backed fellow Professor Clive Chirwa’s target to create one million jobs in the construction sector, joining others such as transport export Raymond Jhala in recent days as Prof Chirwa’s appointment continues to excite the transport sector.
Professor Ching’ambo says it is good that a person of eminence of Prof Chirwa would choose to come back and help the country following President Sata’s call to national duty.
“Professor Chirwa is able to create jobs out of a restructuring and modernisation programme of ZRL. This is attainable and as Zambians we should be able to support this objective and work to ensure that the linkages required to support the efforts are either created or mobilised to make sure that we advance this target,” he said.
Speaking in interview in Lusaka yesterday, Prof Ching’ambo, however, said there is need to realise that the financial resources that will be required to restructure and modernise ZRL will be huge and clearly not available at the moment.
On the other hand, he said the good news is that whatever financial resources would be required can be created to allow ZRL be developed to the level that Prof Chirwa and his team would wish to take it.
“One thing to note here is that we should not expect that government budgets or coffers have these resources to support this programme,” he said.
He urged ZRL team to critically look and immediately look into restructuring a supportive financing framework that would be capable of mobilising the resources to supplement various activities of restructuring programme.
“What we are saying essentially is that ZRL is going to need to heavily depend on off-budget financing strategy and programmes.
And many of these are well-known to financial professionals.
So, we must not fear that what Prof Chirwa is proposing is not achievable,” he said. (Source Daily Mail)
ben2020
April 23, 2013 at 10:56 am
ba tumfweko you are hiding my comments.
kakolwe
April 23, 2013 at 11:04 am
Rev Canon Dr. Here we go again. But b4 I give my points, would you rather we wait until ALL Zambians are RICH b4 we develop? Sociolism?
Alfred
April 23, 2013 at 11:04 am
@”wantendekafye” i think u’r on a safer side thats why u see things the way u do, what can i say? The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
MODINA
April 23, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Remember,we are all born to die and not to do it.FULL STOP.
The Legend
April 23, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Pipo, in 2 months Prof Chirwa has managed to do what many others before him failed to do in many years. None of our so-called professionals ever looked at the 1.3Km stretch between the Kamwala and the Great East Road fly-over bridges as “the most lucrative piece of land in Zambia”, to quote the Prof. Or as a source of revenue for the ZR by building an underground rail line and station along this stretch, leaving the ground open for infra-structure development.
Let’s face it: you and I never dreamt of such an idea, not even in our wildest and most grandiose dreams-until the good Prof breathed it out to the nation.
The guy is a brain-box who deserves a chance to showcase the extremes of his patriotism,intellect and creativity. And remember, this creativity comes with a million-plus jobs for our people.
Understandably, some detractors and other paper tigers are just green with envy!
Snr Moderator
April 23, 2013 at 2:27 pm
good jobs are not usually measured at how much you get at monthend but other conditions of service, eg gratuity. clive is too learned for zambian standards and he can get $560,000 but he shod stop saying its nothing! that is insulting others like me. he may have bright ideas. his dues shod ve been hidden (not immediate) especially after success….
then he stands for presido in PF!
chikwanda kauseni
April 23, 2013 at 9:29 pm
Its true, we zambians are brainy and we won’t faik to save ZRL. We are not going to watch foreigners get our money. Cobra, I can see your tongue, please bite the “nothing people”. If they have to go out, let them go. Let chirwa go and first, he must not escape the law. Let all those getting huge amounts of money leave the economy unabused. PF government, please deal with this. Zambians, let’s all rise like this and fight such things.
kapuli wa ng'ongo
April 24, 2013 at 6:09 am
Please check what CEOs and boards of the remaining parastatals get and let me know.
Also please check zesco and bank of zambia boards in particular.
Pingback: work, but you need to also write
Pingback: bellmaking abaptiston tradition
Bowa
April 27, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Prof Chirwa is mentally handcupped you put it stright and it had to be said. This man in NOT interested in the development of Zambia. He is a big mouth like Oliver Saasa, Marko Choona and the rest..! Only he beat them to the game. Saasa still travels abroad to give talks and he gets paid big money. He ruined Africa Institute – The former Rhodes Institute which had a good name – and turned the whole thing into a dying white elephant when he took over.
Prof Chirwa says he is an Economist, Civil and Machanical Engineer – Can someone double check this please..!
When Levy Mwanawasa died – Chirwa wanted to stand for presidency. He is only in Zambia as CEO to take over from Sata. At the time Levy died, Chirwa chould not register or be eligible to stand for elections in Zambia as he was out of the country for a long time and no one knew him. He couldn’t EVEN CAMPAIGN for a region..! He is only in Zambia to get himself on the band wagon and takeover whatever power is to be gotten. Here in the UK he is known for his rubbish talk..!
Bowa
April 27, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Zambia does not need an underground metro or electric train. We need on land trains as we have vasts of land to develop this network. In Europe where Chirwa has seen these, these are built under water due to lack of land. Zambia needs a railnetwork over land that connects all provinces – it is also cost effective to build one such network. All they need is students from UNZA to help with the survying and involve them in project management. Students in the UK use opportunites like that for their final projects – UNZA students are equally capable of using their intellect to design and make model architechural drawings for this kind of work. Our home grown students can do this. Give the project to Engineering department at UNZA to manage and design this rail network.
Bowa
April 27, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Yes we do have alot of electricity in Zambia – this is perfect for an over land train network – UNZA engineering department again come to mind…! Check..!