RUPIAH Banda’s mansion clearly exposes the thieving and corruption in the current government.

Kambwili, the Roan PF member of parliament, says if a complex and modern house like the one handed to Banda by President Edgar Lungu cost K5 million, then there is no way the Michael Chilufya Sata Tollgate in Ndola would cost K51 million.

Kambwili said the difference in outlook and price showed that there were thieves in government who will soon be exposed further.

He also supported calls on abolishing of the law relating to building of retirement homes for former presidents saying some of them have been so corrupt during their stay in power.

“The law pertaining to building of retirement homes for presidents must be abolished in view of the corruption some of these heads of state are involved in. It is wrong to even give them houses,” Kambwili said.
“We know that some of these heads of state have been so corrupt and during their stay in power they built so many properties using corruption money while people are suffering.”

Kambwili questioned the criteria used to build Banda a house before presidents Levy Mwanawasa and Frederick Chiluba who served before him.

“Some people do not even know where their next meal will come from and yet a president who has a pension until he dies, who is going to be paid until he dies, you build him a house…there is not even a system. President Mwanawasa’s house has not been built, Chiluba’s has not yet been built but you go and build a house for Rupiah Banda! What criteria have you used? Obviously the criteria is that one who pats you on the back you equally pat him on the back,” Kambwili said. “The other two former presidents are not here so he is not bothered…the other one raised money for your campaign then you quickly do it for him. It’s very unfortunate.”

Kambwili said the difference in price between Banda’s mansion and the Michael Chilufya Sata structure on the Ndola-Kitwe carriageway clearly showed that the tollgate was laced with corruption and thieving.

Kambwili urged Zambians to believe him when he says corruption is rife in the current government.

“Building of that house has exposed government…look at the complexity of that house compared to the tollgate! That house has cost only K5 million [as claimed by the government] but the tollgate is costing K51 million [President Lungu said the tollgate cost US$4.3 million]. Niba Kabolala [they are thieves],” said Kambwili. “If that two-storey house can cost K5 million, it shows you that tollgate can never cost $4.3 million. It’s practically impossible. When we say there is corruption in this government people think we are saying it just for the sake of saying it but here is evidence. I even told you when you look at the FRA sheds that we built with Michael Sata, they cost K5 million and look at how complex those sheds are compared to a simple shelter of a tollgate! Anyway, the chickens will soon come to roost; they have exposed themselves.”

On Thursday, President Lungu’s press aide Amos Chanda said the house in Lusaka’s Baobab area was constructed using the money Banda was paid by Cabinet Office.

Chanda explained that following Banda’s request to be given money, he built the house after all architectural measures were approved by the government.

He said having built the house from the cash given to him by the government, it was in fact the state that built the dwelling house.

“That’s the cash he used to build that house, it was built from cash money from government. He did his architectural works. You note that he settled for cash and that cash was below the amount government would have spent if they built the house,” Chanda said.
“Obviously the approvals were given, the cash that he settled for is the one he used to build that house, so in fact the government has built that house. They allowed him. If you remember he wrote to the PS and they sat down and I think…I do not have the details but within the proposals a settlement was done and that’s the cash he used to build that house and that’s why it was being handed over. It’s in Lilayi, Eureka Park, slightly after Baobab. It’s near where Dr [Frederick] Chiluba’ s house is being built, it’s within the same area,” said Chanda.
Government paid Banda K5 million cash as refund for the house, which he intends to build for his retirement.

According to correspondence between Cabinet Office and the office of the fourth Republican president, President Lungu gave a go-ahead to Cabinet to pay Banda instead of building him a house.

Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba authorised the payment of K5 million cash towards the former president’s retirement package.

On July 11, 2016 Banda wrote to Cabinet Office permanent secretary Margaret Bwanga Miyoba, inquiring about the delayed payment following approval by the treasury.

“REQUEST FOR AUTHORITY TO PAY HIS EXCELLENCY MR RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA THE SUM OF ZMW5,000,000.00 ONLY. Reference is made to the above captioned matter. Madam, following the authority by the secretary to the treasury to release the sum of K5,000,000.00 to refund His Excellency Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda for the construction of his retirement house, I write to request your esteemed office to authorise the chief accountant, common services accounting unit, to remit the money to account name Rupiah Banda and Thandiwe Banda at Indo Zambia Bank, Chipata branch, account number 0121030000874,” read the demand letter which was received by Cabinet Office and marked “very urgent” with an instruction “chief accountant, confirm funding release and process urgently as approved by relevant authorities”.

According to sources, Banda had started building his retirement house opposite Baobab College on Kafue Road. In October 2015, Banda met with Miyoba at his house where he told her that he did not want to wait until government built him a retirement house because the waiting queue was too long.