ACC scaremongering, trying to starve PF of funding – Chama
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
PF chairperson Davis Chama says the move by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to reveal that PF received funding from Glencore International “is purely a scaremongering target to instill fear in organisations that syphathise with the party so that they starve us funding”.
He has challenged the ACC to “go to every political party if they really want to be neutral because this is just meant to kill political parties. Investigate United Party for National Development and tell us how UPND has operated over the years and who has funded [it]”.
The ACC on Wednesday said it was investigating Glencore International over $3 million that was paid to “a named political
party in 2016”.
ACC corporate communication head Timothy Moono disclosed that, “ the Anti-Corruption Commission has interrogated Mr Davis Chama, former minister of defence, to help with investigations in connection with a matter in which money amounting to US $3 million was paid to a named political party in 2016 by Glencore International AG, the mining company that was operating Mopani Copper Mine. The investigations border on the circumstances under which these funds were paid by the said mining firm to a political party soon after which the firm exited Zambia under unfavourable terms to the Government of Zambia. Investigations into this matter are on-going.”
But Chama, in an interview, said it was also rumoured that the UPND were also being bankrolled by Konkola Copper Mines.
“Political parties are organisations registered under the laws of our country just like churches, other organisations and these organisations from time to time receive funds from partners, supporters, symphathisers and members of that organisation just like in our case, we received various donations. I was just reading the statement, and I was surprised that they were trying to release details of the investigation. They are releasing details whilst they are investigating. So you can only suspect what is the motive of this?” he wondered. “Every organisation even the ruling party right now have been supported by a lot of people. It was even rumoured that KCM was bankrolling their campaign, Anglo American and a lot of other symphisers. This is a targeted smear campaign. It is a targeted smear
campaign because they cannot start releasing piecemeal information in the middle of an investigation. This is purely a scare mongering target. They want to instill fear in organisations that syphathise with the PF so that they starve us funding.”
Chama said ACC was acting unprofessional and political.
“This is purely unprofessional because in that statement, they are saying they are still investigating. So if they are investigating, why are they naming organisations because this information was gotten from the
bank. Actually the bank system is such that the person sending you money will be indicated on the statement. And the recipient will also be indicated. That money from Glencore did not come under my personal account, no. It came in the bank account for the Patriotic Front political party. So they are basically investigating a political party. I was only secretary general at the time in 2016. Remember, the party received not me but of course I was the secretary general then,” Chama said. “So I received on behalf of the party which party had a president, vice-president. It had a national chairman, it had a national treasurer and a central committee. I was running the party on behalf of everyone.”
He challenged the ACC to also investigate the sources of funding for ruling UPND.
“So this is what they have started. So they should go to every political party if they really want to be neutral because this is just
meant to kill political parties. Let ACC go and investigate United Party for National Development and tell us how UPND has operated over the years and who has funded [it]. They should go to MMD, UNIP and all the other political parties and let them also go all organisations registered and the societies Act, then there will be no suspicion that
this is witchhunt,” he said.
And Chama said the donation had nothing to do with Glencore’s exit from
Mopani.
“Glencore exited well after the 2016 elections. They did not exit in 2016. I was minister of defence – that was I think towards 2020 or
2021. It was after the election of 2016 or the presidential by-election of 2015,” said Chama.
“Anyway they said they would call me back. So I am around, and I am not going anywhere. Maybe my arrest is what it is leading to but some of us have already been arrested before and we are appearing in court.
We slept in cells.”