DICK HAD TO GO BECAUSE GOVT DOES NOT WANT TO BE AUDITED-HON KAFWAYA.
……….highlights alleged corrupt dealing in the procurement of fertilizer..
Lusaka……..Monday, 17TH JULY, 2023 [SMART EAGLES].
There is too much corruption in the fertilizer procurement and distribution, Patriotic Front Presidential Candidate Mutotwe Kafwaya has said.
Hon Kafwaya alleged that the UPND was raking in over K510 million per tonne from the fertilizer deal with Alpha Commodities.
He has attributed this as the reason behind the refusal by permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture to give Documents to the former Auditor General.
Hon Kafwaya said that is why Former Auditor General Dr. Dick Sichembe was side-lined because he wanted to audit the irregularities in different Government Institutions.
Hon. Kafwaya said this when he featured on MUVI TVs the Assignment programme.
“Stop corruption, because it is irresponsible for Government to issue two contracts on the same day one with Alpha Commodities and another one with nitrogen chemicals of Zambia. You give NCZ 992 Dollars per tonne, then you give alpha Commodities 1502 dollars per tonne. It is irresponsible, 510 dollars difference. That’s how much has been stolen in each of the tonne given to alpha Commodities. Now 510 dollars at the k20 rate, 510 million is what they were making in one transaction. That is why Dick Sichembe has been kicked out as Auditor General. He wanted to audit those things and Government does not want to be audited,” he said.
And Hon Kafwaya said it is because of the same corruption that farmers are not supported to produce more Maize so that mealie meal prices can be reduced.
He said If what happened in the last farming season repeats in the next farming season, the country is in trouble.
Hon Kafwaya has described as gross failure on the part of Government for mealie meal to be fetching as high as K300 and K400 in some parts of the country.
He mentioned that people in most townships are facing real economic hardships while those stealing Gold at Kasenseli mine are the ones smiling.
“Government must therefore take measures that would ensure that the price of the commodity is reduced. You promised us K50. Economic hardships are written all over peoples faces. The economy is being explained at two fronts. The Government officials have their own narrative while the people in the compounds are facing serious hardships. A 25 kg bag of mealie now costs K285. K245 ,5 litre cooking oil. These are issues leaders must start working on. Those people mentioned in the FIC, and those mining Gold illegally can afford and not the majority Zambians in the townships,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hon Kawfaya has noted that the current Auditor General is ‘incompetent’.
“Financial report for 2022. This current Auditor General has given you an opinion. In his opinion says this report presents fairly in all material respects. A simple review of the book will give you simple glaring issues. When you look at section B, statement of budget comparison amounts, K172 billion was the budget for 2022. The total amount which came as supplementary budget is K22.3 billion. This in total came to 94.3 billion. But the book says there were no changes, the final budget was K172 billion. ….. umu tamuli na K65 million yakwa faith Musonda,” he said.