PROBE MY ASSETS
…I have nothing to fear, hide – Musokotwane
By Kombe Mataka
FINANCE minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says he is ready to have investigative wings probe the authenticity of his declaration of assets.
He said the attacks on him by acting PF president Given Lubinda was a ploy to divert public attention from on-going cases of corruption against the former justice minister and others that served in the PF government.
Dr Situmbeko told The Mast that he had nothing to fear about having his declarations probed.
“What is happening now is an attempt by the PF as you can imagine any of them are caught up in all sorts of issues including Mr Lubinda himself,” Dr Musokotwane, who is also Liuwa UPND member of parliament, said. “As usual they are trying to divert attention away from their problems by inventing things. This is why they are connecting the case of the former first lady [Esther Lungu] to the issue of declarations. You can see the comparison to say, ‘if so and so declared so much, why would it be wrong for a first lady blah- blah to have so much’. I want to say that I have no problem with anyone checking the accuracy of our declarations but they should also do the same.”
He said the PF had now mastered the art of deceit and was using it to distract the government.
“I have not been a civil servant throughout my life. I have been in business. They should stop crying when investigative agencies approach them. They are the same people that stood up when I declared US $320,000 in the bank. They went to change it to K320 million. Instead of taking what was declared, they added three zeros. What was the purpose of that? It was to divert attention from their own issues so that people don’t focus on them,” Dr Musokotwane said.
“From day one PF has always been a deceptive organisation. It is full of deceptive people. They want UPND to answer to lies that they are concocting every day. They have not just attacked me but attacked government. They have not come out of this mode of telling lies which is their culture.”
He said unlike ministers under the PF, those in the UPND were observing the law by declaring their assets and allowing Zambians to take note of what they possessed.
“Under PF I can’t remember people speaking about declarations openly in the manner that we are doing. We have no problem. This is what the law requires us to do. There is nothing to hide for us. If they feel there is need to check and they can convince those who are supposed to check, I have no problem about that. They can do that,” he said.
And Dr Musokotwane said as far he was concerned, money was ready for newly recruited teachers to be put on payroll immediately.
“As far as we are concerned as treasury, we are ready for the salaries to be paid. And in fact I urged my colleagues the Minister of Education [Douglas Syakalima] and I know he is equally concerned about this but between the Ministry of Education and ourselves, we should work diligently to make sure the teachers are on the payroll as quickly as possible because I repeat the money to pay them is there,” he said.
Dr Musokotwane assured teachers of consistency in paying their salaries as the government had placed priority on education.
“In the past there was no commitment to spend money on basic things. And my government takes the view that hiring teachers to teach the children and paying those teachers is one of the most basic things. Japan, Korea have no minerals but they are powerful. Why is that so? Because human beings in these countries are well trained, confident and can make an economy run even without mineral resources. If money runs short, education will be one of those that must never suffer. So there was no serious political commitment, the commitment is there now,” said Dr Musokotwane. “The focus was on paying loans, a situation we had inflicted on ourselves. So we were not able to fund the sector. We know we have been at this issue of resolving the debt for some time and we are confident that before the third quarter ends, we should be able to resolve the issue of the debt crisis. So sustainability will be there.”
On Monday, Lubinda said the recent declarations of assets by Cabinet ministers demonstrates lack of seriousness in the fight against corruption by the new dawn government.
Addressing journalist in Lusaka, Lubinda wondered why it took 10 months for ministers to declare their assets when the law dictates that within the month of being appointed, a person must make a declaration.
“It is now established that the fight against corruption is a fuss and has descended into a fight to destroy the Patriotic Front and its leaders. Our warning is to the law enforcement agencies to know that Zambians are watching how state institutions are being abused to achieve this objective,” he said. “While they pay a blind eye to the current massive acts of corruption being done in the new dawn government, Zambians are recording the details. The recent declarations of assets by Cabinet ministers demonstrates, illustrates, the lack of seriousness in the fight against corruption by this government. Firstly, the declarations are belated by 10 months because the law dictates that within the month of being appointed, a person must make a declaration.”
Lubinda said the amounts being declared made a mockery to the pursuit of 15 flats belonging Esther Lungu.
“Secondly, the indecent amounts and assets that have been declared make a mockery of the pursuit of 15 flats against the former first lady, are designed to cause public embarrassment and ridicule to the former first family. We have seen persons that have been civil servants all their lives declare $18 million cash in the bank. So, in this case, you mean the first lady can’t build 15 flats?” asked Lubinda. “The declarations by ministers need verification with various institutions to ensure that the assets were genuinely earned and obtained, and appropriate taxes were paid on the assets. The declarations should not be used as insulation against future cases of corruption.” S