By Patson Chilemba
Opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi says she wants to unmask the myth that Hakainde Hichilema is a rich man.
Reacting to the UPND leader Hichilema’s appearance on radio yesterday where he defended himself against her allegations regarding his role in the privatisation process, Nawakwi told Daily Revelation that she was ready to face Hichilema in court.
“We are waiting for the summons and really we are eager to unmask, to demystify the myth that Hakainde is a rich man, that in fact there is a lot of private fraud which is being undertaken especially in the area of pension fund. And look there are many questions which must be answered, for example the pensions from Anglo-American. The workers are still unpaid..and from BP Zambia,” Nawakwi said, adding that Hichilema could not continue “hiding under the veil of subjudice whenever questions were asked of him. “It’s in the same spirit that he’s threatening to file summons (filed already) in this particular matter of us asking as to how he became chairperson of Southern Sun. It is simply for him to say you can’t discuss it, it’s subjudice.”
Asked on Hichilema’s argument that he had responded to her allegations of dishonesty over the privatisation, and now was the time for his opponents to respond to matters such as the controversial procurement of fire tenders, ambulances and the 48 houses, among others, Nawakwi claimed that she had already spoken out forcefully and unambiguously over some of those matters, charging that Hichilema should not duck the questions against him.
“He’s like a cut and mouse you know. The issues before him he can’t say neo mwenzemwanipeza nili pabwalo pa museo so namuzanga naeve ni ule ankale pa museo (he can’t say don’t just focus on me, without providing answers just because the next person has committed a wrong). The questions are specific to him. We have talked about the mukulas, we have talked about the fire tenders,” Nawakwi said. “And for me this matter is him, he is the one who started. Who provoked him to start talking about me? Presenting me that I am not worthy of national leadership because I sleep on duty. He is the one who was trying to discount me so you wanikata nitole weo. Mwambile buti biyo musa (you started the fight)…this kind of discussion is like chikunye…that insect in the field that eats itself until it dies.”
Nawakwi said the allegations she had raised against Hichilema were specific, and that she was very ready to meet him in court.
“We really want to unveil the myth that he’s a rich man. So that’s why he says he has clarified. No he can only clarify when we give him evidence in court. We exonerate him in court that he’s a rich man. You cannot take take pensions from Anglo-American employees and not pay it and go to court and say it’s subjudice,” Nawakwi said. “And BP workers, money that was given to the fund. You can’t have the same person managing the fund and being a scheme manager and being actually themselves the assessor.”
Nawakwi, mentioning the several companies Hichilema had interest in, said there must be morality in the manner he handled matters.
“Africa Life Finance Services if you get a print out of that, the shareholders are Rabson Machila, Hakainde Hichilema, Muna Hantuba and Valentine Chitalu…Menel Management you see they have been masking their shares. When you go to Africa Life Financial Services, PACRA, yourself…the shareholders are Botswana Insurance Fund Management and Menel Management Services,” Nawakwi said. “Now Menel Management Services at PACRA, date of Registration, November 2003…Menel Management Services shareholders clearly shows Hakainde Hichilema and his friends. Now Africa Life Financial Services administers the pensions fund at Saturna Regna Fund.”
Nawakwi continued.
“Who is Saturna Regna Fund? Who are the managers for Saturna Regna Fund? It’s called Benefit Consulting Services. Who are are the share holders? Menel Management Services and Botswana Insurance company. The same people are fund managers and the fund administrators and therefore when the workers at BP are saying that BP sent the money to Saturna Regna Fund and they haven’t paid,” Nawakwi said. “The court says you people go and find an independent assessor, they find an assessor called Benefit Consulting Services. Who are the shareholders of Benefit Consulting Services? Menel Management? And who are the shareholders of Menel Management? You have the list.”
Nawakwi said Hichilema and his friends could not be independent assessors of the fund they were managing. She argued that she was simply raising issues, which Hichilema needed to respond to, and should therefore not be accused of being a liar or even a stooge of the ruling PF.
“I have requested that we go in court so that these become part of the court record so I prove my case. Actually I don’t need to prove the case, I want to unveil the mask, the myth that one Hakainde S Hichilema the shareholder in Menel, Saturna Regna and all these is a hardworking person,” Nawakwi said. “Anglo-American at their departure they transferred money to Africa Life Services, up to this day the people involved have not been paid. Have they been sleeping? And this is my president to be. He can create a chain of companies and I’m scared, I am scared. You can talk about fire tenders, you can point at that one, that one you were naming them by names, you.”
Nawakwi accused Hichilema of being astute at “creating and masking companies.”
“I am just waiting for summons today. I am at home, and he knows where we made him president of UDA. That’s where I am, he should send his lawyers to deliver the summons. Because I have even moved away from Southern Sun, now I am dealing with the case of BP pensioners and Anglo-American pensioners,” Nawakwi said. “The challenge is has he got permission from his friends…he thinks we don’t research because we are trusting, we are sleeping. It’s simple. When you tell people that they are sleeping they wake up.”
Nawakwi said a record could not be changed, saying being a shareholder and manager was an anomaly in this country.
“So it’s Africa Life Financial Services date of registration 23rd April 1996. Shareholder; Botswana Insurance Fund Management, Menel Management, you are interested in Menel Management…and then you have Tiyende Pamodzi Consortium which you have seen in some documents, the shareholders are Menel Management Services, and you know who the owners of Menel Management Services are,” said Nawakwi.
Efforts to get a comment from Hichilema failed as his mobile phone went unanswered.
But Hichilema has sued Nawakwi for accusing him of selling Lima bank and a house belonging to the bank situated in Kabulonga.
Hichilema has since asked the Lusaka High Court to order Nawakwi to pay him damages for libel arising from the defamatory words which she caused to be broadcast and published on a radio programme entitled “ The Hot Seat” which was broadcast on the Hot FM and Kwintu FM on August 27, 2020.
Hichilema is demanding aggravated and exemplary damages, an order directing Nawakwi to retract the defamatory words; and an injunction restraining her whether by herself, her servants or agents or otherwise from further publishing or causing to be publishd or broadcast the defamatory words or any words similarly defamatory of him.
He further wants the court to order Nawakwi to reimburse the sums expended by the plaintiff in mitigating the effect of the defendants’ conduct towards him and arising from the publication of the defamatory words.
In addition, the plaintiff wants the court to order Nawakwi to pay interest on any sum found due to him, costs and any other relief the court might deem fit.
According to a statement of claim, filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry, Hichilema stated that on August 27, 2020 during the course of a programme hosted by Zachariah Chavula on Hot FM and Kwanthu FM respectively caused to be broadcast and published by radio, by live internet streaming and by digital broadcast, words defamatory of him in relation to acquisition of a property in Kabulonga.
“I am saying that he got the house in serval road without declaring that he was doing a misdemeanor. If he has not been arrested by the law or if he has not been visited, he should continue to say “mwalikwisa.” Now you can not say that I have stolen because the owners are sleeping and go boasting around. I think that is unacceptable,” read the statement in part.
Hichilima stated that in their natural and ordinary meaning, the defamatory words meant and were meant to mean that he was a thief, a corrupt a person of questionable character and that he was guilty of numerous offences relating to the dissolution of Lima bank and sale of its assets, when in fact not.
He said aside from being defamatory of the plaintiff, the defamatory words were false and published maliciously.
Hichilema submitted that contrary to Nawakwi’s allegations, he had never acted as receiver, manager or liquidator of Lima bank as alleged or at all.
He stated that the house alleged by Nawakwi at Serval Road in Kabulonga had never belonged to Lima bank prior to him acquiring it.
Hichilema is being represented by lawyer Mulambo Haimbe of Messrs Malambo and Company. -Daily Revelation