GREGORY Chifire says Edith Nawakwi should not be taken seriously because she has a history of defrauding the country.
The exiled governance expert and human rights activist said Nawakwi connived with foreigners to defraud the country out of millions of dollars in the Carlington maize deal and the privatisation of the mines.
Chifire, who was commenting on Nawakwi’s recent allegations of improper conduct levelled against UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said to have taken place during the country’s privatisation programme in the late 1990s, said the FDD leader is a dishonest woman whose agenda is moved by personal greed.
“This time around she has connived with the PF into telling lies about privatisation so that Zambians develop mistrust and hatred against HH,” he said.
Chifire, the executive director of the Southern African Network against Corruption (SANAC), said Nawakwi was being economical with the truth in her accusation of Hichilema.
“Believe her testimony at your own peril. Some of us know her as a bluffer who speaks without facts. It’s like she speaks what she dreams in her sleep and she’s gifted in evading the truth because there is no truth in her,” he warned.
Chifire said as finance minister then, Nawakwi knew how the process was done, stating that if she had any misgivings about the privatisation process or indeed Hichilema as a person, she could have acted while in cabinet at the time or used other relevant channels, unlike what she is doing now.
“It seems our sister has a personal grudge against HH because some of the utterances are personal. HH is not the only person that was in the privatisation process as a consultant. There are tens of others that were involved, but how ironic that she picks on one person?” he asked.
Chifire said whenever Nawakwi opens her mouth, he is getting more convinced that she needs ‘alangazi’ (traditional marriage counsellors) “because it is unnatural for a woman to speak lies in the manner she does”.
He said Nawakwi had become a vuvuzela (mouthpiece) for the PF.
“I can’t imagine a respectable wife digging dirt for [President] Lungu. Mothers are supposed to be noble, but the example that this mother is showing is worrying. She is failing to carry herself with commendable nobility. Nawakwi is lucky to have not been sent to jail for breaking the privatisation law and conniving with an ex Israeli spy based in Montreal, Canada by the name of Ari Ben-Menashe to find buyers of the mines when she was minister of finance. She even sanctioned a payment of $2 million to Ben-Manashe’s company as upfront consultancy fees. She wanted Ben-Menashe to help find buyers for the mines, against the provision of the Act. It is this same Israeli that she earlier connived with in the Carlington Maize deal when she was minister of agriculture where Zambia lost millions of dollars,” Chifire said. “This woman must tell Zambians why she was demoted from the Ministry of Finance by president [Frederick] Chiluba and also disclose what assets she personally benefited from the privatisation programme. She is a very dishonest person. She should learn to speak the truth because only the truth will set her free.”
He added that without malice, Nawakwi, whom he referred as his sister, needs serious counselling because she is misleading herself by thinking that the PF would reward her with a position.
Chifire warned Nawakwi that she would be “used like a tissue paper” and would never get anything beyond the money she is being paid.
“Her utterances portray her true character, of what she is. She never speaks the truth. She has over the years pretended to be what she’s not. Nawakwi and her MMD are the ones that looted national assets and must be held to account,” said Chifire.