Urgent Press Statement
SCANDAL: President Hichilema Disobeys Court Judgment, Diverts K10.2 Million Meant for Illegally Fired Times of Zambia Employees to UPND Cadres- Kasonde Mwenda C -EFF President
26 January 2025
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) strongly condemns the blatant and immoral actions of President Hakainde Hichilema, who has willfully defied a court judgment by failing to pay benefits owed to *40 unlawfully dismissed employees of Times of Zambia Newspaper. Instead, he has chosen to divert a staggering K10.2 million meant for these employees to compensate UPND cadres under dubious and politically motivated circumstances.*
Upon assuming office in 2021, President Hichilema, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Board under which Times PrintPak (Times of Zambia) falls, illegally dismissed 40 employees without cause or notice. These dismissals were not only abrupt but were conducted in clear violation of established redundancy procedures.
On 29 January 2024, the Lusaka High Court ruled in favor of the aggrieved employees and issued the following directives:
Declared the redundancy unlawful due to the failure to follow proper procedure.
Awarded each complainant six months’ salary as damages for the unlawful termination.
Directed the payment of redundancy gratuity equivalent to three months’ basic salary for each year of service.
Ordered the payment of full salaries from December 2021 until the redundancy gratuity is settled in full.
However, instead of honoring this court judgment, *President Hichilema has flagrantly diverted funds meant for these employees to pay a total of K10.2 million to 17 UPND cadres. This payment, under the guise of “compensation for false imprisonment,” was confirmed and widely reported by public and private media, including ZNBC, Daily Nation, and News Diggers, on 28 August 2024. Each cadre received K600,000, while K800,000 was allocated to their legal fees.*
This is a shocking act of lawlessness and mismanagement of public funds. The President’s decision to prioritize party loyalists over the legally entitled former Times of Zambia employees is not only morally reprehensible but a direct affront to the rule of law and democracy.
As things stand, the 40 unlawfully dismissed employees continue to languish in poverty, waiting for justice and their rightful benefits while the treasury is being depleted to enrich a select group of UPND cadres. This irresponsible and unethical behavior undermines public trust in governance and demonstrates President Hichilema’s disregard for judicial authority.
The EFF demands that the President immediately adhere to the court judgment and ensure that the illegally dismissed Times of Zambia employees are paid their benefits without further delay. We also call on all Zambians to hold the government accountable for its continued assault on democracy and the rule of law.
This abuse of power and misallocation of resources is a betrayal of the people of Zambia and a stain on the office of the Presidency. We will not remain silent in the face of such injustice and will continue to fight for the rights of all Zambians.
Wherever we want to go our feet will take us there.
Issued by:
Kasonde Mwenda C
President, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)