REMOVING ZNBC DG ON REGIONAL BASIS VIOLATES ARTICLE 259 OF ZAMBIA’S CONSTITUTION – MUNDUBILE
Lusaka, Friday (March 24, 2023)
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile says UPND cadres calling for the removal of ZNBC Director General Berry Lwando on regional basis would violate Article 259 of the Constitution of Zambia which demands for regional balance.
Mr. Mundubile, a PF Presidential Candidate, said UPND should focus on addressing the Dollar which is at K21, fuel at K29, ZESCO Connection Fees from K750 to K14,000, no medicine in hospitals, giving fertilizer in medas, excessive bus fares and high cost of mealie meal.
He said the Constitution of Zambia under Article 259, states clearly that those with power to appoint should take into account regional diversity.
“I want to believe that the Board of ZNBC took into account provisions of the Constitution under Article 259 when appointing Lwando and his management,” he said.
UPND aligned media platforms among then Koswe, Zambian Watchdog and Zambian Bulletin have been running syndicated propaganda to remove ZNBC employees on regional basis while a video of UPND cadres giving an ultimatum to ZNBC Board to remove Lwando and his management had heightened.
Mr. Mundubile said, there was no PF Member of the Central Committee – MCC in the ZNBC interview room as officers were picked on merit under the UPND appointed Board.
Mr. Mundubile said the UPND Administration has introduced caderism of the worst kind that were storming Ministers offices directing them to cancel contracts as the case was at Ministry of Community Development.
“The issue of caderism should not be looked at from a narrow but broader sense. Many people want to relate caderism to violence around elections but it goes beyond. In this particular sense, you have to look at the behavior of cadres towards Government officials and other individuals. We now have caderism in offices where they give themselves power which they do not have to direct Boards and Ministers. We have seen that the appointment of the Director General at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation – ZNBC Berry Lwando and his management is being resisted by cadres,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile called on President Hakainde Hichilema to act swiftly on such matters to avoid removing government employees on the basis of their names or allegations of party loyalty.
“They are very quick to react when somebody is shouting from a police cell alleging that there is discrimination in the manner that arrests in the sugilite scandal were made. But when we see cadres going to Ministers offices and Commanding Ministers to cancel contracts there is total silence from Government,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said it was not true that caderism had ended under the UPND administration.
“In Kitwe, on Youth Day, UPND cadres were beating up PF members and MPs that were caught up in the fracas,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said there was violence at Chisamba Police were UPND cadres entered a service station and beat up officers, UPND cadres beat up Police officers in Kasama, District Administrative Officer – DAO was beaten by UPND cadres in her office in Kasama and a District Education Board Secretary – DEBS in Kafue District was beaten by UPND cadres.
“We want to call upon the President to look at activities in his Government and the party to ensure that he has the responsibility to see to it that cadres stay away from Government operations. This will allow officers in Government and parastatals to work freely,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said it was surprising that President Hichilema was silent on a video which went viral regarding UPND cadres threatening to beat up anyone wearing PF regalia.
“We were expecting Police Inspector General Lemmy Kajoba to move in immediately with his officers to arrest the individuals. This is because President Hakainde Hichilema said no to violence,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said PF Member of the Central Committee – MCC Alexander Chiteme was arrested for wearing PF regalia while visiting party structures which was not good in a democracy.
“Honourable Chiteme saw the silence from the police about beating anyone in PF regalia so he informed PF members that they were free to wear PF regalia because Zambia is a democratic country. When he was walking around to visit PF structures, he was arrested by the police,” he said.
Mr. Mundubile said it was strange to see Mr. Chiteme arrested because he was a victim in this case.
“We call on the Police IG to quickly arrest the culprit who was threatening innocent PF members in the video which went viral,” he said
