State Benefits for the Vice President in retirement
..especially now that the position of Vice President enjoys direct suffrage, state benefits must accrue to them…
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
I have always advocated that former Vice Presidents, especially now that the position enjoys direct universal suffrage, or election from the people, must be paid a monthly salary of 80% of their incumbents and minimum state benefits such as living expenses, state security and other retirement benefits must acrue to them.
I have stated that Hon. Inonge Wina must enjoy retirement benefits like former President, Edgar Lungu, as she was elected directly by the people as a running mate to President Edgar Lungu.
To this effect, I have stated that we should cause an amendment to the Former Presidents Benefits Act of 1993, to include retirement benefits to accrue to the holder of the position of Vice President.
However the recent conduct of both Dr. Nevers Mumba and Hon. Enoch Kavindele, where they have reduced themselves to desperate low levels of praise singers, for President Hakainde Hichilema, leaves much to be desired.
The information emerging that the two former Vice Presidents and others have been placed on payroll, in my view, is a welcome development, but this should NOT cause them to be used as door mats or turn them i to loud praise singers to President Hichilema.
These payments must be made as this is an entitltement because of the positions they held and their service to the nation.
We must state that former Speaker’s of the National Assembly, former Judges, former commanders in the defence and security, are on state benefits already.
Therefore, President Hichilema must normalize these payments to the former Vice Presidents, by causing an official amendment to the law, in order to pay them properly.
I also hold a firm view that the former President, in this case, Edgar Lungu, must be accorded state benefits as prescribed by the law, whatever his position on the current state of politics is.
Both Jacob Zuma (who has formed a new political party) and Thabo Mbeki, who regularly campaigns for the ANC, enjoy full state benefits.
This is not because of their current activities but because they earned the benefits because of the position they attained.
It’s like you, will your retirement benefits stop because you have joined politics?
We must remember that we got the principle and inspiration of paying state benefits for former Presidents from the USA.
Barack Obama still campaigns actively for the Democratic Party, in Opposition and in Government.
Such payments must not be hidden in a back-door administrative process as is being done to Dr. Nevers Mumba and Hon. Enoch Kavindele, such as being appointed as Ambassadors of Goodwill, a position that doesnt attract remuneration, except for costs associated with the particular assignment.
Therefore the payments may raise serious audit querries in future.
The promise of life state benefits to the President and his Vice President, are intended to be a motivation to avoid abusing or plundering state resources while they hold the position and discharge their functions.
Therefore Hon. Inonge Wina, Dr. Never Mumba, Hon. Enoch Kavindele, Lt. Gen.(retired) Malimba Masheke, deserve to enjoy state benefits, as a matter of right and entitlement, and NOT because they should desperately prostrate themselves before President Hichilema.
Similarly, salary and state benefits including security must be reinstated to former President Edgar Lungu, in his capacity as Zambia’s Sixth President.
It is destined only a rare handful of persons will hold these positions in the life of our country, and therefore such benefits are affordable.
