TAKE FORMER VICE PRESIDENTS’ BENEFITS TO PARLIAMENT, KALABA URGES HH
I welcome the support that President Hakainde Hichilema is providing to our former Vice Presidents through government’s engagement of former Vice Presidents as Special Envoys. Indeed it is about time our government started taking care of those who have served the country by holding the office of Vice President.
However President Hichilema must present this before Parliament and ensure that the issue of benefits accruing to the former Vice Presidents does not result in them being called to pay back to the state as was the case for the former ministers who had to refund their salaries – an amount that I was happy to refund. The terms of accruing these benefits should also be clear just like it is for the Office of the former Republican President.
I have noted and observed that the “special envoy appointments” and functional missions seems to work and favour our two former Vice Presidents Mr. Enock Kavindele and Dr Nevers Mumba, who coincidentally have been issuing statements that akin to them being card carrying members of the UPND. If they are special envoys and earning 80% of an Incumbent Vice Presidents salary, should they be this active in politics? The other issue of concern is that today this country has more than two surviving former Vice Presidents, is their any reason why former Vice President Kavindele and Former Vice President Mumba are the only beneficiaries of near “stately” treatment?
Furthermore Dr Nevers Mumba is still president of the MMD. Should he be getting these benefits which are clearly Vice President’s benefits masked as Special Envoy when he is still active in politics? If that is the case why has government withdrawn the benefits that are due to former President Lungu?
The Citizens First demands an all inclusive, impartial and more comprehensively well harmonized approach to the award of benefits and we call that the same be extended to some other leaders who do not enjoy any benefits besides having served this nation with honor and distinction.
Harry Kalaba
President
Citizens First – A Member of the UKA Alliance
