By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
SENIOR Chief Mukuni has taken keen interest in the Zesco planned stripping by IDC and the sell of the Victoria Falls land by Given Lubinda to his Chinese friend as highlighted in Dr Mbita Chitala’s book.
The former Zesco board chairman explained reasons he resigned from the power utility board over a year ago.
On December 2, 2020, Dr Chitala announced his resignation through a Facebook post and went quiet.
He has however detailed his stormy experiences with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) management in his latest book titled, CORPORATE CAPTURE: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ELECTRICITY MANAGEMENT IN
ZAMBIA (How Not to Manage a State Enterprise).
He alleges how IDC chief executive officer Mateyo Kaluba issued unlawful instructions to his team, among other things.
“…Kaluba was obviously unhappy with the President’s insistence on our continuation of service on the ZESCO Board as it would hinder his and other IDC members’ plans to strip ZESCO of its assets and so on. To prevent exacerbating the misunderstanding, I advised all the members
to reply acceptance of re-appointment and they reluctantly sent in their letters to IDC,” he explains.
“As soon as I took up the re-appointment as Chairman of ZESCO, the IDC members inundated me with requests and directives some of which were clearly unlawful and I declined to attend to them explaining in detail either their impracticability or their unlawfulness. In all this, I consulted my board members and management on all the issues the IDC raised and accordingly informed the IDC of the decision of the ZESCO Board on each individual matter.”
Dr Chatala highlights events at the IDC annual meeting in Livingstone in November 2020 where individual IDC board members harangued him and accused him of not being in tandem with the wishes and resolutions of the IDC Board of directors.
“I repeated with emphasis the ZESCO resolutions and informed them in no uncertain terms that for as long as I was chairman of the ZESCO Board, I would not be persuaded by any person to commit transgressions and criminal conduct that impaired ZESCO and that I was prepared to retire if so needed,” Dr Chitala states.
He further explains that he briefed then finance minister Bwalya Ng’andu about his standoff with the IDC management.
Dr Chitala says Dr Ng’andu supported the Zesco board’s resolutions not to strip the company’s assets.
Dr Chitala narrates why he was dismissed from the Zesco board.
to sell its 50% shareholding to an IDC arranged partner in Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation instead of ZESCO taking over the assets on behalf of Zambians,” he explains. “…my
decline to sign a resolution allowing ZESCO which was insolvent to start paying IDC managing fees; and my refusal to sell the eight hectors of land in Livingstone to a Chinese investor for a pittance.
All these matters together with my strong attitude to protect the integrity of ZESCO were seen as conduct of insolence that required the parting of ways.”
Senior chief Mukuni, who is out to India asked this journalist for an electronic copy of The Mast Newspaper of Monday 17, 2021 that carried
a lead story: “IDC PLNANNED TRIPPING ZESCO…I refused to involve myself in asset stripping-Chitala”.
Mukuni said he was very interested in the revelations by Dr Chitala because they exonerate his actions which date as far back as 2017 over the way the PF government was handling Zesco.
“The catalyst was however my refusal to involve myself in asset striping of ZESCO where they wanted ZESCO to surrender its Fibrecom
networks to a new company called Infratel Limited which was essentially a tool to strip assets from ZAMTEL, ZICTA and ZESCO; my refusal to allow TATA Zambia to sell its 50% shareholding to an IDC arranged partner in Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation instead of ZESCO taking over the assets on behalf of Zambians,” he explains.
“…my
decline to sign a resolution allowing ZESCO which was insolvent to start paying IDC managing fees; and my refusal to sell the eight hectors of land in Livingstone to a Chinese investor for a pittance.
All these matters together with my strong attitude to protect the integrity of ZESCO were seen as conduct of insolence that required the parting of ways.”
“I did, if you remember, reveal to you (The Mast) the first time I heard of a Chinese national wanting to evict the curio traders at the Victoria Falls Curio Market so as to set up a Ferris Wheel. As if this was not enough, when this attempt failed, the PF gave the Chinese land at the Victoria Falls Power Station,” he
said.
“They actually were selling government land to a foreigner and 23 houses including a Catholic Church were to be demolished. What evil can one do to Zambians and thank God they (PF) were ejected on August 12, 2021. But Zambians still need
Senior chief Mukuni, who is out to India asked this journalist for an electronic copy of The Mast Newspaper of Monday 17, 2021 that carried a lead story:
“IDC PLANNED TRIPPING ZESCO…I refused to involve myself in asset stripping- Chitala”.
Mukuni said he was very interested in the revelations by Dr Chitala because they exonerate his actions which date as far back as 2017 over the way the PF government was handling Zesco.
“They actually were selling government land to a foreigner and 23 houses including a Catholic Church were to be demolished. What evil can one do to Zambians and thank God they (PF) were ejected on August 12, 2021.
But Zambians still need disclosure as to what happened from PF especially Given Lubinda who is mentioned by Dr Chitala. Tell the nation what your part was. We need to know, we need the truth,” said chief Mukuni.