VETERAN POLITICIAN CONCERNED ABOUT CONTINUED ILLEGAL FUNDING OF FIRST LADY’S OFFICE
By Nelson Zulu
Veteran politician Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika says it is illegal for government to continue allocating resources to the operations of the office of the first lady because it is not constitutionally recognized.
Dr. Lewanika tells Phoenix News that the practice of budgeting for the office has been ongoing, with allocations totaling K3 million in 2024, K2.3 million in 2025, and an estimated K1.8 million in 2026.
He has opposed constitutionalizing, formalizing, or funding the first lady’s office separately from the President’s office, arguing that it would institutionalize a non-existent office in the constitution.
Dr. Lewanika is of the view that this practice is like legalizing corruption and has called for principled treatment of the matter, regardless of the first lady’s occupant.
He hopes the UPND administration will review and rectify the budgetary treatment of the first lady’s operations, aligning public spending with constitutional provisions and redirecting funds to needy areas.
PHOENIX NEWS
All these years it has never been a problem to you.Imagine it has been happen to all 6 first ladies why now,what is different with this woman.Hatred is not good especially at your age.Other issues be ashamed of yourself and let them pass
And he has conveniently omitted all the years prior to 2024… Didn’t some former first lady gobble over $2 million to travel to the USA to obtain a gift of a decommissioned fire tender…
Well spoken ba Musonda. Why now Jealousy
Aka where were u all these years. If u have run out of ideas go back to the land and legalise the barotse land to be a country on it’s own then come up with that
Start asking for forgiveness in all your sins you did on this Earth your age doesn’t allow you to keep on making sins you are in the evening.you failed to run the simple job as a chief what a disgrace from unthinkable man.
Ba doctor I suggest you go back to bed and enjoy your retirement. Where were you ? Have you just awoken now ? Please find something more significant to do. That money help the need she can’t misused it for personal benefit. It’s helping a lot of needy people.
This foolish and fake Doctor has always had that hate for the Hichilema family and the UPND. He’s so different from other Lozis. His despicable hate is total and corrosive and without shame at his ancient age. He will go to his grave with hate. God bless you son of Satan.
The point raised is valid. If the office does not exist, how legal is it to fund it? Let us follow the rules. This is not a kingdom. Next you will hear of the office of the first son, third daughter, etc. If it has been going illegally before, it must stop, whoever is there.
I am wordering at the insults being. Thrown at a very important issue here.Any expenditure has to be authorized through the constitution without that it’s illegal.So what wrong has AKA done to bring this to the fore.
This guy is just waking up from sleep, may be apart from Betty, all the past First Ladies have had their office running or funded. So where is the problem now and why now?
The point raised by Aka is very valid and important. Apart from
Betty Kaunda, all the other first ladies ran illegal offices and were
unconstitutionally funded. That means, our Parliament approved
public resources to spent on offices which have never there. Just
because all the others before the current one got money illegally
allocated to an illegal office, doesnt make it right for the current
to continue. At some point, this must stop. Stopping it now by finding
another constitutional route to support her office would make her
even more proud of having stopped a bad transgression of law.
Zambians should be happy to question and correct historical wrongs and
not to condemn the one who reminds them. Aka will remain retired but
his point is valid and very welcome. He is not anti current First Lady but
is only being objective.