By Staff Reporters
Zambia National Service Commander Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi has created the position of Director Procurement and appointed his brother in-law to the position, sources in the Defence Forces have told Daily Revelation.
But Gen Solochi said he would not spend time explaining himself as that was not part of his job.
Impeccable sources also told Daily Revelation that the Commander Previously appointed his nephew warrant
officer
Simfukwe as his personal driver but following “murmurings”, the warrant officer
was deployed to the Ministry of Defence headquarters.
The sources said Gen Solochi has further appointed a medical
doctor Siachombe, whom he has promoted to the position of Brigadier General to
run a department called the Builders Brigade, which sources in the service say
has been headed by qualified engineers.
“When the Commander came in he created a position of
Director Procurement and appointed his brother in-law, the wife’s brother
Lieutenant Colonel Phiri, whom he has promoted from Major. This is despite the
fact that at ministry of Defence there is head of procurement for Army, ZAF,
ZNS, including their assistants. But he created a position in ZNS for his brother
in-law which has never been seen there in the establishment,” sources said. “Earlier
there was a nephew of his, the son to his sister who was working as his personal
driver but following murmurings has been seconded to the Ministry headquarters.”
Contacted for comment over the revelations that he had
created a special position of director procurement and appointed his brother
in-law there, Gen Solochi said he had no comment telling the reporter to go to
his office if they wanted to get the truth.
He urged the person with the story to go ahead and do it “how
he knows it.”
“You know we cannot protect ourselves because people work,
you know. So I cannot be spending my time just explaining myself. This is not
part of my work. My work is to do what I was appointed for, that things work as
it were in the service. So if people have time to spend on those things to start,
let them spend their time because there is an establishment to everything. An establishment
is there, ZNS is there and everything is there. So let them go ahead and do
what they your reporter (wants). You can report however you want to report it. I
cannot stop you and I cannot tell you anything. I cannot even comment on
anything,” Gen Solochi said.
Put to him that there was another assertion that he had
appointed Gen Siachombe to the Builders Brigade which should be handled by
engineers, Gen Solochi responded: “My dear, I think there is what they say don’t
take things just like that. I think if you want to call me don’t call me … if
you want to see me come and see. Okay!”
