By Patson Chilemba
Shiwang’andu member of parliament (PF) Stephen Kampyongo says It’s not right to portray an impression that investigating wings were not given the mandate to prosecute corruption, and that he did not sit on the tendering committees to have directed the purchase of fire tenders.
Reacting to assertions by Major Ben Phiri that Kampyongo was the line minister for Local Government when the 42 fire tenders were purchased at $1 million each, and that the money could have been used to benefit the educational sector he is criticising President Hakainde Hichilema over free education promises, Kampyongo said finger pointing would not help anybody, as the investigating wings had all the mandate to conduct investigations during former president Edgar Lungu’s administration.
“Finger pointing will not help anyone. We support the fight against corruption, but there are institutions mandated. To try to portray that those were not given the mandate…for the first time the president (Lungu) allowed those institutions to visit ministers,” Kampyongo said in his comment said to Daily Revelation media. “If indeed he (Maj Phiri) is saying finances were misapplied, there are institutions to investigate…how could a minister sit in a tender committee to say ‘buy this’?”
Kampyongo said the responsibility for ministers was to set policy and not direct the implementation, and the ministerial handbook was very clear on that.
He said it was easy to cast aspersions on people, even as aspersions were thrown at the current ministers serving in the UPND administration, Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and Science and Technology minister Felix Mutati, during the time they served as ministers in previous administrations.
On the presidential speech to the 1st session of the 13 National Assembly, Kampyongo said President Hichilema missed the opportunity to clarify and take affirmative action over his promises.
He said the President told the BBC that the country’s debt stock was more than the over $12 billion pronounced by the former PF government, which he said was a serious statement to make, as Parliament had been furnished with the correct position. He said the President should have therefore taken advantage of his appearance to state the correct position, as parliament was the right institution as opposed to the BBC.
Kampyongo wondered whether the statement on the debt stock was to create excuses, that this and that promise could not be fulfilled on account of the huge debts, especially as the presidential speech sets the tone for the Minister of Finance in budget presentation.
He said there was also lack of clarity in terms of President Hichilema’s statement on increasing Zambians participation in mining.
“You don’t say how that is going to be done, whether through cooperatives or some other forms,” said Kampyongo, saying as a result people in Zambezi might have misunderstood the message to think that the field had now been opened for all, which resulted in clashes with police.
