By Patson Chilemba
State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says President Hakainde Hichilema is simply obeying the bad laws created by previous administrations until they are repealed, in reaction to former commerce minister Bob Sichinga’s assertion that he should resign from chairing the IDC in keeping with good governance rules as he does not report to anyone.
Asked by Daily Revelation on observations by Sichinga that President Hichilema must not chair the IDC in order to allow corporate parastatals in the country operate in line with corporate rules, Hamasaka stated that the President was simply obeying the laws.
“On Bob Sichinga, the current President did not create these laws. Some of these bad governance laws are bad but have to be obeyed until repealed,” Hamasaka argued.
Asked what he was saying about assertions that the Head of State is interfering excessively in the operations of ZCCM-IH, even on the stake in Kansanshi, Mopani, KCM and other mining interests, and hence the decision by internationally highly respected Dolika Banda to resign her position as ZCCM-IH board chairperson and the ensuing problem of the Financial Conduct Authority temporarily suspending ZCCM-IH share listing from the London Stock Exchange, Hamasaka defended the President against interfering in the operations of parastatals.
“I think let’s not deal with assertions, but facts. It’s not true that State House is interfering with ZCCM-IH or indeed any company. And the temporarily suspension has nothing to do with the resignation. Check the historical issues from 2019 etc. These are legacy issues we are trying to correct now,” Hamasaka said.
President Hichilema has also been accused of being obsessed with vengeance against his predecessor Edgar Lungu as some of the happenings against Lungu like the withdraw of security at his residence have coincided with the President ratcheting up political attacks on his opponent, according to some observations.
But Hamasaka simply stated: “Let’s focus on the bigger issues of revamping the economy. People will always have opinions.”
