President Hakainde Hichilema Fires ZRA Chief Kingsley Chanda

President Hakainde Hichilema has dismissed Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Kingsley Chanda with immediate effect.

In a statement released to the media by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Anthony Bwalya, President Hichilema has relieved Mr Chanda of his duties in the exercise of his powers in accordance with the Laws of Zambia.

The president has since appointed Mr. Dingani Banda as the new ZRA Commissioner-General.

Mr. Dingani Banda has been leading the Zambia Revenue Authority’s newly created Modernisation and Corporate Strategy Division.

Dr Chanda’s contract was recently renewed and there was debate as to whether it was renewed by the UPND Government or the PF Government.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Alliance Media Director Thabo Kawana refuted the story that suggested that the New Dawn Administration has renewed the employment contract for Dr Chanda.

Mr. Kawana explained that Mr. Chanda’s contract was renewed by the Patriotic Front (PF) led Administration in July this year.

Mr. Kawana expressed worry that leaving such rumors going viral unattended can be harmful to individuals targeted by the stories and put such individuals in harm’s way with an agitated group of people especially political party cadres.

His Position was later confirmed by the Ministry of Finance which issued the statement saying that being the Ministry under which the ZRA falls, it had become inevitable to clarify that the renewal of the running contract for the Commissioner-General of the Zambia Revenue Authority Dr. Kingsley Chanda was initiated by the previous administration and not the new dawn administration of the UPND Alliance.

Therefore the information circulating in the media that the contract renewal was initiated by the current administration is not true and questions may be referred to the ZRA Board, accordingly.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times