WAKE UP…they’ll soon start charging you for going to the toilet, Kambwili

Chishimba Kambwili has asked President Edgar Lungu to resign on moral grounds.

Speaking to journalists at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, Kambwili, the PF Roan member of parliament, wondered why government had gone ahead to procure new vehicles for ministers when it had told the nation it was implementing austerity measures.

Deputy Secretary to Cabinet Christopher Mvunga said although he had not seen the vehicles which have been purchased by government, the type of units he saw in the media suggests that they were for ministers and not permanent secretaries as reported.

“A lot of these ministers, after the elections, they inherit the old fleet. And if you see, some of them are still using Hiluxes, some of them are still using Pajeros, the old ones. So, most likely, those vehicles are replacements for ministers, but definitely not permanent secretaries,” Mvunga said.
“Also, those vehicles are definitely not VXs, but GXs because there is no PS or Minister who qualifies for VX V8. It’s GX. VXs are only for the service chief and the President at that level. If you check on the roads, you will see that they are GXs. So none of the PSs is getting a GX, that I can assure you. It’s not for the senior officials; it’s most likely the ministers.”

But Kambwili said the PF government was not consistent.

“Ya…nibakabolala aba (they are thieves)…ma commission yeka yeka. I have told you that they are not consistent. They said they were implementing austerity measures. Have you ever seen a minister who walks [on foot]? All of them have got vehicles. What is wrong with the vehicles that they have for them to go and buy new vehicles? It’s because from that procurement…mulimpukunya matobo (There are kick backs),” Kambwili said. “So buying those vehicles is a bad idea at a time when you are implementing austerity measures and I think by and large…I think Lungu boi [my friend] just resign. Naufilwa…insoni ebuntu nalikweba but because iwe cimoneka kwati iwe eko wafuma katwishi nganikubantu [You have failed…shame defines a man I have told you…as for you, it seems you are not cultured].”

And Kambwili said President Lungu had destroyed Zambia through excess borrowing.

“When we say Edgar Lungu has destroyed the country through excess borrowing, you people are not taking it seriously, and you are taking it lightly as Zambians. I can rest assure you that by the time 2021 is coming, mukatampa ukulya abana benu (You will start eating your own children). How can a reasonable government… a reasonable government come up with this stupid and useless internet charge of 30 ngwee? How? You see, when you have a government that doesn’t think, before they talk, they will always lead you into temptations,” Kambwili said. “First and foremost, when you are using data, when you are using internet, you have to use data and to buy data, you have to buy talk time. On talk time there is excise duty, on talk time there is VAT (Value Added Tax), and there is a levy. How can a reasonable government double tax its citizens? It’s because the government is broke. They have over borrowed; the debt now stands at US$15 billion and now they have to look for all avenues to raise money. I have been warning the Zambian people that ‘watch the space’. First they follow you to your cabins to charge you withholding tax on rentals…now they have gone for internet data. This government has failed.”

Kambwili said there was need for Zambians to wake up.

“Zambians please, get upset…enough is enough! Next time there will be a toilet levy. Watch the space, they will soon charge you for going to the toilet because you can’t have such an unreasonable government which came into office on the basis of lower taxes but they are just busy bringing about more taxes. You have toll tax, you have withholding tax, you have cement tax, cement levy…you can see that this country is going into a situation where the poor will now become more poorer. In this country, everything since President Edgar Lungu came into office has been increased except salaries. So, the little salaries that you have…you have to pay Pay As You Earn (PAYE), you have to pay NAPSA, you have to pay levy for your unions…when you go into the shops, VAT, and now you have to pay 30 ngwee…mwebantu bapa Zambia nangu tapasoswa,” Kambwili said. “Cili kuli imwe[It’s up to you]…wake up! This Lungu ni cipante pante…cimbwi no plan. It’s up to you people to start seeing these things otherwise mukatampa ululya abana benu (You will start eating your own children). There is no government in the world where you find a presidential aide going on TV to talk about policy, what kind of a government is it? Policy is the job of the Minister of Information. Only ministers have the right to talk about policies. The presidential aide’s job is just to communicate what the President has said in the meeting to the general public. But today we are seeing Amos Chanda (President Lungu’s special assistant for press and public relations) going on TV talking about national policy…what nonsense! That boy Amos, let me warn you, stop being truant and answering people off cuff.”

Kambwili said it was wrong for Chanda to comment on Zimbabwe opposition leader Tendai Biti’s deportation issue from Zambia.

“It is time that you accept that the issue of sending away Tendai Biti is an issue that has even shocked the international community because Zambia has been known as an oasis of peace…to receive refugees. How can you cross over that issue and say he was not in danger when you know what politicians do…you dirty politicians do,” Kambwili said. “Do you know what they did to him when he was in detention? Maybe 10 years from now…he has been given ‘die slowly’…so what are you talking about? You must behave like a country that has rules and a country that has signed up to international treaties. Receiving of refugees is an international law that must be respected. Nomba kabili ulya umwaiche corruption yalimwikala kumutwe nga boss wakwe [I think the young, corruption has got to his head just like his boss]…he think everything is correct for Zambians. I feel sorry for you Zambians.”

Source: The Mast