Chipenzi Questions Kampyongo's Claim First Lady’s Office Is Constitutional

Gears Initiative Zambia says Home Affairs Minister, Stephen Kampyongo is deceiving the nation by claiming that the Office of the First Lady is a Constitutional Office by virtue of it receiving government funding.

In justifying the action of the First Lady to commission a police post in Kitwe recently instead of the Established government office or official, Mr. Kampyongo, claimed that the Office of the First Lady was well established in law and that the First Lady was in order to commission a police post.

McDonald Chipenzi, the Organisation Executive Director has challenged Mr. Kampyongo to tell the nation which Article in the Constitution of Zambia or Act of Parliament establishes the Office of the First Lady in Zambia other than being the spouse of the President.

Mr Chipenzi said even the funding being channeled to this Office by government without supporting legal instrument can be described as illegality in itself.

“We recall how the First Lady’s Office’s was forcibly allocated a budget line in the national budget and that did not make it a government Office and does not make the First Lady’s Office a Constitutional Office”, he said.

Mr Kampyongo challenged the Minister to help Zambians understand how the Office of the first lady is a Constitutional or government one.

“Otherwise, this propensity by ministers to justifying a wrong in order to impress the president will haunt this government”, he added.

Source: Lusaka Times