Brian Mundubile

MPS WALK OUT OF THE HOUSE

Lusaka - Thursday, 18th July 2024

Opposition Members of Parliament have walked out of the House after Speaker of the National Assembly refused to extend time for debate on the corruption allegations against Law Enforcement Agencies and State Chambers ( Attorney General's Chambers and the Director of Public Prosecutions).

The Vice President and Leader of Government Business in the House, W.K Mutale Nalumango was under pressure to answer the questions from the MPs.

UPND CAN’T WIN A FAIR ELECTION AGAINST PF

UPND’s recent victory in the by-elections is self-deception because they competed against themselves.

UPND can’t win a fair election against PF.

In response to the UPND’s victory in eight out of nine by-elections held last Friday, Chief Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said the ruling party’s victory was an endorsement of a vote of confidence in President Hakainde Hichilema.

The UPND should not celebrate their victory because they prevented the PF from participating. “UPND’s victory reminds me of one comedy by Mr Bean, where he bought 100 Christmas cards, signed them to himself and sent them to a mail..."

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

Tonight!!

MUSOKOTWANE’S IGNORANCE ON UPND’S DEBT SHOWS POOR GOVERNANCE...

Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane’s ignorance on how much debt the UPND government has accrued shows poor governance.

Speaking on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview, recently, the Finance and National Planning Minister declined to delve into specific details of money that the UPND government had borrowed since taking office in 2021. He however, noted that part of the debt was acquired to complete projects that their predecessors had left unfinished.

The minister’s ignorance showed that the UPND government was borrowing carelessly. “I saw a clip where Honourable Musokotwane was being interviewed and he was asked about how much the UPND government has borrowed..

MUNDUBILE LEGALLY ELECTED LEADER OF OPPOSITION.

…the Constitutional Court says the election of the Mporokoso law maker as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament was in line with Article 74 (2) of the Constitution

Lusaka - Wednesday, 26 June 2024.

THE Constitutional Court has ruled that Patriotic Front (PF) Mporokoso Member of Parliament, Brian Mundubile was legally elected as Leader of the Opposition, in line with Article 74(2) of the Re2publican Constitution.

This is according to a judgement of the court delivered by justice Maria Mapani-Kawimbe, in a matter where a purported Patriotic Front (PF) member, Moses Sakala, asked the court to declare null and void ab initio, Mr Mundubile’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition.

He contended that his selection was done in contravention of Article 74(2) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, was done in the absence of an election by members of Parliament from the opposition party, as prescribed by the constitution.

He asked the court to rule that the Attorney General, through the Speaker of the National Assembly breached Article 74(2) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016, as well as Rule 43 of the National Assembly Standing Orders, by accepting Mr Mundubile's appointment and allowing him to draw all entitlements accrued to the said office.

The petitioner also wanted the court to order Mr Mundubile to pay back to Government all entitlements drawn during his alleged illegal tenure.

However, the ConCourt adjudicated that the petition lacked merit and dismissed it.

“Addressing the issue whether the third respondent’s (Mr Mundubile) appointment is binding in accordance with Article 74(2) of the Constitution, we find that it met a test provided therein and we will answer it in the affirmative. The reasons indeed are that the PF party which is the largest opposition party in the National Assembly elected Mundubile as the leader of opposition. The manner in which the election was conducted is not prescribed by the Constitution but is purely an internal affair of a political party and this may be by the caucasus, party polls or processes that exist in the party structure,” said the court.

“We also wish to clear the misconception by the petitioner that the selecting process of the leader of opposition is limiting to the participation of opposition MPs. This is clearly not the case because it comprises the wider membership of the party. Even in the circumstances, we opine that there is no basis upon which the court must enquire into the process of Mundubile’s selection,” the court affirmed.

It also found that the Speaker did not breach the constitution by accepting the said appointment as valid at law and accorded him the privileges and entitlements of the office of the Leader of the Opposition.

This is because the selection for the leader of opposition as this is purely an intra-party affair.

“We reiterate that how the opposition arrives at the selection or decision is purely within its authority according to Rule 43 of the National Assembly Standing Orders of 2021.

The Speaker’s only responsibility is to receive in writing the name of the person who has been elected as the leader of opposition,” said the court.

(Credit: Daily Nation Zambia)

[Photo focus]Touring the Akasombo power plant in Accra, Ghana during Parliamentary tour of duty.

📷 📷

The Parliamentary Committee on Govt assurances visited Ghana to share notes on best practices with the sister Committee in the Ghanaian Parliament ( committee on Govt Assurances).

With me is Feira MP Hon Emmanuel Tembo and MAMBILIMA MP Hon. Jean Chisenga.

Saturday 22/06/2024.

Monday 17/06/2024

I wish to take this rare opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as General Secretary of the Zambia Anglican Church Council.

Congratulations Rev. Fr. KATETE JACKSON JONES !

Hon Brian Mundubile MP
Mporokoso central constituency,
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament

Fellow Citizens,

Earlier today I accompanied by our Party Vice President Hon. Given Lubinda, Secretary General Raphael Nakachinda, Members of Parliament led by Hon. Brian Mundubile and other fellow members of the central committee to the Constitutional Court where the matter in which my 2021 election nomination was petitioned came up for hearing.

Today, the matter came up for hearing and has since been adjourned to the 8th of July 2024 when it will come up for determination.

Let me express my profound gratitude to our party supporters and other Zambians who turned up in their enormous numbers to give us solidarity and support.

God Bless

Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Sixth President of Zambia
Patriotic Front President.

Easy on ECL!

…ask HH why he hasn’t declared assets

04.06.24

´This is cheap and hurtful´,
a ´hate campaign´ sections of the Zambian media have embarked on against sixth President Edgar Lungu following an insightful interview he recently had with the Voice of America (VOA).

The anti-Lungu media missed an opportunity to focus on the ´unifying message´ Dr. Lungu gave via VOA instead of demeaning and belittling the former head of state regarding his history of wealth.

“Its unfair and cheap propaganda,”
And a total insult to the collective intelligence of Zambians to reduce the source of wealth President Lungu has to pre-office time alone.”

The lawmaker asked, “why ignore the fact that for seven years he earned money as President and via his other family businesses. But print only that which makes the former head of state look lame…journalism must evolve in this country we must start amplifying unifying stories not derogatory and divisive stories.”

On Sunday, President Lungu told VOA that if DEC wanted to know how his wife Esther and daughters, currently under probe for alleged money laundering acquired property, they should ask him because he is the source, like any caring husband and parent would do.

Dr. Lungu also wondered when it became a crime in Zambia to have any semblance of affluence, like the case has been with him as a DEC target.

Media sympathetic to President Hichilema has, however, gone top gear calling the former head of state derogatory names and ignore milestones he has contributed to Zambia as champion of media freedom via his work supporting journalists through the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and various pro bono cases.

Dr. Lungu was a lead lawyer in obtaining compensation for surviving family members of those that lost relatives in the Gabon air disaster of 1993 that killed all 30 passengers on board belonging to the national soccer team of Zambia off the coast of Gabon.

Observers said attacks on president Lungu are misguided and that the attacks should be directed towards President Hakainde Hichilema too, as he has refused to declare his assets.

The US embassy in Zambia, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) have relentlessly asked Mr Hichilema and top government officials to declare their assets as public officers, but the call has fallen on deaf ears.

“The divisive media must remind president Hichilema to declare his assets instead of raising the hate message against president Lungu who made his money and did it right,”...

Am concerned with the ´selectiveness´ of direct attacks on the character of Mr. Lungu while giving Mr Hichilema a ´free pass´ over lack of declaring his assets, a development that has angered many western donors.

I PRACTICE CLEAN POLITICS

LUSAKA.....Monday, June 3, 2024.

I practice clean politics and that at no time would i want to defame people unfairly.

That is why statements of hate speech ought to be condemned.

In the recent weeks, some UPND members at various Pressers, made remarks and threats targeted at different individuals such as Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda, Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and other opposition figures.

Several Members of Parliament and i condemned such acts and carefully called out individuals thought to have made such statements to retract them.

I have been summoned to appear before the Police in Solwezi following a complaint from an Individual Named Bruce Kanema.

"If you followed the interviews so closesly, I called on all those that were making statements inciting violence and propagating hate speech. I talked about Hon Charles Milupi, I talked about Treveor Mwiinde, I talked about Bruce Kanema because all these names appeared in videos making threats as it were."

What ought to be condemned are the statements of hate speech.

If the person in the company of Bruce Kanema was the one who made those insulting statements, then bruce kanema should not have been the one but call out the person that made the statements as it were.

"I consequently mentioned several names that appeared on those Press Brieifings. Of course in the process, there are statements that can be attributed to one but yet having been made by another. And in that case it could be a case of mistaken identity.

In the case of Bruce Kanema, if those statements attributed to him were not made by him but the person that appeared with him, then of course that could be regrettable. If in the video, the statements made threats against Jay Jay Banda were not made by Bruce Kanema then that is regrettable, I would not have wanted to join into that,"

AN ATTACK ON ONE OF US IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US..

Sat. May 25, 2024

Am saddened at the disappearance of Petauke Member of Parliament Hon. JJ Banda whose vehicle was found abandoned on twin palm road at around 04:20, Saturday morning.

I call on all Parliamentarians to show solidarity to their fellow MP who is feared to be abducted stating that an assault on one of them is an assault on all of them.

The nation is no longer safe for political opponents of the ruling government as has been witnessed with the gutting down of Mambilima Member of Parliament Hon. Jean Chisenga's home and now the feared abduction of Hon. JJ Banda , both of whom have been seen in the entourage of Former President HE Edgar Lungu in the recent past.

The incident at the Kuomboka Ceremony where Hon. Charles Milupi spoke to UPND youth Chairperson Gilbert Liswaniso not to allow political opponents to speak negatives of the President had now birthed a patten in which those seen to be close to former President Lungu were being victimised .

I call on my fellow MPs to conven at the Ibex Hill Police Station where Hon. JJ Bandas vehicle is being kept.

Happy Sabbath! May your day be a beautiful melody of worship and reflection.

Happy Wednesday! As the sun rises, may it light up your path with opportunities, illuminate your goals with clarity, and warm your heart with positivity.....Enjoy your day 🙏

[Photo focus]Attending Special day of prayer at Dunamis International Church in Lusaka...

ZAMBIA IS NOW A POLICE STATE

_…police for breaking into a Bishop’s office to stop a private meeting.

Kabwe - Friday, 17 May 2024

Am Sickened with their unprofessionalism, the police officers in Kabwe who earlier today broke into Bishop Clement Mulenga’s office to stop a private meeting he was having with 6th Republican President, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

The unpleasant conduct of the police is confirmation that the country is now a police state.

It is shocking that in a country with democratic Constitutional order, police can break through a bishop's office and attempt to stop a meeting just because the former Head of State was there to meet the Bishop.

“On numerous occasions, we have stated that Zambia is now a police state and the police are the law unto themselves. For those that were arguing, for those that have wanted to dispute that, they could clearly see that those assertions that we made are actually true because a police man could break into anybody's office and stop a private meeting, a meeting between private citizens, a meeting between the Bishop and a citizen could be stopped by a police man because he has been instructed to do so,”

I implorePresident Hakainde Hichilema to quickly look at the operations of the police in line with the country’s democracy.

“Citizens have rights... but it seems in the new Zambia, we have the police who donated unto themselves the power they don't really have,”

“The power to harass citizens, the power to break into offices and stop meetings as it were. The issue of President Lungu should be looked at like any other case. President Lungu is a citizen who has the freedom of movement. Its therefore shocking to hear a police man say you're going to the Copperhead you can't stop in Kabwe. That is unheard of.”

President Hichilema and police IG should be reminded that “we are a democracy, we are a Constitutional democracy and the rule of law should be at the center not the rule of men. So, it is indeed embarrassing to our democratic credentials to see that even private meetings will be subject of police authorization...”

“Those are things that were left 40 years ago but the UPND is slowly taking us back where they think everything we do should have permission of the police. So, we want to condemn that in the strongest terms,"

Happy birthday Vice President of the Patriotic Front Hon Given Lubinda,Enjoy your day sir and blessed years ahead 🙏

Hon Brian Mundubile MP
Mporokoso central law-Maker,
Leader of the Opposition.

MwaUka

WATER SHORTAGES WILL BREED DISEASES AND POVERTY

14th May 2024

Zambians should brace for harder times ahead following the announcement that Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWS) has started rationing water in the capital due to load shedding.

Am shocked that the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) chief executive has gone on annual leave at a time the country is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years.

“The announcement by the water company regarding water rationing in Lusaka due to load shedding makes extremely sad reading because it will mean increased poverty and possible death of innocent Zambians as diarrhoea dieses threaten to kick in and rise as people turn to drink or use dirty water,”

Am reacting to a statement by the water company which on Monday said ´water shedding´ would start immediately, to be synchronised to the ZESCO power cut schedule.

“The poverty cocktail we are in now will cripple many,”

“you are talking load shedding of beyond 10 hours, now water rationing, expensive mealie meal in short supply and high fuel prices…few Zambians will survive this even among the toughest.”

The mounting crises from electricity, expensive mealie, high fuel prices is testimony, if anyone was in doubt that President Hakainde Hichilema has failed lamentably to government the country, even in the face of climate change.

“As is this is not enough Victor Mapani the embattled ZESCO boss goes on leave in the middle of a crisis,”

“it is like a fireman deciding to take a lunch break when the house is on fire or the army commander deciding to take a siesta in the middle of a war.”

“It is criminal if it is true Victor has gone on leave then he ha s failed to put out the fire at ZESCO and like ERB, Victor and his board Chairperson must be sacked or resign honourably. You can’t go on leave in the middle of a crisis, not in Zambia not anywhere on earth.”

Amidst rising calls for the firing of Mapani from various circles, the embattled ZESCO boss has not been seen at the office since the power cuts escalated country wide paving way to speculation that he has been fired but this has been refuted by the ZESCO board that says Mapani “has gone on annual leave” at a time of ZESCO´s darkest hour.

This is the time Zambians must rally together and use their democratic right to protest beyond the booing of President Hichilema that occurred on Sunday at Heroes stadium in Lusaka.

“Zambia is at its darkest economic hour with absolutely no hope for ordinary people under President Hichilema,”

“how will we explain this misery of load shedding, water rationing and high prices of food?”.

Making a ´climate change´ excuse will not hold water because President Hichilema promised to work around climate change using his economic prowess the way Dubai has done in recorded viral clips.

He said a deeper explanation has to be given as to the absence of Mapani at ZESCO at the peak of a power crisis, something that would have not happened under President Edgar Lungu.

HH´s BOOING IS A CLEAR SIGN OF FAILURE

…the worst is yet to come as hunger mounts

13th May, 2024

The decision by Zambians to boo President Hakainde Hichilema at Heroes Stadium during a soccer march on Sunday is an ´open and public protest´ from the people saying he has failed as a leader...

President Hichilema ´the worst rejection is yet to come´ emanating from the public rebuke and open contempt at Heroes Stadium.

“The booing signifies a greater rejection of President Hichilema by the people of Zambia,”....

“they are saying we are tired of fake and broken promises as we sleep on empty stomachs, the mining sector has failed while agriculture has been impelled back into the stone-age from the gains made under PF and President Lungu…I would be very worried at the booing if I was Mr Hichilema or a member of his team.”

The booing and rejection of Mr. Hichilema has come ´too early, even for a man with several spectacular broken promises´ like him.

“It took about 27 years for the late Dr. Kenneth Kaunda to be booed and pelted,”.....

“it has taken just under three years for President Hichilema to be booed, it’s a national record in the history of Zambia and the winner is Mr Hichilema.”

In a democracy people often waited for elections to ´boo´ or ´vote out´ a failed leader, “but in the case of President Hichilema it appears Zambians can’t wait for 2026 to publicly reject him they want him out yesterday as the booing showed.´

I suspected the filled up to capacity stadium largely contained a rented crowd that was supposed to ´cheer´ support for Mr Hichilema but the PR stunt ´back-fired´ because ordinary hungry ´none-sponsored´ Zambians out-did the rented crowd hence the mixture of boos and cheers that ensued inside Heroes stadium.

“What needs to be fixed is the high cost of living affecting Zambians, the reversed fortunes of the mining sector and the death of the agro sector made worse by Mr Hichilema selling off all our maize stocks that has now left Zambians in abject poverty as start importing the same corn we exported. It makes no sense.”

“if elections were held today President Hichilema would be beaten hands down, he would be trounced, and I challenge him to deny this as the booing continues. He must brace for the worst.”

ASSET RECOVERY IS TOTAL ABUSE OF THE LAW

Lusaka - Friday, 10 May 2024

Citizens should interrogate the manner in which the “so-called” asset recovery process is being conducted, arguing that it is a total abuse of the law.

Only friends of the UPND can claim that the democratic space has not shrunk.

Commenting on British High Commissioner to Zambia Nicholas Woolley’s statement that Zambia’s progress in terms of asset recovery was impressive, and that its civic space had not shrunk, there is to interrogate the asset recovery process.

“First of all, we must interrogate the manner in which the so-called asset recovery is being conducted. For us, it is the total abuse of the law. The law that talks about possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime, government has used that, it has weaponised the law enforcement agency just to recover assets from innocent people. Children of politicians, these are politicians who have worked for over 20 years. They have had careers in the past and because they have decided to gift their children certain assets, the UPND government is going after those and collecting [their properties] all in the name of asset recovery. We have to look at justice as fairness. So, the fight against corruption, the recovery of assets should be interrogated. All those who are commenting on the recovery of assets must be sincere,”

“Because we all know that the there is no fight against corruption. What we have is political persecution. The people that are targeted are known. What we expected our cooperating partners to focus on is the corruption that is going on at Mopani today. We expect them to turn their lens to begin to see corruption. What’s happening at KCM, what’s happening in the entire mining sector”.

Only friends of the UPND could claim that the democratic space had not shrunk.

“We know that the good people who will think the democratic space is not shrinking are those who come maybe from countries that are directly or indirectly benefiting from the UPND government. Whether it is in the mining sector or many other sectors. To those people, those citizens of other countries, President Hakainde Hichilema has delivered. And he has delivered his promises, and they will do everything possible to defend him. An average Zambian on the streets who was told that mealie meal will be K50 [but it] is now at K450 cannot say in any way that President Hakainde has delivered. An average Zambian who is now buying fuel at the price of K35 per liter from K17 per liter cannot in anyway say President Hakainde Hichilema has delivered,”

“An average Zambian who is being load shed for over 12 hours [a day] cannot say President Hakainde Hichilema has delivered. So, for those that speak to democratic space being increased are those that are able to speak freely because they are friends of the UPND. An ordinary person with an alternative view against the UPND is no longer allowed to speak. So, it will be shocking for anybody to say the democratic space has not shrunk. It will be very shocking for us Zambians. The obvious fact is that there is no political party which has been allowed to hold a political rally beginning 2021 and now. What remains the fact is that we have the highest number of arrests for people who are just aimed to speak out on the government performance and various issues”.

📸 This evening we accompanied Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to see Hon. GBM who is admitted at Medland hospital in Lusaka...

THINGS ARE REALLY HARD, GONE BERSERK...

… the UPND will need more than just a miracle to turn the economy round because things have gone berserk because of collective arrogance and corruption of the new dawn administration.

Lusaka - Wednesday, 8 May 2024

Things are really hard, the economy has collapsed, everything has gone berserk, there has been total failure and the UPND will need more than a miracle to turn things round and make the lives of Zambians better in the remaining two years,

While most Zambians knew the UPND was a fraud and would fail to govern to the expectation of citizens, they did not know that the Hakainde Hichilema administration would fail so early and so soon in managing the affairs of the country.

It had been total failure on the part of the UPND government and that there was nothing the administration was going to do to make the lives of Zambians better.

He has attributed the failure and collapse of the economy which has so far resulted into the highest cost of living in history with the exchange rate having risen to K27 record high to the collective arrogance and corruption of the UPND administration.

“Everything has gone berserk. We did not think these guys (the UPND) would fail this early even when we knew they would not succeed because they formed government through deceit. Things are really hard and the few voices that started speaking against the UPND ills early in 2021 are now being vindicated,”

“It is the collective arrogance and corruption of the UPND administration and President Hichilema in particular that has landed us into this crisis. The economy has collapsed and the UPND will need more than just a miracle to turn things round and ease the suffering of Zambians,”

Had the UPND and President Hichilema listened and considered the checks and balances provided in the early days in office, Zambia would not have been plunged into a food crisis.

Zambia was experiencing the highest exchange rate in as many decades which had seen the prices of fuel, mealie meal as well as the electricity tariffs continue to astronomically increase while the inflationary rate was not showing any signs of reducing.

Had the UPND listened to the advice of opposition MPs in Parliament against the selling of the 1.5 million metric tonnes of maize it had inherited from the PF, government, it would only have been grappling with the energy deficit because the country would have been food secure.

“They thought they knew it all and discarded all the good policies of the PF and we are now in trouble. We had predicted this crisis in 2021 but as things stand now, the UPND need more than a miracle. The Small and Medium Enterprises are collapsing and we are in deep economic crisis purely because of mismanagement,”

The country was experiencing the highest levels of corruption under the UPND particularly in the mining sector where government had sold 51 percent shares in the Mopani Copper Mines to a Dubai-based company, International Resource Holdings secretly and without the approval of Parliament.

“These are the people who have been calling others corrupt and thieves. As things stand now, I do not think they have any moral standing to call anybody corrupt. They (UPND) at any time call others corrupt or thieves in the face of the Mopani corruption scandal. That transaction is daylight robbery and deceit and the international community has realized that the UPND government is not sincere and that is why the debt restructuring has continued to drag,”

The UPND administration had never had the interest of Zambians in the governing of the country and that their only focus was to please their foreign friends who had financed their campaigns while in opposition.