Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe has strongly expressed the Government’s concern about the reported financial irregularities surrounding the Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Education Sector Budget Support Programme. Speaking this afternoon in parliament when she responded to questions by Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa, Mrs. Mwanakatwe was said that
Mr. Mweetwa asked the Minister the following questions:
1) Whether the United Kingdom has frozen all bilateral funding to Zambia; if so why;
2) Which other countries have frozen their aid to Zambia;
3) What the impact of the frozen aid on the 2018 Budget is; and,
4) What immediate measures the Government is taking to mitigate the impact of the frozen aid.
In giving a background to the questions, the Minister stated that the United Kingdom (UK), through the Department for International Development (DFID) has been supporting Zambia in many areas. She outlined the major areas of cooperation as:
1) Zambia Social Protection and Expansion Programme (Social Cash Transfer) which provides small grants to vulnerable households to assist them with regular monthly incomes to meet their basic needs;
2) Education sector budget support;
3) Governance;
4) Conservation agriculture aimed at raising the productivity of small scale farmers;
5) Sanitation and hygiene;
6) Financial sector deepening;
7) Public financial management and anti-corruption initiatives aimed at improving financial management and revenue generation by reforming and modernizing core financial and management tax systems; and,
8) Technical support in the area of tax policy.
The Minister clarified to the House that the UK has withheld its financial assistance ONLY to the Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Education Sector Budget Support Programme. “SUPPORT TO OTHER AREAS HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED,” she clarified.
Mrs. Mwanakatwe further said the donor’s action of withholding support was necessitated by reported concerns of financial mismanagement under the two programmes. Under the social cash transfer programme, the issues include possible cases of misapplication of funds; underpayment of beneficiaries; irregular payment of gratuities; non-adherence by Zampost to the signed Memorandum of Understanding [MOU]; and, insufficient capacity by Zampost to facilitate payments to beneficiaries.
In the education sector, the suspension of support is on account of cases of mismanagement of funds.
The Minister listed the Cooperating Partners rendering financial support to the Social Cash Transfer Programme as UK, Finland, Ireland and Sweden. She added that these are, therefore, the ones which from June 2018, have put their support on hold. Under education, The UK is the only Cooperation Partner that has suspended support.
The impact of withholding support to the 2018 budget is to the extent of the COMMITTED FUNDS FOR 2018 WHICH AMOUNT TO US$20 MILLION FOR SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER AND US$13.9 MILLION FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR. No more.
The Minister strongly expressed the Government’s concern about the reported financial irregularities concerning the Social Cash Transfer Programme and the Education Sector Budget Support.
“We are confident that these matters will be addressed in a manner that is satisfactory to both the Cooperating Partners and the Government of Zambia,” Mrs. Mwanakatwe said, adding that once satisfactory corrective measures have been undertaken, “it is expected that funding will resume.”
She stated that the Social Cash Transfer Programme supports the most vulnerable households in the country. As a follow-up to the reports, the Government, through the Controller of Internal Audit, conducted a Risk-Based and Compliance Audit in Sixty (60) districts of the Ten (10) Provinces of Zambia where the programme is being implemented.
Arising from the Audit, Government will undertake to do the following:
1) Re-evaluate the payment and identification systems to ensure that the rightful beneficiaries are paid. We will consider benchmarking the payment system to the E-Voucher under the Farmer Input Support Programme;
2) All unpaid beneficiaries will be paid by end of 2018;
3) The government will review the agency agreement with Zampost and strengthen oversight over the whole programme through quarterly meetings at which the programme will be reviewed under a multi-institutional and donor represented committee; and,
4) Conduct a comprehensive forensic audit of the programme.
With regard to putting on hold of support to the Education Sector Budget Support, the Minister reported that the Government has instituted a Forensic Audit. Once the Audit has been concluded, appropriate corrective action will be undertaken. The report will also be shared with our Cooperating Partners.
The President went from K3 million to K23 million in 12 months. If I was a government employee handling any form of Cash I’d want to do the same.
Madam Mwanakatwe, no worries! Zambia is doing great work generally! This world is full of crooks, thieves and tribalists. If it were not, privatization thieves would not have been there. The law will take care of those we see violating the system. Meanwhile, go and have a good night sleep. Zambia is bigger than one clan that hates every other person who is not from their domain. Your government is working hard and I support you and the president. Stay focussed! HAZALUZA HAGAIN.
They call it, “Scratch my backside amaboses, and I will scratch yours!” They want to Harm our Nest! Go Zambia, go!
A civil servant wearing a Rolex and building mansions and sending his kids abroad to school(not on scholarship) should be fired. No exculpation necessary.
My uncle asked me a long time ago not to send him anything via Zampost because “kwaba impupu shapelamaka!” Silly me thinking I knew better, sent my sister a wedding dress. I tracked the package to Zampost Lusaka and it disappeared. Next I sent my Mum a first aid kit and some vitamins through Lusaka, same thing happened.
Zampost is full of thieves and it needs serious restructuring. They are equal opportunity claptomaniacs!
The social transfer disbursement should be given to an independent party like Stan Chart for instance. That way if there is misappropriation, Government will not be responsible.
Only Social Cash
only….
only…
Same as saying “Ba Edgar only fired Ba Emerine Kabanshi”.
“ubomba mwibala alya mwibala, so take ONLY social cash, NOT ukulila kumo nembuto”.
Do not worry madam minister,
Funds will be stopped in all areas very soon.
Tell Lungu and his groupie to return all the billions they have stolen, and resign now.
You are all thieves, and that day of reckoning is near.
Isn’t she too old for the wig.
Shut up and sit down. UK has already told us what you have been hiding. We don’t need to listen to your lies.
Useless Thief, You call a Finance Minister. She is the biggest liar and should be arrest after her tenure. She has no clue of what she is doing.
Does EL Lungu ever address the country? One would expect the president to address the nation at least once a month
Mwanakatwe you should also have been fired together with your community development counterpart as you are equally to blame as this funding comes through finance and is audited by finance. Maybe because of the budget you were spared for now.
She must go. She signed for the funds which did not reach the intended communities and she never asked questions
It was free Money so it meant nothing to this government but to be used to dish out at by-elections and buy chitenge material. I wonder how they are going to conduct the next by-election mmm there’s a thought
If EL Lungu has failed the Zambian people why can’t he stand down?
The issue they should be more concerned about is the theft that is going on and not being arrogant to say “we are still receiving money that we will steal and tbere is nothing you can do about it “. In a normal society the president would have been subject to a stringent review of his wealth by independent task force. A leader should be one in forefront to prove his money is clean before firing the small fish. They are all thieves
HH is UNELECTABLE AND UNLIKABLE. He will never be president, so please stop wasting your precious time and ours.
My penls has more self control than lungu as a person. The drunk imbecile cannot help himself when he sees public funds.
And lazy Lungu is now where to be seen cowering as usual as far is he is concerned he has done his job and gone Friday dancing…he has no understanding about leading …why is he afraid of hosting a Press conference so he can invite international and local journalists to reassure investors.
Lazy bum little boy tribalist hooligan bully online chief of a tribal H-organisation with no manners and son of a tribal polygamist father pooping in public Hagain! Anyone with a diaper please help!
Lungu can not face the press, he is guilt ridden…
HH can face the press in Namwala and in Lusaka because he is not ashamed of his theft.
Spaka – i doubt he would even answer why he waited 6 months to do anything when the report was infront of him!!
JUST INTERESTED IN THE PERKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OFFICE; FREE FOOD, BEER, TRIPES … NOT THE WORKLOAD, NIAUTOPILOT.
A president who cannot address his people. No one rules a country this way. A lot of people have been cheated by this cult government. They get crumbs for a day and they begin to worship him like a small god. Wake up people, you have been duped. Zambia can do far better than this.
Why have they withheld funding to the education support program beside the social cash transfer? Is what Africa confidential reporting about this sector true?
Africa Confidential has been reporting for a very long time and always trusted in diplomatic circles. Makes one wonder where our leaders come from who display their ignorance publicly the way people like Dora did.
You are a Mother, a Wife and a Minister ,charged to look after the finances of the whole country including the poor, vulnerable and the widows. Yet you stand to defend the lawlessness, malpractice and the thieving. You either go to bed drunk or you have no consciousness. Either way, all the harm you and your government have done will come back to haunt you and your children. Your children will not spend willy nilly all the money and riches you have got from your ill begotten ways. You will go to your graves naked but we will live to see how your descendants suffer in your name!
The Harm that HH the privatisation Thief and Money launderer thief who has taken Zambian money to a Safe Haven in Panama has done will never be forgotten. The harm he has done to widows, orphans and the children will cause him NEVER to be elected – EVER.
And all this years in the Government, the PF has failed MISERABLY to find a single evidence of “criminal” activity by HH?
It makes you wonder what a bunch of !diots are in charge of investigating agencies?
Mind you, who appointed this bunch of useless cretins?
Even mad cow sharon knows about HH “crimes”, and yet, our “learned”, “vise”, “anointed” and “visionary” Endemically Corrupt Leader has failed to prosecute this “criminal”!!!
If I was DFID I would request the PF govt to allow independent auditors from outside to investigate as they have no trust in ACC and DEC after bous denials…that way you put the spotlight on Lazy Lungu. If he was really serious he would have no problem with PWC, Delotte, KPMG etc and Scotland Yard investigating but we all know where this rot ends.
I am sure it knows by now that it will never be president!
UPND is a COALITION OF THE WICKED and A TRIBAL H-organisation.
They will, don’t worry about that. Thus the speedy firing and useless press releases!
But the president would caught red handed and would bring shame to the whole region
Rwanda a war tore country is doing better than Zambia economically and jobwise. The small nation even has its own national airline but our political leaders destroyed Zambia Airways out of greedy behaviour and selfishness
I will check Africa Confidential for more information…
I will check our “Bible” Galu Watchers in Zambia for truth.
Iwe ka Aaron ichongo chachilamo.
Thank you Margaret, clear and concise. that’s the kind of clarification that soothes me.
Next, keep us abreast of developments that will lead to resumption of funding. Also, to Cornelius, way to go.
And you believe her lies!!!!!!! How easily you are fooled!!!
Beggars rhapsody of !mbecility
So as a nation we cant or have failed to take care of our own vulnerable people. We have to depend on others to do it for us. This is extremely embarrassing.
What is exactly wrong or difficult with allocating part of the taxes that we pay to the socia cash transfer? Funding it in full
But they will gladly procure Firetrucks, ambulances at 4 times normal price and even upgrade Jeeps for senior civil servants without any issue.
Thank you, Ma’am. Loud and clear. Let the security wings do their job and arrest the culprits. Let’s roll….
“…Let’s roll…”???
More likely “let’s wallop in the filth of corruption”!!!
You are not ashamed that 54 years after independence your bunch are begging? What type of Citizen you are?
Sh!ty and crappy arse l!ck!ng and kum suck!ng good for nothing shameless turd?
If firing Emelie Kambashi is the answer, what is the question? Corruption or theft? Are the jails full? Sure they can find room for her in the female wing of the jail.
Bakabolala, what an embarrassment
Knee jerk reaction always. You morons have lost credibility and the best thing you can do now is to shut you beaks and own up. Isoni ebuntu, this is the comedy of errors and a government of lumpens with misguided ideology of corruption .UK please withhold even the budget support we how they will present a hogwash budget that is full of holes. This time there is no turning back until every penny is paid back bamambala imwe.
These people have absolutely no shame were they not calling it fake 2 days ago yet sitting the report!!
Don’t comfort yourselves, there is a problem. Accept your shortcomings and put your house in order or else there will be more trouble
Well done Hon.Mwanakatwe.atleast now you have cleared the air.We should also thank Hon.Mweetwa for asking such questions!!
We can only hope that culprits will be caged and that poor zambians in rural areas can start getting paid fast!!Politics aside,it is sad to steal poor people’s money by some civil servants!!!
God bless you Zambia!!!Bravo to president Edgar Lungu for firing Mrs Kabanshi and am sure other ministers shall learn a lesson here!!!KEEP IT UP ECL!!
No shame at all..sitting on a report for 6 months acting only when exposed by a diplomat!!
But Lungu is now implicated in this issue or isn’t he?
LIAR —/ stop trying to fool Zambians!!! We are tired of it!!!!
My beautiful Swiss wife has just been asking me what is going in Zambia. She is so disappointed and frustrated that her uk relatives’ hard earned money has been stolen by greedy thugs. My wife has done lots of project work in poor areas of Zambia and knows first hand the effects of poverty. What should I tell her? For so long I have tried to tell her that there is hope but now am failing to defend this kafwafwa. Help me what should I tell her?
Mwanakatwe alikwata too much spermatoza mumutwe because alapela twayiche umutwe . And you think such a person can run our economy. Some one who opens for jim and jack kiki
What a disrespectful fool you are. This is why we never vote for your cow.
This is a half-baked report from Margerate Mwanakatwe. According to her only UK has withheld its Aid. She does not mention Sweden, Finland or Ireland to have withheld their aid to the Cash Transfer project. If truly that is the case, the poor villagers would be getting part of their money until now but this was not the case! All four countries agreed to withhold their aid.
Mwanakatwe should not cheat us with her funny accent thinking that we are dull. She should try to tell the truth when called upon than playing with words. She should tell us whether other partners are disbursing funds than saying the only UK has withheld their fund. Liar!
There is alot of deceit with this government. When Africa confidential leaked the information that Britain has suspended its aid to Zambia due to corruption, the Minister of information rubbished the report. When the British govt confirms it, we are told govt knew about the corruption four months ago prior to AC report. The question which begs the answer is why were we not informed of what was happening if they had nothing to hide. It is time PF realized that they dont own Zambia. They are just managers accountable to the Zambian people. It is their duty to let us know what is going on behind closed doors but this time around they have been caught napping big time.
SOMEBODY GIVE HIM LIP BALM OR SOMETHING PLEASE MR. PRESIDENT.
The finance Minister looks a little nervous and sleepy, how can she sleep, she probably be next on the list. As for LUNGU, Swaziland is hiding his money for some cut backs by the Royal Nuts.
Just left all my space for empty.trib.al Jay Gay…
Perfect. Due diligence and justice is the bedrock for democracy.
Hysteria is for those who cry rigging all the time when they lose.
@17 TELL YOUR SWISS WIFE THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR SCT FUNDS WE DONT CARE AFTERALL WE DONT WANT HANDOUTS WE SHALL PREVAIL AND WE HAVE ALWAYS , ON CORRUPTION, WE DO CHOP UK MONEY COS. WE SUFFERED ALOT DURING COLONIALISATION INFACT WE A NEED TO GIVE THEM A BILL FOR DOING THAT, ALSO TELL YOUR SWISS WIFE THAT IN SWEEDEN WE HAVE THE MOST VIBRANT AMBASSADOR MUKWITA IF SHE NEEDS ANY INFORMATION OR HELP ABOUT ZAMBIA PLEASE SEE OUR AMBASSADOR NOT UR CHANCER HUSBAND
Kiki walya fire mune. That is the poverty in you talking. Ukose
The issue here is not whether HH will be President in 2021 or not.The issue simply is STOPPING THEFT OF DONOR FUNDS and indeed any other funds. Why should HH come in everything? Are some people so scared of him?
MMMMMMMMMMM this is really dangerous. How do you say ONLY as if its not enough… ONLY really.
I hate this wig culture of our Zambian women and those chaps who sit in court. Why do they need to hide behind a dead person’s hair? Typical sign of inferiority complex and you expect me to respect someone like that! Sorry Mike, I just can’t. I’m too liberated for that nonsense…..
Why is UPND wagging their tails so vigorously kikiki but apapena kwati they have made some points… But still more you will lose in 2021.What we need is President Lungu must start firing erring officers to instil discipline in the civil service
As if Zambia belongs to your mother.
A business Executive following her studies in Zambia and Abroad. where did she studied abroad. I give Thumbs up if she acquired this knowledge studying in Zambia, actually is a plus. They don’t need to lie to upgrade her resume if she didn’t study abroad. I have found no institution abroad where she studied. studying in your home country and have a Resume that solid is a plus.