PF leader Michael Sata has charged that Vice-President George Kunda will be answerable for paying K5 billion to ministers and other Lusaka-based parliamentarians attending the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

Commenting on The Post’s exposé that Vice-President and justice minister Kunda last month recommended to Cabinet to pay about K5 billion to ministers, deputy ministers and four ordinary parliamentarians attending the NCC as facilitation allowance, Sata said he had been vindicated that the NCC was a money-making venture for the delegates.

“George Kunda is not sincere; all he wants is maximum enjoyment and minimum responsibility because it's George Kunda who advised Levy Mwanawasa that ministers and deputy ministers do not need that subsistence allowance,” Sata said. “You remember the late local government minister Benny Tetamashimba talked about it. Now because Mwanawasa is dead, George Kunda is not even transparent. That is why he did not even circulate that document to his Cabinet colleagues. He did not circulate that Cabinet memorandum. They have already received the money and they are not receiving the money through NCC; they are receiving the money directly through their banks. The man is just a big plunderer and he will answer for it.”

Sata questioned Vice-President Kunda's motive for not circulating the Cabinet memorandum on the payment of allowances to ministers.

“In just a few months to go, he will definitely answer for his plunder because if we look at that K5 billion paid in arrears,” Sata said. “Now I have been vindicated because I told you that the NCC is good for nothing, people only go there for money. If we take a delegation of 600 people at K650, 000 plus K500, 000 plus K100, 000 that is K1,250,000 a day per person. So they, NCC, are spending more than K600 million a day. For what? For producing a clause that a presidential candidate must have a degree?”

Sata said Vice-President Kunda was busy dismantling the legacy of Mwanawasa.

“George Kunda has helped Rupiah Banda to break the legacy for Levy Mwanawasa. If Levy Mwanawasa had not died, George Kunda would not have been Vice-President. He is very ungrateful because the K5 billion George Kunda is asking for, it can be used to clear all the drainages in Kanyama and provide hospitals and a number of things we need and subsidise fuel,” Sata said. “George Kunda is a big liability and is very deceitful. If Rupiah Banda doesn't realise it, he will have himself to blame. By now he knows everything about George Kunda. Even the little Rupiah is supposed to do, George Kunda is destroying.

“Are they going to be paid for proposing a degree? They think they are protecting Rupiah and they should be paid money? Why haven't they been paid all along until after they approved the degree clause? George Kunda is dangerous and by the time Rupiah realises, it will be too late.”

Sata warned the MMD government leaders of prosecution when they get out of office.

“The Zambian people have to kick out this MMD government and this MMD government will be answerable, they will join all other plunderers. This is justification for these people, all these plunderers to come and answer for the plunder and laws are very much there. They are abusing their office,” said Sata. “At the moment under Rupiah Banda government, there is nothing you can do to stop them. Just next year, kick them out and after kicking them out, we will deal with them.”

According to a Cabinet memorandum dated January 2010, Vice-President Kunda recommended that Cabinet approve payment of utility/facilitation allowance to Lusaka-based members of parliament at the rate of K650,000 per day backdated to December 19, 2007 when the NCC started its sittings.

The Post