The Patriotic Front in North Western Province says people advocating for President Edgar Lungu’s benefits to be withheld are misplaced.
PF provincial chairperson Enock Kapalu notes that this is because the former head of state is entitled to what he has worked for.
Mr. Kapalu said in an interview that the law is very clear on entitlement of former heads of state and that those advocating for such should not be entertained.
“The law is very clear under the former President’s Act, so people that are advocating for that are very much misplaced,” said Mr. Kapalu.
Mr. Kapalu was reacting to a suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) member Joseph Busenga who has written to both Secretary to the Cabinet and Treasury to withhold former president Lungu’s benefits.
According to Mr. Busenga, former president Lungu still holds an elective position in the former ruling party.
Mr. Busenga has cited chapter 15 of the laws of Zambia which provides in section 5(1)(b) that ‘the pension and other benefits conferred by the Act shall not be paid, assigned or provides to a former president who is engaged in active politics’.
But Mr. Kapalu has rubbished the assertions saying Mr. Lungu is not in active politics as claimed by Mr. Busenga.
He said former president Lungu has clearly stated that he is not seeking reelection, at party or national levels rather he is retiring.
“All he is doing is to wait for the party to hold its general conference where a new leader will be elected and then hand over the party leadership contrary to what Mr. Busenga is saying,” he said.
He said currently, the party is being run by the party vice president Given Lubinda and the acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa.
“And if you hear any party activity, it is the two are involved in running up and down,” he said.
He said people should not bring in unnecessary attention and politicking in straight forward issues.
