‘NAPSA overspent’

ACTING chief government spokesperson Fackson Shamenda has revealed that the MMD ordered the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) to pay K46 million, two times more on roads under the Kalulushi housing project.
Mr Shamenda said NAPSA was supposed to pay K21 million but ended up paying more due to political interference from the ruling party at the time.
He said this in Lusaka yesterday when he addressed journalists at his office.
Mr Shamenda said the former ruling party forced the institution to pay more for roads under the Kalulushi housing project because the MMD “apparently wanted to use part of the money for political projects”.
He said the PF government will not interfere in the running of any of the state-owned institutions because it is aware that Zambians will hold it accountable in due course.
He said posterity will judge the PF harshly if it fails to develop Zambia.
Mr Shamenda said Zambians voted for the PF because they wanted development.
“The PF is very different from the MMD because it has the interests of ordinary Zambians at heart,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said the PF government is transparent and its leaders know that Zambians will eventually demand to know how resources have been spent.
Meanwhile, Mr Shamenda says the UPND is not as popular as it believes.
Mr Shamenda says the UPND will never form government because it practises regional politics.
He said some former MMD members of Parliament are joining the UPND because they are broke and the UPND is ready to fund them.
“UPND has resources to sponsor some broke politicians in by-elections. That’s why they are running to it,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said MMD members are not leaving their party on principle but because they are broke and cannot afford the cost of campaigns.
“The UPND is calling itself a rising star but that’s a false belief because they are not as popular as they think,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said the PF has not lost any of its parliamentary seats but has increased its seats in Parliament.
“We have been accused of trying to turn Zambia into a one-party state. If that was so, would we have lost by-elections in Chipata Central, Kafulafuta and Solwezi East?” Mr Shamenda asked.
Later, Mr Shamenda led a delegation from NAPSA, Zesco, Zambia National Building Society, Workers Compensation Fund Control Board and Ministry of Local Government and Housing on a tour of NAPSA housing projects in Lusaka.
The projects are the re-development of Society House at a cost of US$98 million, which is expected to be completed by December 2014.
The others are the Ibex Hill housing project comprising 140 houses, which have been completed at a cost of K31.8 million, the North Gate housing project with 316 houses at a cost of K158 million and the K172 million Nyumba Yanga housing project with 309 houses.