Chilufya Tayali

By Chilufya Tayali

NOT ALL TONGAS ARE UPND – THE FATE OF SIBANZE SIMUCHOBA
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It is a fact, that I am more leaned to the PF than the UPND which is massively supported by Tongas, however, I don’t assume that every Tonga is UPND. I know a lot of friends who don’t like UPND and the leadership of Hakainde Hichilema.

Unfortunately, many Tongas have to kill their parents to prove that they are not UPND, analogically speaking. This is worse for those working in Govt.

Many Tongas have been relieved of their positions for being suspected to be UPND, especially if they don’t entertain PF cadres who feel they have a legitimate cause to get favors from Govt officials.

Some years back I knew a very senior lawyer, respected by many judges and other professionals in the legal fraternity. Mr. Simuchoba’s law firm used to be in the same premises as our offices.

Though much older than me we used to chat a lot on a very personal level such that I know quite a lot about him, including his political sentiments.

Around 2016, President Lungu appointed Mr. Simuchoba as PS for Livingstone and later transferred to Western Province. Last year, he was relieved of his position.

I have no powers to question the decisions of the President on his prerogatives, but I strongly believe he must have been misinformed by some senior party officials and cadres.

Unfortunately, at the pick of his soured relationship with some PF senior members who felt that he was not very helpful, Mr. Simuchoba was arrested and charged with corruptly employing Ms. Lombe Katasha who is currently working as a Laboratory Assistant at Mukuni Secondary School in Kazungula district.

Surprisingly, according to the court records, Mr. Simuchoba never knew the said Ms. Lombe and he had never met her. I actually confirmed this when I personally asked him.

Strangely, Ms. Lombe was not charged, or suspended neither was she brought to Court as a witness.

More strangely, Ms. Lombe is still in employment drawing a salary, yet the authorities dragged Mr. Simuchoba to court to have had employed her corruptly.

The case went to trial but on 24th February 2020, the DPP discontinued the case under Section 88a of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Reading the records from Court you wonder how Ms. Lombe was employed and put on payroll and she is still working, because a person who seem to have been dually appointed by Civil Service Commission is Elijah Mwenge.

The record from the court shows that Elijah was redeployed to Kaumba Secondary School in Monze. However, I have not been able to confirm this because I have no contact from that school.

This makes me wonder about some of the cases the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) and Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) prosecute. It appears to me, those institutions are highly politicized to fix some of the people suspected to be political fouls.

Mr. Simuchoba is now fired as PS with a case that could not reach its logical conclusion, leaving his reputation dented with no ways of recompensing for what I consider as an injustice.

TAYALI THE PUBLIC LAWYER OF THE PUBLIC COURT OF OPINIONS!

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