HEADS must roll now that it has been confirmed that both Sylvia Masebo, the Minister of Health and her Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Professor Lackson Kasonka were appraised and were fully aware about the US$100 million TFM Holdings contract which has since been terminated, Stephen Kampyongo has said.
It has been established that the US$100 million TFM Holdings contract was approved by Prof Kasonka, Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa and Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha and is fully owned by the UPND administration.
Last week, while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Prof Kasonka revealed that the contract to construct prefabricated hospitals was awarded to TFM Holdings by the new dawn administration in April this year and was signed on May 4, 2022.
And now Mr Kampyongo, the opposition Parliamentary Chief Whip is wondering whose interest Government was serving in terminating the TFM contract for its own convenience when the State is going to lose US$40 million for breaching contractual obligations.
Mr Kampyongo, the Patriotic Front Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament said the Ministry of Health had an opportunity to negotiate with the contractor after writing a letter of intent to terminate the contract to ameliorate the cost implications of terminating the contract.
“When it first came up in Parliament, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango misinformed us that the contract was cancelled when in fact not. What followed was that we saw President Hakainde Hichilema firing Dr George Magwende…of course Dr Magwende was the weakest and he had to be sacrificed as collateral damage. What is most unfortunate is that the cancellation of the TFM contract is going to cost Zambians US$40 million. This is unacceptable. You do not allow a country to waste that amount of money to protect a few corrupt individuals,” Mr Kampyongo said.
Mr Kampyongo said both Ms Masebo and Prof Kasonka embarked on a deliberate misinformation agenda by claiming they did not know anything about the TFM project when they were fully briefed about it.
He stated that claims that the TFM contract was signed by former Attorney General Likando Kalaluka were only meant to blur the bribe allegations against Ms Masebo and scandalise former senior civil servants in the PF administration.
“It is clear that the TFM project is no longer a PF programme because the contract was awarded to the company in April, 2022 and was signed on April 4, 2022 after it was approved by both Mr Kabesha Mulilo the current Attorney General and Mr Nkulukusa, the Secretary to the Treasury.
“Our concern and worry is that Government ignored the legal advice of the Attorney General on the costs of terminating the contract for own convenience.
“So whose interest is the government serving in terminating a contract for its own convenience when the Treasury will have to pay TFM US$40 million? Our bosses, including Prof Kasonka and the Minister know the consequences but have gone ahead to terminate the contract so government can lose money in their names,” Mr Kampyongo wondered.
