Fires on Peer Review body raise dust

VICE-President George Kunda has revoked the appointment of Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group (ZNWLG) chairperson, Tamala Kambikambi as chairperson for the National Governing Council of the African Peer Review Mechanism. The move has raised quite some dust with both the opposition and non governmental organisations claiming this would undermine the APRM's capacity and ability to operate independently.

But Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Gertrude Imbwae says in a statement issued in Lusaka July 29 that Kambkambi was removed because she was also serving on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC). She says Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue (ZCID) spokesperson, Langtone Sichone was also dropped from the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on similar grounds.

Imbwae said other members of the APRM were removed because they had made their anticipated contributions to the initiative and were not expected to add anything further.

She said 12 members including Press Association of Zambia (Paza) vice-president, Amos Chanda, former presidential adviser, Arthur Yoyo and politician Ludwig Sondashi were removed because they had achieved the contribution to the APRM.

Further Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, James Mulungushi, George Chabwera representing employers and Namukolo Mukutu from the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) were removed because they did not attend any APRM meeting.

But the explanation has not gone well with opposition political parties and non government organisations who see the matter diffeently.

And Chanda refuted reports that he was dropped as APRM spokesperson because he was against the prosecution of Post news editor Chansa Kabwela. He said he was officially informed that he had been removed from the APRM because of the re-organisation of the National Governing Council (NGC) and not because of a statement he made as Paza vice-president.

He thanked Vice-President Kunda and the Government for according him a chance to serve on the APRM since March 1, 2009 when he was appointed spokesperson.