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Former Ambassador to Ethiopia, Emmanuel Mwamba, has backed ex-Kabwata lawmaker, Given Lubinda’s call for an audit into the costs of upgrading President Hakainde Hichilema’s Community House.
Mwamba said the audit should focus on security and logistical expenditures incurred by ZESCO, Lusaka City Council, the Road Development Agency (RDA), the Civil Aviation Authority, Zambia Police, and the Zambia State Security Intelligence (ZSSI).
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Mwamba, who served as the Chairperson for Information and Publicity under the Edgar Lungu-led Patriotic Front, said other agencies involved should also disclose direct and associated costs.
He argued that President Hichilema’s decision not to move into State House had significant financial implications, as his residence had to be upgraded to meet minimum security standards, including provisions for emergency evacuation.
Mwamba further cited Lusaka businessman, Valden Findlay’s lawsuit against the state, in which he is seeking compensation for the demolition of his flats during the construction of a new access road linking Community House to Leopards Hill Road.
He noted that Lusaka City Council had justified the demolition, claiming the structures had encroached on reserve land.
“The single and reckless decision by President Hichilema not to shift to a secure state facility, which was purposely built to ensure the safety of Zambia’s Republican President, has had huge financial, technical, and logistical consequences on the state,” Mwamba stated.
He also criticized images of the President meeting security chiefs at his private residence, saying it demonstrated how state facilities and resources had been “personalized.”
Mwamba compared Hichilema’s decision to remain at Community House to former South African President Jacob Zuma’s controversial Nkandla upgrades, which faced widespread scrutiny over state spending.
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