Gov’t response on ambulance scandal undermines PAC – UKA

By BARNABAS ZULU

THE United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) has sharply criticized the government’s response to the ambulance scandal, claiming that defending the company involved undermines the role of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
This follows a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Media, Mr. Thabo Kawana, who addressed the PAC’s findings on the procurement and delivery of ambulances under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
The PAC had raised concerns about the awarding of a tender to a pharmacy located in Garden Compound. In his press briefing, Mr Kawana defended the company and the procurement process.
In a statement yesterday, Jackson Silavwe, who is UKA spokesperson said while UKA noted the unprecedented nature of the government’s direct response to PAC’s findings, they expressed concern that the reaction was more of an emotional defence than a serious attempt to address the issues raised.
He questioned the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability, suggesting that the response undermines the crucial work of the PAC.
“For the first time in Zambia’s governance history, the nation has witnessed a government directly reacting to the PAC’s findings through a press briefing,” Mr Silavwe said.
“While this is an unprecedented move that could signal a desire for enhanced transparency, it raises serious questions about the motivations and content of the response.”
Mr Silavwe pointed out that the issue at hand is not the location of the company awarded the tender, but whether proper due diligence was carried out to assess its capacity to fulfill the contract.
He stressed that the public deserves to know if the procurement guidelines and quality standards were followed and whether the awarding process adhered to the principles of transparency and accountability.
“Rather than focusing on the location of the company, the key issue is whether the proper checks were in place to ensure the company could deliver the ambulances in line with the contractual requirements,” he said.
“This is a matter of public interest, and the response from the government should reflect the seriousness of these concerns.”
Mr Silavwe also expressed disappointment that the government’s statement appeared to deflect from the real issue of procurement irregularities by focusing on a narrative about discrimination against businesses in compounds.
While UKA supported the government’s warning to suppliers about adhering to contractual obligations, he urged the government to strengthen its own procurement vetting processes to avoid awarding contracts to ill-prepared or politically connected companies.
He also welcomed the government’s assurance of legal consequences for non-compliance but emphasised the need for consistent action to back up these words.
Mr Silavwe urged the government to address the irregularities identified by PAC and ensure that public officers involved in mismanagement are held fully accountable.
In response to the government’s handling of the situation, he called for a more detailed and factual explanation of the steps taken to investigate and address the procurement irregularities.