Four RDA top managers dismissed

By James Muyanwa
Road Development Agency (RDA) chief executive officer, Erasmus Chilundika and three other senior managers who were sent on forced leave last month have been fired with immediate effect.
The RDA board of directors has terminated the contracts for Mr Chilundika, manager – construction and maintenance, Stephen Malubila, senior planning an design Daniel Mulonga and manager procurement, Charles Mushota.
RDA board chairperson, Luambe Mondoloka confirmed the termination of the contracts of the quartet in a statement in Lusaka.
Mr Mondoloka said the decision to terminate the contracts was made during a special board meeting held on October 26 2010 during which the board received the recommendations made by the subcommittee which has been sitting since September 21 September 2010.
The subcommittee has been carrying out a review of the Auditor General’s report for the period January 2006 to September 2009.
“The findings of the subcommittee were reviewed and after discussions the board resolved to terminate with immediate effect the contracts of the four senior managers,” he said.
Mr Mondoloka said that Nason Balashi who has been acting as chief executive officer would continue until further notice.
He said that the board was striving to ensure the retention of public confidence in the road sector saying every effort was being applied.
The board sent the four on forced leave to pave way for investigations into allegations of mismanagement of resources following consideration of the Auditor Generals report covering the period 2005 to 2008.
Other reasons cited include the parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendations regarding the disregard for the 2008 Annual Work Plan resulting in over commitment of the Zambian Government K1 trillion, the non observance of Acts governing the sector, procurement irregularities and unsubstantiated payments to contractors.
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