Masebo fired

TOURISM and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo has been dropped.
State House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah said yesterday that President Michael Sata had relieved Ms Masebo of her duties with immediate effect.
Mr Sata thanked Ms Masebo, who is Chongwe Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, for the services she had rendered to the nation during her tenure of office.
“President Sata has with immediate effect relieved Ms Masebo of her duties as Minister of Tourism and Arts.
“The Head of State thanked Ms Masebo for the services rendered to the country during her tenure of office,” Mr Chella said in a statement.
Ms Masebo was appointed as Cabinet minister in July 2012.
Recently, a Tribunal was set up to probe Ms Masebo over allegations of interference in the operations of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).
In the process of hearing the matter, Ms Masebo claimed that President Sata directed her to dissolve the ZAWA Board.
The Tribunal was set up following former Communications and Transport minister, William Harrington’s complaint over Ms Masebo’s conduct, saying she had breached the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Ms Masebo was also in the limelight over contradictory statements issued with then Lands Minister Harry Kalaba, over the licence given to Zambezi Resources Limited to undertake mining activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Reacting to her dismissal, Ms Masebo thanked President Sata for giving her an opportunity to serve in his Cabinet as Tourism and Arts minister.
“The President has the right to reshuffle his team at every stage and he needs our support in this.
“He should be given all the support to continually reorganise his team so that at every stage we can deliver to the best of our abilities to our people, especially the poor,” Ms
Masebo said in her Facebook posting yesterday.
Last week, President Sata dropped Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Alfredah Kansembe during a partial Cabinet reshuffle.
And Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili has been transferred to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge confirmed yesterday that Mr Msichili had been transferred with immediate effect.
Mr Musenge said Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela had been shifted to the Copperbelt.
“Basically, it is a swap, Mr Msichili will go to the Ministry of Local Government and Reverend Sikwela is coming here with immediate effect,” he said.