I read an article that was published in the Daily Nation Newspaper on 8th February 2024. I ignored that article because the journalists neither contacted me for a comment nor did they seek clarification, I have now seen an advertisement in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper of today in which the originators of the said malice have finally come out to issue a defamatory advertisement.
Both these publications are motivated by Oliver Mtasa, Raymond Sibanda, Jabulani Mavimba and others, who are Zimbabwean nationals who had been illegally practicing as accountants in Zambia without practicing licences and who have been prevented from continuing with their illegalities.
I now wish to clarify that in 2020 I joined Crowe Howarth Welsa Zambia Limited as Managing Director after Oliver Mtasa, Raymond Sibanda, Jabulani Mavimba and other directors assured me that the company was properly licensed with ZICA. A licence was availed to me. At the time of joining, the company was moribund and had no clients of note. It had no asset of note. It later came to my knowledge that infact Dr. Mtasa, Mr. Sibanda, Mr. Mavimba and the initial promoters of Crowe Howarth Welsa Zambia Limited had obtained the registration of the company by false pretenses and had not been given special dispensation by ZICA as initially misrepresented to me.
As a result of the foregoing and before I became ZICA President, ZICA directed me to register a firm in which only the directors of Crowe Howarth Welsa Zambia Limited who were licensed to practice as accountants in Zambia were partners. I was the only one of the directors licensed to practice in Zambia. ZICA also directed me to liquidate Crowe Howarth Welsa Accountants Zambia Limited because Dr. Oliver Mtasa, Mr. Raymond Sibanda, Mr. Jabulani Mavimba and others had obtained registration by false pretense in 2017. I attach the ZICA directive for clarity.
I informed the directors of Crowe Howarth Welsa Zambia Limited that I would be complying with the ZICA directive and they agreed and have never challenged the ZICA directive. Upon registering the firm and complying with the regulatory directive, my former partners congratulated me. A copy of the e mail is attached.
I have now applied to wind up Crowe Howarth Welsa Accountants Zambia Limited in compliance with the ZICA directive and the matter is currently in court. It is because of this that these individuals have commenced a malicious campaign against me. Their malice has extended to a bogus appointment of a Mr. Kelvin Mukinde, a full-time police officer, in the employ of the Government of the Republic of Zambia who is not an accountant, as a purported Managing Director.
Because of their illegalities, Crowe Zimbabwe and their Zambian entity have lost the international license.
I have instructed my lawyers to assert my rights by commencing contempt proceedings and an action for defamation. I also intend to seek audience with both the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and the Inspector General of Police to find out whether Police officers are now permitted to illegally practice as accountants and to be managing partners of audit firms.
We should never allow foreign nationals who are not licensed to practice as accountants to come and illegally practice as such in Zambia. It is a pledge I have made as ZICA President and I will stick by it no matter the malice against me.
Yande Siame – Mwenye
