STATE HOUSE: THE COMMAND POST OF GRAND CORRUPTION, LOOTING
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has stated that corruption remains Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND administration’s major public concern.
In the latest July 2024 forecast on political and economic outlook on Zambia, the EIU report highlights the doubts from key stakeholders regarding Mr Hichilema’s fight against corruption.
“Although the Hichilema administration has promised to clear up government, corruption remains a major public concern. Some media outlets and opposition groups have labelled anti-graft efforts by the current administration largely superficial,” read the report in part.
We are not surprised with the EIU report because this is what we have been saying for a while now. When it comes to fighting corruption, Mr Hichilema is paralyzed by the fact that he has no moral right to condemn or even take decisive action against his lieutenants in government because everyone is literally involved in some illegal activity in one way or another. The endless corruption scandals that have rocked this government are a reminder that the country is in corrupt hands and needs a breather. It is clear that this is a government of the thieves, for the thieves, and by the thieves.
So, how can Mr Hichilema be expected to genuinely fight corruption when there is so much grand corruption and looting surrounding him, and involving him? We have said before that any meaningful fight against corruption in this country has to start with an investigation of Mr Hichilema’s own dealings in almost every sector of our economy like mining, fuel, fertilizer, insurance, grain imports and exports, property and real estate, construction and manufacturing, among many others. There is a need to investigate Mr Hichilema. He should be able to answer questions about his dealings. Without doing so, the fight against corruption becomes hypocritical, a facade and meaningless. Any meaningful fight against corruption must start with an investigation of Mr Hichilema’s business interests.
Mr Musa Mwenye, the ex-chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the US ambassador to Zambia, Mr Michael Gonzales, have emphatically demanded that Mr Hichilema declares all his assets. But Mr Hichilema has constantly ignored these demands. Why? Mr Hichilema knows that the day he is made to fully disclose all his business interests, without being able to conceal anything, will mark the beginning of the end of his presidency and the beginning of his journey to prison. Even Mr Hichilema knows this too well no wonder the resistance.
The amount of systemic corruption and plunder that is being facilitated by State House is terrifying and confirms the sad reality that this presidency is a disaster and a failure! The truth and the reality currently, is that most of the bribery, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, trading influence and all manner of abuses and white-collar financial and economic crimes that we are witnessing are engineered by State House. The presidency is the command post of grand corruption and looting of public resources.
With the presidency organizing and perpetuating corruption, it is wishful thinking to expect this regime to wage a relentless campaign against corruption and succeed.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party