By Ernest Chanda
BREBNER Changala says all those being pursued for corrupt activities when they were in power should not use tribe as a defence.
Changala, a good governance activist, says he had noticed that known tribalists have been on rampage claiming that the fight against corruption is targeted at the Bemba speaking people.
“I have noticed that this Bemba tribal mantra has resurfaced after being used extensively during campaigns in the last elections which PF lost. It starts with Mr Sean Tembo, it moves to the Kambwilis and the Daily Nation newspaper,” he told The Mast yesterday. “It is only logical that the majority of people that will be found wanting will be northerners and easterners because they are the ones who held positions in Mr Edgar Lungu’s government. They should not expect investigative wings to arrest a person from another tribe who was not a member of Lungu’s government, no. So, don’t use tribe to defend your sins.”
Changala said the manoeuvres were expected, especially that PF shamelessly governed through tribalism.
He challenged all those who participated in national plunder to explain in whose name they stole.
“You have Mr Richard Sakala writing in Daily Nation newspaper that Kambwili’s prophesy has come to pass. Which prophesy? When these characters were stealing, did they steal in the Bemba name? Why should they now use the Bemba tribe to defend themselves,” Changala asked. “My village Mbereshi in Luapula Province is one of the poorest, including the province itself. And we had PF ministers who come from Luapula. Did they take their stolen money to the area? They stole in their individual capacity, so they should not use tribe to shield themselves.”
And Changala wondered why the PF did not claim tribalism when they were arresting people from Southern Province on tramped up charges.
He challenged all critics of the anti-corruption fight to explain why they kept quiet during “PF’s reign of terror”.
“The PF government over the missing Hatembos, arrested Mrs Mukuni, they arrested Ackson Sejani; they also arrested Clayson Hamasaka because they thought he was in charge of the Watchdog. Now, why did they not talk about tribalism that time because all these people are southerners?” asked Changala. “Now that the law is being applied fairly, some fossils should start pleading tribalism! It will not work. They will be arrested. If it turns out that 90 per cent of those found guilty of corruption are from the northern and eastern parts of the country, so be it because these are the ones found in Lungu’s administration. You cannot get a person from Kalabo who was not part of government. Lungu’s leadership openly promoted tribalism against all other regions, except the northern and eastern regions. So, let them face the music; they stole for themselves, not for the tribe.”