By Ulande Nkomesha
UPND president Hakainde Hichelma says he will root out the corruption which has been entrenched in government institutions under the PF leadership.
And Hichilema says in fighting corruption, no one will be persecuted regardless of one’s political inclination.
In a Facebook post, Thursday, Hichilema said it was disappointing that those entrusted with leadership had betrayed the people in favor of personal gain.
“A concerned citizen asked me, ‘Bally, when you told PF members tamwa ka chule (you will not suffer), does that mean you won’t fight corruption?’ I realised that it was time to share my thoughts on this issue. Zambia is a blessed nation, with resources that can create the kind of wealth that ensures that all citizens are guaranteed education, good nutrition, jobs and decent living conditions. Unfortunately, our country has been ravaged by high poverty levels, unemployment and underdevelopment. This is due to the fact that those that have been entrusted with leadership have betrayed the people in favour of personal gain. It is staggering how some cash-strapped individuals can become a multi millionaires in a matter of months from entering public office,” Hichilema stated.
“We have witnessed this on many occasions and it is no secret that PF leaders have built mansions, homes in other countries, fleets of luxury cars, apartments and many other assets that do not correspond with their income. They live way above their means and it is clear that the source of this wealth is corruption. We have very credible information from sources within government and also international institutions with details of corrupt practices, bribery, deals, kickbacks, payments and numerous activities that have robbed the Zambian people of their money.”
He said PF officials were desperate to hold on to power because they were afraid that Hichilema would expose their corrupt practices.
“You are aware of numerous Auditor General and FIC reports that have shown grand theft of Billions of Kwacha that have been ignored by investigative wings, controlled by the PF. We can assure the Zambian people that what was done in the dark, will be brought to the light. The corrupt practices that the public has witnessed is just scratching the surface. Inflated costs of ambulances, fire tenders, planes, roads and many other dubious transactions has caused our nation to lose Billions of dollars that could have been appropriately allocated for the benefit of our people. Our natural resources are being plundered on a daily basis. You have come to know of the Mukula cartel that is alleged to be looting our precious Mukula timber that should be benefiting Zambians. The same is happening with other natural resources,” he wrote.
“The enormous wealth that the PF has amassed enables them to dish out cash to ’empower’ the people when they are merely giving back a fraction of what they are stealing, in exchange for support. The stolen money is being used to manipulate the democratic process through rigging and the purchase of opposition councillors. The determination of these scoundrels to retain power is so incredible, they are willing to destroy democratic institutions and cause expensive by-elections that deplete our meagre resources. Their desperation to retain power is based on the fact that Bally will root out the rot and they will be exposed.”
Hichilema said once elected he would ensure past Auditor General and FIC reports were evaluated and that those found wanting were compelled to pay back.
“What will the UPND government do to fight corruption? We will begin by having all past audits and FIC reports evaluated to commence a program where we compel those proven to be wanting, to pay back the money. We will then empower the ACC, FIC, the Police and other investigative wings with independence so that they can carry out their work without political interference. No one will be sacred, not even those in our government. The law must take its course,” Hichilema said.
“The next step will be to institute investigations of all questionable transactions. It will be necessary to have transparency in this process and the aim will be for the people to know how their funds were stolen, bring the guilty to book and recover as much as possible. It is not our aim to settle political scores or be vindictive but to ensure that justice is done. Those who have not participated in any form of corruption, have nothing to worry about. An opportunity for amnesty under special circumstances, will be given to those who come forward, pay back what they stole and provide detailed information of how they did it. This information will enable us to strengthen oversight and monitoring institutions.”
Hichilema further stated that he would strengthen the Judiciary.
“We have to ensure that in addition to an independent Ombudsman and investigative wings, we will strengthen the judicial arm of government for better governance, transparency and effectiveness. The effectiveness of these institutions will be a major deterrent for future corruption. Our government will have no tolerance for corruption. Any allegations against any official would result in their suspension pending completion of investigations. We will also ensure that audits are conducted on public officials with unexplained wealth,” said Hichilema.
“When I say to PF, ‘tamwa ka chule,’ I assure them that as citizens of our country they deserve to be treated fairly. The law is blind and it will deal with everyone the same, without fear or favour. They say the fish rots from the head and as President, I will set the necessary example. We are determined to eradicate corruption and we are open to hearing more from you on what you expect us to do, in addition to this overview of our plans on the matter.”