Brenthurst has captured our President – Mwamba
By Kombe Mataka
FORMER Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba says the country is under state capture by the Brenthurst Foundation.
Mwamba told The Mast that the honouring of three board members of the Foundation in their capacity as former heads of state was evidence that their interests were overriding that of the government and State House.
On Thursday, President Hakainde Hichilema conferred the Order of the Eagle of Zambia, First Division on former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson (Liberia) and Ernest Bai Koroma (Sierra Leone) for their distinguished efforts in promoting democracy. President Hichilema said the three former heads of state were honoured, at a special investiture ceremony at State House, “for their outstanding work in the promotion and advancement of democracy, and delivery of democratic dividends for citizens both within and outside their respective countries.”
Bwalya said President Hichilema “has especially noted the defining roles played by each one of the recipient former heads of state in establishing true multiparty democratic outcomes not only in their respective countries but also further beyond and anchoring this as the beacon for improving the living standards of citizens”
But Mwamba said the relationship with Brenthurst Foundation promotes corporate, commercial and private interest.
“There is an advisory unit at State House that is on their private pay role. They are many. I don’t want to mention them. Then we have two from South Africa. I don’t want to offend people but it is the
truth,” he said.
“The concern there is why would you have special advisors to the President that are funded by a private entity when the government has provided for special advisors? They are catered for. I mean, we don’t need outsiders. The relationship with Brenthurst Foundation promotes
corporate, commercial and private interest. That is our objection and this is called State Capture in other countries. Brenthurst Foundation has captured our President. They are making him honour board members of Brenthurst Foundation. All those that were honoured are members of
Brenthurst Foundation.”
Mwamba said the President’s corporate interests vested in the Brenthurst Foundation was against the Pan African ideals.
“The insult is that we are hosting the African Union [summit] which promotes African
values and national values and we are doing this in the midst of these concerns,” he said. “State House is the heart of power in our country. It cannot be defiled in the manner the President has allowed it to be defiled where we have this private interest funding.”
Mwamba advised President Hichilema to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.
“Zambians voted for him under the Constitution.
The President has an obligation to follow the Constitution. The Constitution gives him infrastructure to run this country. Honouring heads of state is within the law. I haven’t said it is an illegality but all the three at have been honoured are members of the Brenthurst Foundation,” he said. “What he is doing is abusing the law. The problem is he denied. He had to create a State visit to South Africa to go and launch a [Greg Mills] book. That is abuse of State resources. He went into Lower Zambezi, they held this private meeting organised by Brenthurst Foundation and they brought all these security officials from South Africa. Again I don’t know what they were discussing. The next thing we saw was the establishment of AFRICOM. So clearly these things are hinging on national security and hinging on the sovereignty of our country.”
Mwamba added that they “are only doing it openly now that he has given them
licence”.
“They are at State House. He has given them a venue in Livingstone. He is bringing them to launder them so that Zambians have no suspicions about Brenthurst Foundation. Their interest is across Africa. They identifying candidates that they are pushing hard that they could promote their values not their nations’ values,” said Mwamba.