Compel political parties to disclose source of funding – Kabimba
By Fanny Kalonda
ECONOMIC Front party general secretary Wynter Kabimba says there is need for a legislation compelling political parties to disclose their source of financing as a matter of national security.
Featuring on Diamond Television’s Current Affairs programme on Tuesday, Kabimba warned that as the situation stood the country risked being ruled by a mafia-financed political party.
“Political party financing which is not circumscribed by the law is a danger to every society, in this case our society because the adage that he that pays the piper calls the tune applies here. You can’t finance a candidate in the United States as a Zambian here even if he’s your best friend, even if he’s your brother. Why? Because this is an issue of national security,” he said.
“You can have a government at one time or another in this country but it is financed by drug diggers. You can have a government in place in this country which is financed by the mafia. You can have a government in future in this country which is financed by the jihadists. There is danger in that. It is high time that we legislated. That is an area which requires legislation to make sure that political parties account for their source of financing. That is an area of national security in our view as Economic Front.”
Kabimba said allowing foreign entities to finance political parties was wrong because it endangered Zambia’s sovereignty.
“Before we even begin to talk about political party financing from the domestic budget, we should do away first with foreign financing of political parties, or what someone can refer to as sources of financing of political parties by unknown entities and individuals. That is what would be a danger,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kabimba said his party appreciated the recommendation by the European Union, but added that they should come within the spirit that the system was on the road to improvement on each and every area of an election.
He said democracy was a process and was hopeful that the country had drawn lessons from the 2021 general elections.
And Kabimba said there was no need for the amendment of the public order Act.
“People say what is wrong with the law is the law. No! What is wrong with the law are the altitudes of people. Here is a police officer who says I have withdrawn the permit, and you ask him, under what provision did you grant me the permit? He can’t point at anything. And you know what they tell you next, I have instructions from above. But that’s unreasonable,” explained Kabimba.
“And now above him includes the commanding officer, the Ministry of Home Affairs, it includes the Inspector General of Police, it includes even the President. So, you have no parameters from which you can argue with the man rationally and reasonably. And you know police are not trained to think, they are trained to take orders, okay. So, the man says to you, I have taken instructions and looks the other way. It is done and you remain with your frustrations. That is the problem attitudes. You can amend the public order Act a hundred times, if you are going to have a president who is a dictator and a police service that has not been trained in respect to civil liberties, it will not take you anyway.”