HH

CROOKS ARE UNDERMINING PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

The Candidates’ Comment

The slow pace at which our investigative wings are conducting their activities in their bid to bring to book crooks is worrying. President Hakainde Hichilema has shown so much political will to fight criminality, corruption. His stance, often than not, over these vices has created a conducive environment for a robust fight against corruption and stealing of public funds by elements of the previous administration of the Patriotic Front (PF).

However, the slow pace at which investigative wings is worrying to the public. We all know that there was massive theft of public funds in our country by thieves in the previous administration. This is not a secret. And when one takes a very small investigation, it is not very difficult to trace where some of those crimes were being committed. We believe our investigative wings have enough know-how and resources to establish where corruption and thievery was taking place in the PF administration. Why are we not seeing serious arrests yet?

We are beginning to think – and we strongly believe we are not far from truth that – there is a systematic way which some compromised elements within the investigative wings in partnership with crooks are doing to undermining the corruption fight of Hakainde.

Everyone knows, including children, that PF housed a number of serious thieves. They inflated figures on tenders where most of the monies paid do not correlate with actual prices of goods or services in question. Most of that money ended up in the pockets of these criminals. It is only in Zambia where government, under the PF administration could procure a fighting fight truck at $1 million yet, fail to secure insurance for that truck at its said market price. That alone tells you that the real cost does not reflect the amount that such items were purchased on by tax payers through their representatives in government.

Further, a number of them were given contracts of all sorts and paid monies but have not delivered anything. Look at the thieving that took place at Food Reserve Agency (FRA) where a PF Provincial Chairman obtained tons of maize to sale to Congo but did not pay FRA the money! Look at the thieving that took place over the Higer Buses which PF elements on structures begun to run and manage them, and pocketed all the monies.

This country is damaged because much of the debt which the PF administration acquired ended up in the pockets of few crooks. These are very well known facts but until now, investigative wings seem to be doing nothing worth talking about despite that Hakainde has created a very fertile environment to prosecute thieves.

Ironically, thieves are regrouping and asking Hakainde to deliver certain things overnight when we all know that Zambia is broke because they stole all the monies. It is the same money which these thieves plundered which should be used to offer free education and meet other promises. If Hakainde is going to fulfill most of the promises he has made – which we all know are in the interest of Zambians – there must be a robust fight against corruption, against endemic plunder which we experienced in the PF administration. Therefore, investigative wings must not fold arms and take all their time in visiting thieves. They must do things with a sense of urgency because so much is highly dependent on them. Hakainde has provided enough leeway and support and has shown enough as well as necessary political will to ensure that what was stolen from Zambians in brought back. Do not let Hakainde down and consequently, let the people of Zambia down.- The Candidates

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here