HH must scrutinise his team, identify the liabilities – Sikaile
By Thomas Ngala (The Mast)
IF it takes nearly eight months to detect such a “large-scale theft” it raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of President Hakainde Hichilema’s appointees, says Sikaile Sikaile following the scandal at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA).
“The President must scrutinise his team and identify the liabilities. It has been almost three years, and it should be clear who is underperforming,” he says.
Recent reports have shown that 61 containers of essential medicines from Egypt were diverted to a private warehouse in Lusaka instead of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA).
Following the revelations, health minister Sylvia Masebo informed parliament that disciplinary measures have begun against all officers allegedly involved in this diversion, which occurred between January and July 12, 2024.
But in a statement, Sikaile, a good governance and human rights activist, said large-scale corruption like “this cannot occur without the involvement of high-level officials”.
“If it takes nearly eight months to detect such a large-scale theft, it raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of the President’s appointees. Large-scale corruption like this cannot occur without the involvement of high-level officials. For example, the disappearance of fertiliser trucks during the 2022/2023 farming season remains unresolved,” he said. “Furthermore, there are reports of chief government spokesman [Cornelius] Mweetwa dismissing the Financial Intelligence Centre’s (FIC) recent findings. If this is indeed Mweetwa’s stance, it is unrealistic and concerning. Is he suggesting that the President’s appointees are incompetent and fabricating reports? It is essential for relevant authorities to address the FIC’s findings appropriately.”
Sikaile observed that the root problem lies in the systemic corruption that has plagued the government for years.
He said President Hichilema had an opportunity to assemble a competent and honest team, “yet many current officials are recycled politicians from past administrations (UNIP, MMD, PF)”.
“Expecting different results from individuals who have previously failed is unrealistic. The President must scrutinise his team and identify the liabilities. It has been almost three years, and it should be clear who is underperforming. Without vigilance from his team, financial crimes will continue going unchecked,” he said. “Zambians will continue to express their dissatisfaction as long as these corruption allegations remain unaddressed by His Excellency. Corruption was a major reason why they voted out the PF administration. Under President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership, Zambians have high expectations for service delivery, given his clean financial record and management skills. However, it is deeply concerning to see similar reports of corruption and large-scale thefts that were prevalent under the PF administration of Mr Lungu.”
He said the situation also serves as a crucial lesson for the President adding that some individuals cannot be reformed regardless of the circumstances.
“After forming the government, President Hichilema retained many officials in key positions hoping they would change. Instead, they have demonstrated a blatant disregard for his directives and a lack of fear of repercussions. The President now faces a choice: continue to tolerate incompetent and self-serving individuals at the expense of his hard-earned integrity or take decisive action to uphold his standards. Building a good name is difficult but it can be easily destroyed,” warned Sikaile. “President Lungu failed to combat corruption because he rehired individuals previously dismissed by president Sata for corruption. President Hichilema must avoid repeating this mistake. If unchecked, corruption will overshadow his administration’s achievements.”
