HH running a kleptocracy – Chris Zumani

HH running a kleptocracy – Zimba

By Ernest Chanda

POLITICAL scientist Chris Zimba says Tranpranecy International’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index and Zambia was meant to fool President Hakainde Hichilema who runs a kleptocracy.

Accordongto the Cambridge English Dictionary, kleptocracy is a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people.

In January 2024, Transparency International -Zambia (TIZ) released their 2023 Global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

TIZ announced that for the first time in 10 years, Zambia’s corruption perception score had had improved by four points from 33 to 34.

But Dr Zimba who was former president Edgar Lungu’s political advisor from 2029 to 2021 dismissed the findings as ‘’empirically total nonsense and morally rubbish’’.

‘’TIZ shockingly announced that, ‘for the first time in 10 years, Zambia’s corruption perceptions score improved at global level from 33 to 37 and thereby ranking from 116th to 98th position’. By implication, TIZ meant that the perception of corruption among stakeholders in Zambia has improved from worse to better. But we know that HH runs a kleptocracy, a government where corrupt politicians enrich themselves secretly outside the rule of law, through kickbacks, bribes, and special favours from lobbyists and corporations, or they simply direct state funds to themselves and their associates,’’ he said in his writeup titled ‘TIZ fooled HH: Bally runs a kleptocracy (Rule by theft) like old Seseko of Congo or Razak of Malaysia’. ‘’As such, we find TIZ ‘2023 Corruption Perception Index’ to have blue colours of ‘fools day’ and very difficult to appreciate… At the kleptomaniac pace Bally’s government is moving, there is no doubt HH’s regime is likely to surpass ‘the world’s greatest financial scandal’ of 2015 in Malaysia soon or later. And Transparency International Zambia will be shamed with regret and embarrassment for fooling themselves and a sober head of state and government with inaccurate corruption perception reports. Their 2024 CPI on Zambia is empirically total nonsense and morally rubbish.’’

Dr Zimba cited incidences of corruption in the new dawn which, in his opinion, cannot be dismissed.

‘’In the 2024 Zambia’s budget, we saw how $1 million (more than K25 million Kwacha) will be spent on President’s foreign Advisory Services. Tony Blair, a renowned gay champion, HH’s friend and his foundation as well as Greg Mills, Bally’s trusted advisor and his Brenthurst are direct beneficiaries of this tax payers money in the name of kleptocracy,’’ Dr Zimba said. ‘’This president, our HH and his government are intently and visibly walking the path of Razak’s kleptocracy in many ways as you[’ll] soon see. By the way, by definition, kleptocracy is a form of government where theft, corruption, looting, plundering and embezzlement of public resources is made routine and common practice.’’

He likened President Hakainde Hichilema to late Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) leader Mobutu Sese Seko.

‘’In conclusion, we should vividly note that the scale of corruption scandals and evidence of it under HH’s UPND administration is pointing to inbuilt naked kleptocracy in his presidency and government just like Mobutu Seseko of DR Congo. Maybe this explains why BBC last month, mistakenly reported that HH was the Congolese President being sworn in for his second term in Kinshasa. He is ‘Congolese ruler’ with governance colours of Mobutu Seseko,’’ said Dr Zimba. ‘’We must applaud Dr. Fred M’membe for defining UPND’s government on 13th January, 2024 that ‘HH runs a government of thieves, by thieves and for the thieves’. Factually, this is the most accurate meaning of kleptocracy to the extent that no person or institution can doubt, distort or debate the captioned description and preposition in HH’s government for now.’’