HICHILEMA’S CLOSE FRIENDS, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, AND GOVT DEALS
AFLIFE, an entity controlled and managed by Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s close friends and business associates, is reported to be handling, syndicating, and offloading huge property investment deals around the country. With the most recent property transaction being the sale of a four-story building (former MTN next to Citi Bank), which is located in Rhodes Park at Elunda Park area. The Zambia National Building Society (ZNBS), a state entity, has purchased this property, and again, AFLIFE’s involvement in this transaction has been mentioned by a whistleblower.
It, therefore, begs the questions: how is AFLIFE suddenly syndicating deals and selling off properties they couldn’t sell before Mr Hichilema and the UPND came to power? Why has AFLIFE’s business dealings with state entities become so easy? Where has this astuteness in coaxing government ministries, agencies, departments, and parastatals to close pricey business deals in real time come from? How has AFLIFE become so attractive for the state to do business with them? What is Mr Muna Hantuba doing right, which other businessmen are failing to do? Can Mr Hantuba share his secret?
Any intelligent person will certainly suspect that there is a structured system of influence peddling and inside dealing, which is corruption in itself, that is fraudulently turning tax payer’s money into personal money. There is a conscientious manipulation and harvesting of state funds by certain key individuals in this government using their friends and business associates. We say this because we are also aware of other similar transactions that are pending. It is a fact that the same people controlling some of these private entities involved in these corrupt schemes today are the same ones running government.
But time will catch up with them. They will not be clever for long. As the Bembas say “Ifya kulya ubushiku fitulikila ku malushi”. The sweeping humiliation and disgrace that awaits those engaged in this sort of greediness is unconceivable, ba kasebana ba mambala!
That is why even the declaration of assets has become a problem because they don’t want Zambians to know. But eventually, Zambians will know everything they are doing, and in fact, they are starting to know quite a lot. Zambians are aware of the corruption, embezzlement, cronyism, regulatory capture, lobbying and undue influence on policymaking and other crooked vices that are undermining democratic methods, compromising public interest, and hindering government’s capacity to effectively and efficiently serve our people. But it’s just a matter of time before all this turns into tears for all criminals
Ba Zambia, we made a mistake that must be corrected before we lose the entire plantation.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party