Hichilema´s Govt gets US fire over corruption
…as Americans urge him to fight ´all´ graft not ´selective´
28.10.22
The United States government has advised President Hakainde Hichilema´s administration to avoid being selective in fighting deep-rooted rising corruption in Zambia.
The U.S government that premised their call on the appointment of a new Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said Mr Hichilema´s government must now engage in, “timely prosecution and conviction of offenders “across all sectors and across political lines,” in a statement posted on the embassy Facebook page today.
This is the first strong but cautiously worded statement the embassy has issued on ´growing graft´ under President Hichilema since governments changed in the southern African country a year ago after a controversial election.
The embassy also lamented the fact that a person that steals a chicken in Zambia faces much stiffer punishment than a public figure or businessman that robs billions of kwacha from poor Zambians.
“The irony is heart breaking (in Zambia) where theft of a chicken will land a poor man in jail while theft of billion kwacha by someone in a position of public trust (government officials) goes unpunished,” emphasised the embassy.
Recently, opposition leaders such as PF presidential aspirant Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba have raised concern at the lack of probes into allegations of graft in officialdom under President Hichilema.
Ambassador Mwamba has specifically pointed out the acquisition of electric poles by ZESCO from South Africa and Zimbabwe, allegations against Health Minister Sylvia Masebo demanding bribes for awarding government contracts and government ´single sourcing´ of over US$100 million plus of fertiliser from a friend of President Hichilema, Maurice Jangulo and purchase of 156 Landcruiser 4×4´s without following the law as Zambians starve.
With this background, the US government has cast aside earlier diplomatic decorum and urged Zambians, “lets call corruption what it is; theft form Zambian people, looting Zambian fortunes,” while schools go without chalk and hospitals go without medicine is unacceptable.
For the first time a western corporation partner also weighed in on the growing external debt of Zambia, new and old, which it says is sad is being transferred to the “future generation” of Zambia.
There has been growing dissent among Zambians as corruption increases under President Hichilema and majority of Zambians following high costs of food and fuel.
President Hichilema has however said he will “fix” the economy and reduce prices of food in future including fertiliser that has not reached the farmers for the forthcoming season yet.
Analysts and critics have been concerned at the fact that the western corporating partners that openly criticised the past President Edgar Lungu administration have been openly silent regarding Mr Hichilema´s ills that include graft and abuse of human rights.
The United States has however broken out of the ranks in this latest Facebook post diplomatically targeted at the current administration of Mr Hichilema.
Source: US Embassy Zambia Facebook page