MALANJI’S 11 MILLION THEFT, DARKEST MOMENT, HE NEEDS MORE YEARS IN PRISON – CHABINGA
Robert Chabinga who holds himself as the legal president of the opposition Patriotic Front has described the theft of $11 million by former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji as a dark moment in the country’s history.
Malanji and his co-accused former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba were this week convicted and imprisoned for stealing public money which is said to have been sent to Turkey and withdrawn, brought back to Zambia on a presidential jet.
Below is Chabinga’s statement:
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PATRIOTIC FRONT, HON. ROBERT CHABINGA, MP
The revelations surrounding Hon. Joseph Malanji’s conviction are a painful but necessary reminder of the damage caused when entrusted leaders abuse the confidence of the people and the resources of our nation.
The theft of $11 million (ZMW 270 million), withdrawn in cash over the counter in Turkey and flown back to Zambia on a Presidential Jet, represents one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history. The use of a State aircraft to commit what can only be described as Zambia’s biggest robbery is shameful, dishonourable, and must be condemned in the strongest terms.
As Acting President of the Patriotic Front, I wish to state clearly:
1. Those who served as leaders in the PF but chose to enrich themselves at the expense of the people must show remorse, stand down, and pave the way for the party’s renewal and rebranding.
2. We cannot rebuild trust with the Zambian people while clinging to individuals who betrayed that trust.
3. To those who abused ministerial office to plunder public funds, let this be a warning: you must be ready to face justice.
4. I also call upon the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to appeal this sentence. It is unconscionable that poor Zambians face five to seven years in jail for stealing a chicken out of hunger, yet those who looted millions from the State walk away with lighter sentences. Justice must not favour the powerful.
To our members and to the nation, let us be reminded that it was by God’s providence that PF lost power in 2021. The depth of corruption in that Cabinet was such that, had you thrown a stone, it would almost certainly have landed on a thief. This was a painful but necessary cleansing moment.
As we move forward, PF must demonstrate humility, integrity, and a genuine break from the past. That is the only path to renewal and the only way we can again be trusted by the Zambian people.
Hon. Robert Chabinga, MP
President – Patriotic Front
Let us be real and honest with ourselves as Zambians. This grand theft was, without any shadow of doubt, Edgar Lungu’s theft. The manner of execution confirms it all. Where on earth would an ordinary minister (not even Vice President) roll a presidential jet from its hanger at the airport and embark on a very long journey out of Zambia without the sitting president’s consent and knowledge of the mission for such a journey? Is it our naivety or the superstitious fear of the dead that is blinding us on this issue? The entire PF regime was rotten – from the head (President) to the cadre on the streets.