By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
In 2018, the UK government froze aid funding to Zambia, after government admitted that $4.3m (£3.3m) meant for poor families had gone missing.
The affected sectors included education, health and nutrition sectors including community development.
Ireland, Finland and Sweden followed suit and also suspended their aid.
The theft occurred to social cash transfer funds and the funds supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) and special programmes in science and mathematics.
Following a Forensic Audit by the Auditor General Office, the Ministry of Education suspended seventy one (71) members of staff pending disciplinary hearings and dismissals, over allegations of their involvement in fraud and theft of donor funded money
A Minister was fired and prosecuted while other heads of departments including the Permanent Secretary at Education were suspended or fired.
Now Ministry of Education and the Civil Service Commission have submitted a list to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) seeking clearance that the suspected thieves found wanting by the Auditor General’s Office are immediately reinstated and if possible turned into witnesses.
They claim there were harassed or expelled as a case of victimization.
Clearly the process to reinstate those that could have been genuinely been affected is being abused as it lacks transparency and objectivity.
We saw a case of someone that was dismissed at ZESCO in 2013 (before Edgar Lungu’s government) reinstated and given a senior position.
COMMITTEE TO SIT FOR 60 DAYS
Separately but connected to this, a committee is currently sitting at Sandy’s Creation for the next 60 days to hear cases of those seeking to be reinstated because they were allegedly dismissed on allegations of ethnic or other form of victimisation.
Of concern is that such work can be done at board rooms at government offices or government facilities such as Government complex or Mulungushi International Conference than hiring very expensive private conference and lodging facilities.
What happened to the pronouncement on “No Workshops” to save costs?
Further what is the work of constitutional service commissions tasked to do such work?
Yet, their work is being done by such committees that have no authority or mandate but drawing huge allowances and incurring huge expenses?
