THERE IS NO PERSECUTION BUT PROSECUTION – MWEETWA
LUSAKA – JULY 26, 2022
UPND spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has maintained that there is no persecution at all of anyone, in the ongoing anti-corruption drive.
Mr Mweetwa, who is Southern Province minister and Choma Central member of parliament, was speaking when he featured on an interview programme on Lusaka’s Live FM radio this morning.
He said under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, government institutions have been left to operate within the province of their mandate.
“There is no political interference whatsoever! That’s why whereas some people can claim that now ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission), DEC (Drug Commission Commission) are now being used to persecute, so to speak, that is one perception. But there is also another perception which is ‘the new dawn administration’ is not aggressively tackling corruption,” Mr Mweetwa said.
“Those who are speaking like that hoped that once government changed, all those they suspected where involved in corruption should be behind bars. But the President promised that we are a government of laws. Rule of law!”
Mr Mweetwa noted that no one in law enforcement agencies is using their feelings to arrest those who offended the law.
He added that with a new lease of life at the ACC, now under the board chairmanship of State Counsel Musa Mwenye and also director general Gilbert Phiri, there is a renewed impetus in the operations of the ACC.
“DEC is operating autonomously, too. There is no politics, there is no witch-hunt, there is no persecution. [But] what is there is prosecution at law. Period!” Mr Mweetwa emphasised.
He also indicated that President Hichilema and his administration have maintained that the fight against corruption is not just at looking at corruption of the past but present and future acts of corruption.
On matter of the economy, the minister explained that where the economy sits right now is a much better off place than where it would have been, “had we not brought in a new administration” in August 2021.
“It would have been a totally different story! When we were campaigning to form government, nobody anticipated that the global economy would be hit with rising and fluctuating fuel prices arising out of the war in Ukraine,” he said.
“Today, you can tune to any international media and you will find that the talk of the day around the world is the [high] cost of living.”
Mr Mweetwa said the high cost of living cannot be narrowed down simply to the fact that the UPND formed government.
“Certain factors were unanticipated and they are dependent on decisions and actions of happenings away from the shores of this country. But we are confident that even under these circumstances, the government means well and it is doing all it can to ensure mitigation in the cost of living,” Mr Mweetwa explained.
He said as a mitigating measure, parents who were burdened with payment of school fees for their children have now been ‘redeemed’ with the new dawn’s concept of free education,
“So, the money that they were supposed to pay for school fees is now in their pocket. That is a relief under these difficult circumstances,” he said.
“Today as we speak, we are talking about 30, 496 teachers, mainly young people, being employed. Unprecedented! When those people get a salary, they will able to help families out there. That is mitigation. CDF is rolling out to constituencies and therein is youth empowerment, women empowerment.”
Mr Mweetwa further said social cash transfer has now been raised to K300.
“For a rural person, that is something that creates a difference….” said Mr Mweetwa.