Open Letter to President Hakainde Hichilema
Subject: Upholding Accountability in the Mopani Copper Mines Transaction
Your Excellency,
As a concerned citizen of Zambia, I write to express my profound disappointment and concern over the lack of transparency and accountability in the Mopani Copper Mines transaction.
The recent remarks by Paul Kabuswe, attempting to deflect responsibility for this matter, are deeply troubling and undermine public confidence in the principles of good governance and accountability that this administration pledged to uphold.
Paul Kabuswe’s assertion that the transaction was a government decision and did not require parliamentary approval because there was no sale is not only misleading but dismissive of the people’s demand for transparency.
The fact remains that, this transaction significantly altered the ownership and control of a vital national asset, a matter that should have been subjected to rigorous scrutiny and oversight.
Your Excellency, you have consistently championing the fight against corruption and promised to restore integrity in public office.
How, then can your administration turn a blind eye to the Mopani saga? Are corruption and accountability only issues for the opposition, while irregularities within your administration are overlooked?
This double standard risks undermining your credibility and the trust of the Zambian people.
As the custodian of Zambia’s mineral wealth, Kabuswe bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all transactions in the mining sector are conducted transparently, equitably, and in the best interests of the nation.
The failure to provide detailed and convincing explanations of this transaction raises serious questions about the integrity of this process and your administration’s commitment to good governance.
What is needed:
1. Direct Paul Kabuswe to release all documents, agreements, and terms of the Mopani Copper Mines transaction to the public. Transparency is not an option it is a necessity in safeguarding public trust.
2. According to law any transaction of this magnitude involving strategic national assets in whatever form must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny, as required by law. Allowing elected representatives to review such decisions ensures that national interests are safeguarded.
3. Your administration must demonstrate that no individual or group is above the law. If irregularities are found in the Mopani transaction, those responsible must be held accountable.
4. Kabuswe must resign on moral grounds, for best interests of this great Republic.
Your Excellency, you pledged to lead a government that serves the people with integrity and transparency.
However, the Mopani Copper Mines saga threatens to erode the trust Zambians placed in you. The natural resources of this country belong to its citizens, and decisions affecting these resources must prioritize the collective good above all else.
This is an opportunity for you to reaffirm your commitment to fighting corruption, not selectively, but across all sectors and individuals, regardless of their affiliations. We demand answers, not excuses.
Sincerely,
Abraham Simpamba
Together We Can
Ichalo Bantu!