HH must declare assets, says US Ambassador as he questions Esther Lungu’s $400,000
US Ambassador to Zambia Michael Gonzales says President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice-President Mutale Nalumango must declare their assets “today” and do so annually until their term in office expires so that they set an example for all other public servants to emulate.
Ambassador Gonzales says the public is right to demand answers when they see that a husband to the (former) Information Minister continues being awarded massive government contracts for the supply of fertilizer.
The American Envoy further says if someone who was just staying in their mother’s house in a compound before taking public office can have a US$400,000 sitting around and even give it to their niece for safe-keeping, they must be challenged to explain the source, as it can be proceeds of corruption.
And Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Johan Hallenborg says forfeiture and asset recovery does not send a strong signal of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Zambia Nicholas Woolley says the UK will provide one million pounds to help Zambia fight corruption.
Speaking during the Zambia Anti-Corruption Conference in Livingstone, Monday, Ambassador Gonzales said there was need to expand the declaration of assets and urged President Hakainde Hichilema to lead in this exercise, saying leadership was demonstrated through actions and not words.
Credit: News Diggers
This is how the Lungus’ conduct in government has turned us into such a laughing stock. And when you add to that a justice system that is so dilatory in concluding such cases and supposed women and men of God such as Godfridah Sumaili and Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda whose conscience is not pricked by such things, it just rubs salt to the wound. This country is damned and will probably just be another failed African state.
Where’s the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ response to Esther Lungu’s 400, 000 US dollars small change entrusted with a relative in one of Lusaka’s compounds and not the safety of a commercial bank? It’s a test case for Zambia’s Judiciary which is being awaited with spellbinding interest.
Balanced observation.
From Namaliketi to flashing $400,000?
Was this the change she came back with after getting retired Firetrucks in California?
The ambassador has raised serious corruption allegations and question marks on HH’s failure to declare assets. Then all the cows see is Esther Lungu’s 400.
I was equally shocked that none of the cowboys mentioned Hakainde declaring assets.
Declaration of assets is good but to subject the president to annual declaration is not a good idea. Is there a country in Africa or in the world where they do that? That’s tantamount to punishment, why punishing our good president who doesn’t even get his salary. A formal request can be made to ECZ to make public the declarations all the presidential candidates made in the last general elections. Easther Lungu was not in government, she was just the wife of the president that time, so even if HH declares his assets today, it can’t help anything in a case like Esther’s. Those who want to know the president’s assets every year, they can as well check with Forbes, the information from there is authentic and quite genuine.
I totally agree with all their excellencies but much more with the Swedish one. You can’t just grab in all likely cases a peanut of the whole stolen items and let the thief or thieves go unpunished. Faith Musonda’s crookedness along with her bosses are good examples of fooling the Zambians.
I have times and again advocated for Kagame’s style of locking up all the suspected thieves, looters and plunderers and only release them after they surrender the last penny to the state and serve at least one to three years sentence.
A thief who admits stealing is not better than the one who has not, they all belong to the same criminal college. Ba HH and your team if you are reading this, please remove the forfeiture provisions and go the Rwanda way.