Why You Should Declare your Assets….Apakomaila nondo, ninshi pali ubulema…- Amb. Emmanuel  Mwamba

Why You Should Declare your Assets.

….Apakomaila nondo, ninshi pali ubulema…

Amb. Emmanuel  Mwamba Wrote;

We have now seen centre pivots, combine harvesters and other farm equipment at your Imbaba Farm recently bought and installed.

On Sunday in Choma, you will be auctioning about 3,000 bulls.

Before we congratulate you for the hard work, entrepreneurship and the noble gesture to lead by example, we must discuss these uncomfortable truths.

For almost four years, you won’t declare or make public your assets, liabilities and business interests.

This is despite public and  stakeholders’ pressure and an attendant court process.

When citizens speculate about your source of wealth, you want to shut them up with cyber laws.

Your praise singers want to say that you have been a successful businessman and a farmer for many years and therefore, the discussion about your wealth should never rise.

This could be true, but the farm activities, new land areas acquired, the fencing of large tracts of land, the daming of streams and rivers and the purchase of expensive equipment have rapidly increased since you became President of the Republic of Zambia and the discussion about this new wealth inspires this honest debate.

Citizens know your salary. It’s K53,000.00 per month. You have also publicly stated that this salary is permanently donated every month to the underprivileged.

So citizens are wondering about these expansionery and capital activities and your soaring wealth since you became President.

You are making huge public donations such as the K1.9million you dropped like a hat, at the Dorcas Rally last month.

Money from where? Your salary is K53,000.00.

Remember, you said you had in 2019, sold all your business interests, shares and ownership in companies such as AfLife, and others.

So where is the source of your new wealth?

Then there are constant public allegations of large-scale acts of corruption, some associated with State House.

Therefore, this debate can only end when you declare your assets, liabilities and business interests so that citizens can sincerely congratulate you well on your new success, your hard work and the bold gesture of leading from the front.

I know it’s irritating being compelled to discuss personal matters such as your wealth.

But unfortunately, it’s the law. It’s a requirement in a Democracy threatened and  wrecked by acts of public corruption and utter looting of the Treasury.

Therefore, the declaration of assets by public officials becomes a vital accountability and transparency issue to help build trust in a clearly broken system.

And remember, in Zambia, we have a terrible mindset about wealth.

Wealth is not associated with hard work or innovation or entrepreneurship!
It’s associated with witchcraft, or corruption.

Just see how your Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) behave, or our people in the Komboni.

They assume all assets or businesses are tainted and their sources are proceeds of crime!

So we have to help defeat and change that mindset.

But how can we, when you have helped, to a very large extent, reinforced that notion with your public utterances.

What’s good for the goose, must be good for the gander.

…Ubufumu bukashisha amenso….and you said it; “Leadership is hard”.

So kindly declare  your assets or resign and remain in private practice where there is no single obligation to declare your assets, liabilities and business interests!

Ba Praise,  let’s discuss…