Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:00:38 +0000
Sunday, December 9, 2012
President Michael Sata is totally insensitive to the outrage and anger Zambians feel about his continued embrace of people accused of graft, corruption and theft.
And the designation of Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba as acting president while undergoing corruption investigations is a blow to the fight against corruption, integrity and good governance.
Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) member Brebner Changala said that the appointment of Mr. Kabimba was a political circus and another dontchi Kubeba slap on the anti-corruption crusade.
Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Kabimba as acting president by President Michael Sata, Mr. Changala said that it was extremely unfortunate that the head of state elevated Mr. Kabimba while corruption investigations on him were ongoing.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the President can elevate one of his ministers being investigated on corruption charges to the office of acting President. What signal does that send to the people and the international community on the commitment of the PF government in the fight against corruption? What message is that sending to the investigating wing the ACC? Is it not another donchi Kubeba slap on ACC and the people of Zambia?” wondered Mr. Changala.
And Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) president Charles Milupi.charges that President Sata is too insensitive to the Zambian people by appointing Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba as acting vice-president amid serious corruption allegations he is facing.
Mr. Milupi said that even in the absence of Vice-president Dr. Guy Scott, President Sata could have appointed a dignified and credible person to act in that position instead of somebody who had no respect for constitutional offices such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
“The PF is too insensitive to what Zambians think. The people chose to fall for false promises of the PF leaders and now they can see their true colours. It is up to the Zambians to judge the behavior of PF leaders,” said Mr. Milupi.
And Mr Changala asked whether President Sata did not have credible ministers who were not under any corruption investigations to hold the office of the president in his absence rather than Mr. Kabimba.
“Are there not any other free Minister who can act on this one time? Don’t we have credible Minister who could have acted rather than Kabimba?”
Mr. Changala said that it was his concern that the fight against corruption under President Sata’s leadership was highly compromised and lacked vision.
“My concern is that, is President Sata serious about that fight against corruption in the county or is he taking Zambians for granted?
He said that what President Sata had done was extremely wrong and it defeated the purpose of fighting corruption, adding that he should have not appointed Mr. Kabimba on that position because he was under corruption investigations.
“On this one act alone the fight against corruption by the PF government has collapsed. There is no better signal that what transpired yesterday. The fight against corruption by the PF is another circus and for those that believed in the PF pronouncement about the fight against graft is another Donchi Kubeba,” he said.
Mr. Changala expressed his condolences to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) whose drive to get rid of corruption in government had drawn another blank, as ACC could only investigate those who were not politically connected and that was a serious tragedy which Zambians should stand up and denounce.
