By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
A DEVELOPMENT Activist Wesley Miyanda has called on President Elect Hakainde Hichilema to end caderism which he described as a huge cancer that was left to grow and consumed society.
Mr Miyanda said political cadres became more powerful than the police and other law enforcement agencies, hence this should not be seen in the UPND tenure.
He said political cadres in the previous government were left to beat up people anyhow, disrupt radio programmes, storm police stations and beat up police officers without being punished, a situation he said should change.
Mr Miyanda was speaking to the Daily Nation in Kitwe.
“Political cadres are usually wealthy and untouchable. This is unacceptable and needs to be stopped immediately.
“Late President Levy Mwanawasa dealt with them and we never saw any cadre violence during his reign because no one was shielded from prosecution,” he said.
Mr Miyanda fsaid the new government must deal with corruption from day one in office.
He said reading the Auditor General’s reports and seeing huge sums of tax payers’ money embezzled, misappropriated , misapplied or unaccounted for was sickening.
Mr Miyanda said the new government needed to see to it that erring controlling officers faced the law regardless of their status in society.
“We are tired of reading in the newspapers about the endless financial scandals in most parastatal organizations, government ministries and departments.
“We have seen money meant for widows and orphans stolen by the people entrusted to administer it. We are tired of seeing ministers and those in government flaunting their ill-gotten wealth as they build themselves mansions and drive expensive vehicles using money which does not commensurate with their known earnings,” Mr Miyanda added.
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