THE cabal is back again.
Leaks from the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) are not spontaneous. They are planned and well targeted by the cabal.
Over the last few days, tantalising information has been released by both the FIC and the Anti-Corruption commission (ACC) to paint a picture of massive corruption.
Conveniently in many cases, no names are mentioned but sufficient data is exposed to give clear pointers to the so-called erring politicians.
Interestingly, it is mega corruption and not the more pervasive petty corruption that is practised openly buy public officers that has been targeted.
This is intentional and unless President Hakainde Hichilema distances himself from any precipitous action being suggested, he could find himself embroiled and ultimately find himself in the same position as his predecessors, including President Levy Mwanawasa and indeed President Michael Sata found themselves.
They both overreacted and ended with egg on their faces.
President Mwanawasa with the help of the international community appointed the now infamous Task Force against corruption whose dismal end is common knowledge.
Towards the end, the very man now called the warrior against corruption was described as having “exhibited foolishness, stupidity and lack of humility.”
On the other hand President Sata, was made to import Judge Chikopa from Malawi to persecute local judges perceived to have crossed the path of the cabal.
That exercise ended in futility.
President Rupiah Banda was not spared the wrath of the cabal. His immunity was removed opening him to a number of charges in courts but like in previous instances these amounted to naught.
The moral of the story is that, we have people in Zambia who thrive in the cesspit of human depravity. They do not see any good in other people but rather thrive in exploiting the basic human emotions of envy, greed and jealousy.
These are strong emotions which the FIC is evoking by explosive revelations of massive cash movements under very thinly veiled narratives which leave little to the imagination as regard perpetrators.
If the government rises to this bait, the end will be catastrophic because most of the allegations are exaggerated gossip created by operatives of the cabal whose operatives date back to the days of the infamous Task Force.
If entertained, the current leadership will not be spared. At an opportune inconvenient time, the cabal, which has an elephantine institutional memory will recall and bring into play facts and figures that will undermine the integrity of the political leadership.
The best the Government can do is strengthen investigative wings to whom full independence should be accorded to determine allegation of graft or wrongdoing.
Such institutions as FIC should be confined to their role of being intelligence gatherers to surrender information to appropriate authorities that have the capacity to undertake professional investigations.
The cabal must be avoided.
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