PF officials oppose lifestyle audit
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
CALLS for lifestyle audit of all PF and former Government officials by BizwellMutale is misplaced, PF officials have said.
Mr Mutale on Thursday said there was need for the law enforcement agencies to conduct lifestyle audit of all senior Patriotic Front and former Government officials to clear the corruption tag that has been unfairly levelled against previous administration.
Mr Mutale who is aspiring to take over PF presidency said it was saddening that the former ruling party had suffered a serious prejudice after being branded a corrupt and tribal party by some people without presenting evidence.
However, PF Lusaka Province chairperson Kennedy Kamba said it was a sheer waste of time to subject officials who were not directly employed in Government to a lifestyle audit when they had no access to state coffers.
“I don’t agree with him. PF has never been tribal or corrupt. Yes, on caderism I can agree with him, we failed to control it because of circumstances beyond our control,” Mr Kamba said.
And PF Eastern Province Information and Publicity Secretary William Phiri said Mr Mutale should not start a fight that seem to be sponsored by the UPND.
Mr Phiri said it was not adding up for Mr Mutale to call for the audit of PF officials when the investigative wings had already caused harm to the former ruling party with unfair raids, searches and arrest of members.
“Mr Bizwell Mutale should not start a fight that seem to be sponsored by the UPND. If he wanted to speak about corruption and taking audit of the lives of our ministers or party officials, he would have done so when PF was in government. Who does he want to impress now with his crusade on corruption?” Mr Phiri asked.
Mr Mutale said it was high time the law enforcement agencies conducted an audit to cleanse those who were unfairly accused of being corrupt just because they were members or worked with the former ruling party.
He announced that he would write to the relevant government institutions to commence auditing former ministers, Permanent Secretaries, senior State House staff, District Commissioners, Director and Commissioner Generals, and Chief Executive Officers who worked in public offices during the PF regime.
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