THE raid on the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust is in the same genre as the raid on Stoppila Sunzu’s father’s house in Chililabombwe and indeed the raid and subsequent destruction of the Sammys’ farm in Siavonga.
They all have a common denominator: The search for Edgar Lungu’s riches.
An impression has been created that ECL has vast amounts of money stashed within and outside the country, which security wings must find.
In the process collateral damage in form of injured and harassed individuals has been deemed acceptable.
This is wrong.
As President of this nation, Mr. Lungu worked with many people and more importantly worked within a Government system that had systems and procedures, which were flouted by those individuals who sought personal benefit.
As we have said before, the perceived fight against corruption is a camouflage against the person of the former President by the new dawn administration.
Of course they would continue to argue that it is not true, but as the adage goes, “actions speak louder than words.”
The public cannot be fooled that the fight against corruption is anchored on the rule of law and not directed at former government officials in the Patriotic Front administration. They have seen through the lies.
Constitutional lawyer John Sangwa says “I am very worried because I rated President Hakainde Hichilema very highly but there is a sense of disappointment in the manner he is governing.
Mr Sangwa said President Hichilema is now being called a liar for not upholding his campaign promises to better the lives of Zambians.
And he did promise that his new dawn administration would not drive an anti-corruption agenda based on vengeance. But that is what the nation has witnessed.
The recent search of the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust by a joint investigative team is not only cowardly but barbaric to imagine that a government system can stoop so low in their effort to settle scores.
PF vice president Given Lubinda commenting on the search said it was sad that in trying to pin down the former President, the investigative wings have continued with their no-knock raids and searches of properties belonging to innocent individuals who are closer to him.
The searches are aimed at not only intimidating but harassing those targeted in the hope that they might stumble on something to pin on the former Head of State.
To have targeted the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust for example, a non-governmental organisation that all Zambians know was the brainchild of the former first lady, Ms Esther Lungu, is a veiled attack on President Lungu himself.
The investigative team, shamefully, only found wheelchairs in a container that they forced open. What they found are what the foundation dealt with, providing a charitable service to the less privileged in society as per its mandate.
These attacks directed at those linked to the former Head of State are likely to leave many Zambians disillusioned with the UPND government.
It is important for Zambians to learn that the European Union, which hailed Mr. Hichilema’s electoral victory, has also questioned the approach that is being used in the so called fight against corruption.
It has noted that the EU-backed anti-corruption campaign is at risk of veering towards a political purge, according to a new report that was recently published.
But that is precisely what the anti-corruption drive has become, a means to “fix” anyone associated with the PF government, in particular President Lungu.
But such malicious vindictiveness, as the nation can tell from experience, do not succeed, but only end up frustrating those who cook up such schemes.
STATE MISCHIEF
