By KETRA KALUNGA
NOBODY is persecuting anybody but if you have stolen, we want to prosecute you and in fact, if you did wrong, you need to be convicted, Vice President, Mutale Nalumango has said.
Ms Nalumango said there was no need for persecution because every Zambian has the right to acquire wealth but that should be obtained legally.
Speaking in parliament yesterday during the question and answer session, Ms Nalumango said the UPND administration would not persecute people in its fight against corruption because it wants to unite the nation.
Ms. Nalumango however said in uniting the nation, the government would not allow criminality, neither would it change from prosecution to persecution in its fight against graft.
‘’There is no need to persecute anybody but if you were wrong, I stand here on behalf of this government and sincerely say, we want to prosecute you and in fact if you did wrong you need to be convicted,’’ she said.
Mrs Nalumango was responding to the acting leader of the opposition, Chama South Member of Parliament (MP), Davison Mung’andu who wanted to clarify whether under the UPND regime, any person who has money has stolen.
Mr. Munga’ndu said President Hakainde Hichilema while in the opposition said on many occasions that he created opportunities to acquire wealth but now he believes that whoever has money has stolen.
However, Mrs Nalumango clarified that President Hichilema did not create opportunities to acquire the wealth but seized the opportunities and that was the normal way for every Zambian to live.
She said it was an imagination for anyone to think that President Hichilema does not want Zambians to acquire wealth because his agenda was to see Zambians financially stable.
‘’When an opportunity is given to you to have wealth, seize the opportunity, that is clean money and President Hichilema’s agenda is to see Zambians get wealth,’’ she said.
