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Rupiah has a corrupt mind – Hichilema

Rupiah has a corrupt mind – Hichilema
By George Chellah
Fri 04 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT

President Banda toasts with Irish Ambassador to Zambia Tony Cotter after the envoy presented his credentials at State House yesterday - Picture by Collins Phiri
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said President Rupiah Banda has a corrupt mind and therefore has no moral right to talk about the fight against corruption, especially when the powers of the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) have been transferred to State House.

Commenting on President Banda's statement that government recognises the need to strengthen the law on assets declaration, forfeiture of proceeds of crime and that of enhancing whistle-blower protection to fight corruption, Hichilema dismissed President Banda's address to the nation on Wednesday to launch the anti-corruption week.

"Rupiah Banda for me as far as I am concerned has no moral right to talk about the fight against corruption. The conduct of his government has demonstrated that corruption is condoned from the highest office," Hichilema said. "It's his office that has transferred the powers of the ZPPA to State House as we have seen in the Zamtel and oil procurement cases."

Hichilema said President Banda had absolutely no interest in fighting corruption.

"What he does is to wear a mask and project to the public that he is fighting corruption when he is doing the opposite. Zambians must not allow Rupiah Banda to change large commodity procurement contracts for personal gain," he said.
Hichilema doubted the genuiness of President Banda's statement on enhancing whistle-blower protection to fight corruption.

"He removed former Task Force on Corruption chairman Max Nkole who wanted to appeal (former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal). He removed Kapitolo (then director general of the Zambia National Tender Board), so which whistle blower is he trying to protect?" Hichilema said. "A corrupt mind starts by preparing the way. They just look at the current structure, management and when they look at certain officers like Max Nkole, David Kapitolo and Peter Mumba (former energy permanent secretary), he gets rid of them."

And Hichilema criticised the recent presidential appointments.

"Look at what he has done. How many Cabinet ministers are from one region? It's now jobs for boys and girls, for the relatives, clansmen! This is Zambia, not Gwanda. I hate talking about this because I have been a victim of tribal hegemony. Certain provinces like Southern Province have no Cabinet minister," Hichilema said. "There is no single Cabinet minister from there (Southern Province) and you have five ministers and about 14 deputy ministers all from one region and in one place which is part of Zambia you choose not to have a Cabinet minister."

Hichilema said President Banda did not know what people were saying on the ground.
"He is just busy flying around but people are saying 'there is a corrupt man going'," he said.
Hichilema also dismissed home affairs minister Lameck Mangani's justification of the appointments.

"Mangani mentioned me in that but he must not associate me in his dirty tribal mind. Mangani is doing that because of the President's corrupt mind. This is what a corrupt President can do, especially a visionless President. You know Rupiah Banda is not morally upright with regards to corruption and to talk about corruption" Hichilema said.
He challenged President Banda to let the oil contract the late president Mwanawasa left to continue.

"He is trying to change the contract corruptly. We were having fuel flowing smoothly until the greed of that man came in. Leave that petroleum contract just as Mwanawasa left it, if he is fighting corruption," Hichilema said. "Look at what he is doing at the Judicial Complaints Authority (JCA). I know judge Chulu personally, Prof Mvunga not much but the President appointing them is corrupt. Look at the Chief Justice, the returning officer, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the Judicial Complaints Authority...Rupiah Banda is embarassing people. This is why we are asking for an independent Electoral Commission. He is stuffing people in the Electoral Commission."

Speaking on Wednesday evening in his address to the nation on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation television to launch the anti-corruption week, President Banda said government would continue to strengthen the anti-corruption institutional framework to address any weaknesses and negative effects of the scourge. He said corruption drained resources from the much-needed investment in health, education, infrastructure and other basic services.
“Corruption weakens democratic institutions, perverts the rule of law, discourages investment and aid inflows, undercuts public confidence in government, breeds inequality and disenfranchises large segments of the population,” the President said.

President Banda said pervasive corruption nurtured organised crime, including trafficking of human beings and drugs, and is associated with money laundering, including illicit international money transfers which can be used to finance terrorist groups.

He said corruption was a severe obstacle to development and Zambia could not afford to continue tolerating it.
The President said as Zambia joined the world in commemorating the International Anti-Corruption Day, his administration would remain steadfast in its resolve to rid the country of the vice.

“In this regard, my government shall continue to strengthen the Anti Corruption Commission and other institutions involved in fighting the scourge. But the fight needs the support of all well-meaning citizens,” he said.
He said Zambia has continued to place the fight against corruption on top of its agenda.

The International Anti-Corruption Day falls on December 9 and this year’s theme is: ‘Your No Counts’.

Labels: CORRUPTION, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA, ZPPA

posted by MrK @ 4:44 AM