TIZ urges Zambians to protect public funds

TIZ urges Zambians to protect public funds
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 27 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) has advised people to take a keen interest in the country’s utilisation of public funds.

During a public discussion dubbed Holding Caesar Accountable: The Case of Public Companies in Zambia organised by TIZ and the Press Freedom Committee of The Post at Chipata’s Wildlife Hall, TIZ board treasurer Kalungu Sampa said Zambians should be curious about the developments in the country.

“Most of the time we hear of public funds being abused. What have we done about it? Even finding the information about the Auditor General's report, people do not go there. So if you want to find out about the Auditor General's report you can go there and not to put the blame on the Auditor General's office,” Sampa said last Monday.

“If am to ask as to how many times have you taken keen interest to know how public money is being abused, even if some people now may be more educated than the people in the UNIP time but talking of passiveness, we are more than them. We don't want to go and find out. That's why people abuse our money as long as they hold an umbrella of being called they are in government. How many times have we heard of the railway line Chipata Mchinji saying it is on the budget? If I can remember it is about 20 years ago.”

Sampa said it was bad that Zambians lacked the courage to question the abuse of public funds. And Post newspapers columnist and author of the book Show Me The Money Edem Djokotoe said people should be active in monitoring the abuse of public funds.

“This activism I am talking about starts with the district to the province and later on at the national level. But if this activism does not start at the district and go on to the national level then it cannot be there," Djokotoe said.

Djokotoe analysed how a number of public companies operated and how they ended up making loses and subsequently folding.

Adam Daka of TIZ said a number of projects in Eastern Province did not commence as expected despite funds being released. Some Chipata residents expressed concern that the government awarded contracts to the same companies that did shoddy jobs.

One of the residents, Andrew Phiri said it was sad that most of the contractors that were awarded contracts were politically linked to the government.
Obed Mwale from the Office of the Auditor General in Chipata said the office would soon be opened and sensitisation programmes had been lined up.