Donors have right to act when their money is embezzled - Rev Matale

Donors have right to act when their money is embezzled - Rev Matale
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sat 20 Mar. 2010, 03:50 CAT

COUNCIL of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Reverend Suzanne Matale has said cooperating partners providing money to Zambia have a right to act when their money is embezzled.

Commenting on British High Commissioner to Zambia Carolyn Davidson's statement that there would be consequences for the assistance provided by cooperating partners if evidence suggests that the government was not committed to fighting corruption,

Rev Matale said she supported the statement because if a country was putting money into something, they needed to know that it was properly used and properly accounted for.

She said every evil or criminal act had consequences and that was why there was emphasis that the arms that deal with the vice must work around the clock to ensure that corruption was rooted out from the ranks.

Rev Matale said at the end of the day, it was the poor people that suffered the consequences of corruption.

She said the consequences of corruption were on two levels; the people providing the money could stop providing it, like they did when they suspended funding to the Ministry of Health or the poor people would end up suffering because of corruption.

Rev Matale said there was need to root out corruption as the government had a duty to deliver services to the people.

She said it was true that corruption was a cancer and poverty levels were partly as a result of the high levels of corruption.

She said despite the rhetoric on fighting corruption, there was very little will in going full time to curb corruption.

“Indeed if you look at the Auditor General's report, it is very scandalous and the fact that the issues that come out of the report are not pursued, they are not properly investigated. People are not brought to book. The reports just come out as formality and nothing is done to pursue the perpetrators,” she said.

Rev Matale said it was pleasing that the National Anti Corruption Policy Plan had been launched but implementation was needed.

She said there were many policies that were now just gathering dust instead of producing results.
Rev Matale said Zambia was in dire need of policies that could deliver so that the programmes aimed at bettering the lives of people could materialise.

During the launch of the national anti corruption policy implementation, High Commissioner Davidson on Thursday said the donor community would continue to watch developments with great interest.

High Commissioner Davidson said the British government was answerable to its taxpayers regarding the expenditure of public funds.