Kunda has betrayed Levy, says Shakafuswa

Kunda has betrayed Levy, says Shakafuswa
By Salim Dawood and Misheck Wangwe
Mon 23 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT

JONAS Shakafuswa has observed that Vice-President George Kunda’s current attitude towards the fight against corruption is laughable compared to the time he served under Levy Mwanawasa.

In an interview in Lusaka, Katuba MMD parliamentarian Shakafuswa said he usually laughs at Vice-President Kunda because he started the process of fighting against corruption as justice minister in Mwanawasa’s government.

Shakafuswa said Vice-President Kunda had betrayed Mwanawasa by refusing to complete the fight against corruption.

“He was the Minister of Justice and he was the Attorney General. He was the one that started this whole thing,” Shakafuswa said on Thursday. “He wrongly advised the head of state at that particular time because now his tone shows that all that effort, all that money was in vain.”

Shakafuswa added that he was totally opposed to the Lusaka High Court outcome, where judge Evans Hamaundu threw out an application by the government to register the London High Court judgment that found former president Fredrick Chiluba and seven others guilty of theft of about US$46 million public funds.

He said the direction of the fight against corruption under the current leadership made sad reading to many Zambians that had been following it from the start. “How can it be all in vain? Look at the US$26 million that was spent for helicopters that never came. I mean, there were properties that were found bought with money from government and no one is talking about it,” he said.

“Maybe the government wants to move and bring the so-called plunderers to start afresh. I hope this will be a lesson to the future generations to learn from in this country.”

He said the people accused of plunder of national resources had been acquitted by the courts of law, and since the judiciary interprets the law, it was up to the Zambians to let them go scot-free or otherwise.

Shakafusawa wished that a ruling had been made to compel plunderers to bring some of the monies stolen from state coffers to help alleviate the high poverty levels in the country.

“What should have been done about those monies that were believed to come from state coffers? That money should have come back so that it could help alleviate poverty. I mean, look at my people in Katuba.

They have no water, they have no access to better health facilities, they haven't got good schools. Why should we continue wallowing in poverty 47 years after independence?” asked Shakafuswa.

And commenting on the second memorial of Mwanawasa, chieftainess Chiawa of the Goba people of Kafue district implored the government to honour the soul of Mwanawasa by embracing his values on governance and national development.

Chieftainess Chiawa described the late president as a visionary leader who had a heart for the rural population.

She said there was need for the current government under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda to embrace the values of the late president and work towards implementing the ideas he had for the majority poor people in rural areas.

Chieftainess Chiawa said in Mwanawasa's government, the future of the people in rural areas looked bright because of the various initiatives he introduced to improve people's livelihoods.

“We had a nice president and as we commemorate his life, it brings a lot of memories especially for us in rural areas. Mwanawasa had a vision for us. He initiated developmental activities for us and the future looked bright.

If he was here, rural life as at now could have been improved to greater heights but that’s what life is all about. God gives and God takes,” chieftainess Chiawa said.

She said Mwanawasa promised her that his government would build a bridge in her chiefdom but after his demise, nothing had happened. She said the people in her chiefdom faced a lot of difficulties to access other areas due to lack of a bridge.

“I was promised a bridge at Kafue River that would cater for my chiefdom up to Chirundu there. But after the death of Mwanawasa, the project has also died. We expect the current government to work towards implementing his promises because it was clear that he would have built the bridge had he lived on,” she said.

“When we want to go out of the chiefdom, we pass through the Southern Province and we cross the river with the pontoon and pass through Lusaka, and it’s very risky; that’s why we have been calling on government to build the bridge for us.”

Chieftainess Chiawa further said the people were mindful of the detrimental effects of corruption because of the crusade that Mwanawasa spearheaded against the vice.

Chieftainess Chiawa said the government should emulate Mwanawasa’s strategy of curbing corruption.
And chieftainess Malembeka of Masaiti described Mwanawasa as a great leader who meant well with his crusade against corruption.

She said the people in the area would remember the late president because of the heart he had for the rural population, who were deprived of many things because of rampant corruption.

“Mwanawasa was an honest man who wanted to see development. Many people became agitated because of his stance on corruption but he proved to the nation that the fight against corruption was inevitable and we needed to fight it together to improve the lives of the majority poor,” chieftainess Malembeka said.

And Kitwe’s United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Kwacha East congregation Reverend Teddy Siwila said Mwanawasa was committed to ensuring that the country attained meaningful development.

Rev Siwila said Copperbelt residents would remember him for his dedication towards sustaining the mines for the betterment of the country’s economy.

Rev Siwila said his stance against corruption should be emulated by those holding government power.