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Let’s build on what Mwanawasa achieved – Nonde-Simukoko

Let’s build on what Mwanawasa achieved – Nonde-Simukoko
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Tue 17 Aug. 2010, 14:00 CAT

FILE PICTURE: Late president Levy Mwanawasa being shown an interlock block press by Dr. Tambatamba, Manager of TDAU - Picture courtesy of Ed Martin
FEDERATION of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde-Simukoko has called for the strengthening and continuation of the anti-corruption crusade as Zambians commemorate the second memorial of late president Levy Mwanawasa.

Commenting on the second memorial of Mwanawasa, which falls tomorrow, Nonde-Simukoko said Zambians should not tolerate corruption at all. “We should continue to promote and strengthen the fight against corruption because with corruption, it is impossible to develop.

This is because money tends to go into individuals’ pockets instead of going into the national coffers to be used for development purposes,” she said.

Nonde-Simukoko said the fight against corruption should be widened to focus not only on the government leaders but also on people from other sectors.

She said corrupt people were enemies of the nation.
She urged Zambians to learn something from the jailing of former South African chief cop Jackie Selebi last month for corruption.

Nonde-Simukoko said attempts to remove abuse of authority from the revised Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Act would not be accepted at all.

She observed that works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti’s explanation that the abuse of authority offence prevented leaders from making decisions was unjustified.

“If one is talking about proper decisions that are documented, I don’t see how that can prevent them from making decisions unless they are talking about making corrupt decisions,” she said.

On governance, Nonde-Simukoko said Mwanawasa tried his best, and there was need to look at the good side of what he did and to build upon it.

Nonde-Simukoko observed that it was important to build on leadership regardless of whether someone was alive or dead.

“But unfortunately in Zambia, we have one weakness: we like dismantling whatever another leader did and we end up losing track. We need to carry on and improve on the good things,” said Nonde-Simukoko.

And Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba called for a holistic approach to the fight against corruption.

Hikaumba said there was need for more punitive measures for those found wanting.
He said tackling corruption should not be confined to the public sector alone.
Hikaumba said the ACC should be strengthened and adequately staffed to fight corruption, and other wings such as the police should be imparted with new policing techniques to help curb the scourge.

Hikaumba urged Zambians to learn something from Mwanawasa’s emphasis on food production.

He recalled that Mwanawasa tried to promote winter maize production to ensure that maize was harvested twice a year, thereby guaranteeing food security for the country.

“We need to step up that approach because what causes problems in any place is failure to be food-sufficient,” Hikaumba observed. Mwanawasa died on August 19, 2008 at Percy Military Hospital in Paris, France.

Labels: CORRUPTION, JOYCE NONDE-SIMUKOKO, LEONARD HIKAUMBA, LEVY MWANAWASA, MIKE MULONGOTI

posted by MrK @ 3:59 PM