Maravi

Corruption fight should not be mere rhetoric - Lifuka

Corruption fight should not be mere rhetoric - Lifuka
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 27 Oct. 2010, 04:03 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda and other stakeholders must provide demonstrated leadership in the fight against corruption because the international community closely watch the government’s actions or lack of action on cases of corruption, Transparency International has advised.

Launching the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2010, TI Zambia Chapter president Reuben Lifuka said in 2010, the CPI had surveyed 178 countries and Zambia had maintained a score of 3.0 out of 10 and it was now in the 18th rank category out of the 69 ranks.

Lifuka said this meant that the country had maintained the same points as last year.

“It is good in the sense that the country is not one of the countries that have declined on the index and this gives us hope that more can be done,” Lifuka said. “But it is also bad in that we have the potential as a country to reach the mid-point of 5.0 if not higher and all we need is a clear strategy and consistent action to deal with corruption.”

He said President Banda’s administration urgently needed to intensify the fight against corruption and this should be done with the seriousness and determination it deserved.

“This should be explicit in the manner government amends and enacts various pieces of legislation, policies and programmes that add value and unify various efforts in addressing corruption,” Lifuka said.

Lifuka said everything possible should be done to fight corruption and it should not be left to mere political rhetoric.

“The 2010 CPI results for Zambia are a pointer to the fact that little has been done to improve corporate face on the index. Therefore, a lot still remains to be done and government in particular should use CPI results to consolidate efforts,” he said.

“We recommend that government should do everything within its means not to remove the Abuse of Office clause in the revised ACC Act as this will frustrate the corruption fight. It therefore goes without saying that the current government’s commitment to graft fight will be demonstrated even in the actions it takes in amending and revising key pieces of legislation.”

He said no person or persons should be insulated from prosecution where such sufficient grounds exist and where necessary, government should not hesitate to appeal all cases where strong cogent evidence exists.

Lifuka recommended that law enforcement agencies expeditiously conclude the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases that had been pending for a long time.

Labels: CORRUPTION, RUEBEN LIFUKA, RUPIAH BANDA, TIZ, TRANSPARANCY

posted by MrK @ 2:16 PM