Maravi

Fighting corruption is not easy

Fighting corruption is not easy
By The Post
Tue 05 Apr. 2011, 04:00 CAT

“Fighting corruption is not an easy fight. We need a sustained attack. Corruption is war. In fact what has happened is if you are not careful with fighting corruption, it fights you back and wins. I have seen it in Nigeria.”

These are the observations of Commonwealth governance advisor to Zambia Roger Koranteng. We can also truthfully say that we have, in some way, witnessed in Zambia what Koranteng saw in Nigeria.

The corruption fight that gained very high momentum under Levy Mwanawasa’s government was reversed when Rupiah Banda took over the reins of power.

And instead of fighting the corrupt, Rupiah became the defender of the corrupt and started to fight those who were fighting corruption.

And institutions of the state that were involved in the fight against corruption were converted into institutions for the defence of the corrupt.

And this is where our Anti Corruption Commission, the Drug Enforcement Commission, the police and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are today.

They have joined Rupiah and George Kunda in their defence of the corrupt and in their fight against the fighters of corruption.

And Dr Joshua Kanganja, the Secretary to the Cabinet, is very right in his observation that “there is a tendency in this country to think that the fight against corruption is for the Anti Corruption Commission and government, that’s wrong”.

We have seen what it means to solely rely on government institutions for the success of the fight against corruption.

Our government institutions seem to toe the line dictated to them by those in control of government.

If those in control of government are corrupt, these institutions become useless in the fight against corruption.

They actually become corrupt themselves and start to defend corruption and join the corrupt’s fight against those fighting corruption.

This is exactly what the Anti Corruption Commission and Drug Enforcement Commission are doing today.

They have been used to destroy the fight against Frederick Chiluba’s corruption and are today colluding with those in power to give him back the properties that he had bought with money stolen from government.

The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has been shamefully used to ensure that cases of corruption against Chiluba and his tandem of thieves are derailed to allow them to go scot-free.

It was the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that was used to withdraw a legitimate and appropriate appeal by the Task Force on Corruption of Chiluba’s clearly corrupt acquittal by the magistrates’ court.

And we have also seen how the Attorney General’s chambers have been used to ensure that Chiluba does not lose his loot by derailing the process of having the London High Court judgment enforced against him.

The Attorney General refused to appeal a clearly faulty judgment of the High Court in the attempt to register the London High Court judgment so that it can be enforced against Chiluba.

In the situation we are in today, all state institutions that are very vital in the fight against corruption – the Anti Corruption Commission, the Drug Enforcement Commission, the police, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Attorney General’s chambers and indeed the courts of law – have been paralysed and rendered ineffective in fighting the corrupt and corruption.

And Dr Kanganja is right when he urges us as a nation not to always rely on government for the success of the fight against corruption.

Truly, the fight against corruption starts and ends with the Zambian people. When the Zambian people drop their guard or slumber, corruption thrives and takes root.

It will be very difficult to successfully fight corruption without inculcating an anti-corruption spirit in all our people.

The fight against corruption should start at home, in the family and be extended to the school, the Church and the workplace. It should also be heard in all our political institutions and government structures.

In a word, it should be everywhere.

Corruption is possible because the family allows it.

If a parent allows his or her young son or daughter who has just finished school or college to come home with money, with things that are far beyond his earned income without being questioned, this is a recipe for increased corruption in the nation.

Today, we see many young people driving cars, owning property and other things that are clearly beyond their earned income, and their parents are tolerating this and even joining in the enjoyment of all these things.

What this means is that parents are allowing their children to steal.

And probably the whole thing starts with them because they are also thieves.

How can a corrupt parent stop his or her son or daughter from being corrupt?

Wives see their husbands accumulate a lot of money that is far beyond their normal earnings but they raise no questions.

Instead, they happily join in the increased consumption. In this way, the husband continues to steal unabated, without shame.

The same applies to husbands who allow their wives to bring home all sorts of things, all amounts of money that are beyond their earnings without questioning.

This breeds all sorts of corruption, including infidelity and prostitution.

There is need to teach all our people – in the family, school, Church, workplace, and so on and so forth – the importance of incorruptibility as part of the essence of self-respect.

In saying this, we are not in any way implying that our people should not enjoy the good life.

While appreciating opportunities to enjoy the good life, we should teach our people to refuse to use their positions to get themselves or those close to them anything that is not their due.

If you are honest, truly honest, you won’t be corrupted.

If you are unassuming and have a clear understanding of the worth of people and of yourself, you won’t be corrupted.

We all need a conversion of heart and mind to honesty, truth, justice, solidarity and love.

We call on all our people to say, ‘Enough,’ enough of dishonesty, of lies, of self-seeking, of bribery and corruption of all kinds even at the lowest levels at which it can affect ordinary people.

If we are to halt this corruption that is today taking hold of our country, it will only be if the great majority of us resolutely refuse to take that road. Corruption in Zambia is starting to reach alarming proportions.

And the harm done to the people due to corruption cannot be measured in monetary terms alone.

Corruption is destroying the moral fibre of the nation, especially when it takes place among the government officials, parastatal bodies and even the forces of public order.

Moreover, the issue of public corruption continues to surface in political discussions.

It seems clear that people are not yet satisfied that the government has taken the necessary step to bring discipline in its ranks.

Stronger leadership at the highest levels needs to be shown to build public confidence and to set examples and standards of honesty and selflessness.

Dr Kanganja is right when he says that “it takes two to tango”. Those who pay bribes facilitate and perpetuate an already dysfunctional system.

Corruption is a sin and has drastic evil effects, it is robbing our nation of scarce resources. What those involved in it “are doing is not good” (Exodus 18:17); “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

We therefore join Dr Kanganja in inviting all Zambians to join the fight against corruption and avoid corruption at all costs and condemn it whenever and wherever they see it.

Corruption destroys social structures.

We all have a duty to promote transparency, accountability and honesty in our country. Corruption is a plague that must be erased from every place and activity in our country.

Labels: CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 5:12 AM