Maravi

Letters - Context of corruption

Context of corruption
By Felix Tembo
Fri 20 May 2011, 23:00 CAT

Editor,

Democracy, when properly followed and implemented in its real context, can be very progressive and developmental. However, in Africa and Zambia in particular, we seem to have our own version of democracy which is synonymous with corruption.

This country seems to have gone further by having its own definition of corruption. We have seen politicians distributing chitenge material, foodstuffs such as sugar in Eastern province and they have called that campaigning. No one is free from corruption in this country but the level at which some people are doing it is alarming.

Imagine, some Good Samaritan organisations have revealed to us that some multinational companies are evading paying tax to the government and yet our leaders are shielding them. Our own mines minister even went on air trying to justify this wrong. What is wrong with me, with you and with us Zambians? In the region, we have the most expensive fuel, more expensive than even Congo DR.

Our roads cost over K1billion just to tar a kilometre. Some people have minted in such dubious contracts and we are just watching them.

The level of corruption that we have reached cannot sustain development in this country. We need a leader determined to reduce if not weed out this scourge from our country.

Just look at how our ministers were before getting into government; some of them were even failing to buy mealie-meal for their families but today they drive the most posh vehicles around, they wear the most expensive designer clothes that not even Obama wears.

This year, we want change even if it means voting in a ‘mad’ person, let’s just do it. After all, development is not synonymous with just one group of people, what if they all decide to relocate, who is going to finish the developmental projects they claim to have initiated?

It’s the main reason we want to change.

The person that will be lucky to be made President should not segregate who to prosecute like some were spared in the last fight – kaofela! We know how worth most of these that have acquired temporal pot-bellies were before the NCC.

The fight should start with a messenger and end at State House, and please take the fight even to the private companies and parastatals like NAPSA, and so on.

Labels: CORRUPTION, MINING, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX

posted by MrK @ 5:47 PM