Corruption and the Chinese

Corruption and the Chinese
By The Post
Tue 19 July 2011, 14:00 CAT

Corruption is a big problem for Zambia. It cannot be denied that corruption in the public sector is, to a very large extent, responsible for the poor and sometimes very shoddy delivery of public services. The infrastructure projects that Rupiah Banda’s government likes to brag about are a shameful reminder of how corruption is a problem for the country because many of them are so shabbily executed that there is nothing to be proud about.

In view of the fact that corruption has such a pervasive effect on our lives, it is important for us all to prioritise the fight against it. Corruption benefits nobody except the very few who are engaged in it.

As we head to the polls in the next few weeks, it is important that we all take a stand against this cancer that has blighted our country. We need to say no to politicians who have made the defence of corruption and the corrupt their mission in politics.

We say this because corruption is a murderous crime that deprives many of our people of their right to life. A bribe here and a bribe there results in poor medical services, which means that when our people need essential medical care, they may not be able to access it because of corruption. In this sense, corruption becomes a murderous crime that must be fought with vigour. We know that in places like China, corruption is actually a capital offence.

Our friends in China know that allowing corruption to flourish is a danger to the very existence of the state of China. Recently when the Chinese Communist Party celebrated 90 years of its existence, President Hu Jintao sounded a note of caution, warning that the party risked dying if it did not deal with corruption, which was alienating it from the masses of the people.

In particular, he stressed that punishing and effectively preventing corruption was key to winning people’s support and determining the life or death of the party. President Hu stressed that the fight against corruption remained serious and the task was arduous. He added that corruption would cost the party the support and trust of people.

China is the second most prosperous nation in the world today. In comparison to a country like Zambia, it can be said that maybe they can afford some corruption by the sheer size of their economy.

But the Chinese are not fooled by meaningless statistics and gross domestic product figures. The Chinese Communist Party knows that to remain relevant, they have to meet the needs and aspirations of the people. They realise that corruption militates against the realisation of those goals.

This is why it should not surprise anyone that on the occasion of a significant anniversary for the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao chose to address something which, as a good politician, he realised was close to the minds and feelings of many ordinary Chinese. He realised that unless the party hierarchy addressed the felt needs of the people, the alienation that would result risked engulfing the party and obliterating it from existence.

This is why we need to do a similar exercise in our country. We need to take an honest review of where corruption has left us and decide whether it is a worthy companion. Clearly, we will all come to the conclusion that corruption is not an evil that should be condoned because it translates into poor maternal health, high infant mortality, poor access to education for most of our people, lack of employment and a general deprivation that consigns the vast majority of our people to a life of poverty, hopelessness and early death. This is what corruption does to us. And this is the system that Rupiah and his minions seem prepared to defend and perpetuate.

They do not seem to have a real feeling of compassion about the suffering of our people. Rupiah and his minions have detached the need to deliver basic services to our people from their need to remain in power. In other words, they do not want to be elected so that they provide services to our people but they want to pretend to provide services so that they can be elected. This raises the question: why do they want to be elected? Since it is clear that they do not want to be elected in order to provide services - they want to pretend to provide services so that they can be elected - we need to understand what their real motivation for seeking power is.

When this issue is critically analysed, it has to be said that corruption and the abuse of power and the benefits that that can bring to them personally has to be a major incentive for the kind of industry that they engage in to retain power. Is it possible that Rupiah and his family are enjoying the benefits of power so much that even when they are abusing their positions, they do not see it as abuse?

Could it be that they have gotten used to receiving gifts from road contractors and other government contractors that they regard it as normal? Could this provide the explanation why certain contractors in places like the Eastern Province are being forced onto the people when their failure to deliver is well-known and well-documented?

Not too long ago, Rupiah shocked many well-meaning Zambians when he publicly declared that there is no corruption in Zambia. He also advised that people should not listen to those that suggest that there is corruption in Zambia. Did Rupiah say this because he genuinely believes that there is no corruption in Zambia? Or is there something more serious happening? It seems to us that Rupiah now realises that many people know about what he has been up to; how he has acquired property under all sorts of aliases.

Within weeks of becoming President, Rupiah had enough money to start acquiring property. Could this be the problem that is bothering him? Is this why he is saying that there is no corruption in this country? We have not forgotten that soon thereafter, his government moved very speedily to disband the Task Force on Corruption. After they had achieved that, they also made sure that they butchered the Anti Corruption Commission Act by removing the provision on abuse of office that required public officers to account for the wealth, property or advantage that they acquired using their positions. Is this why Rupiah is saying there is no corruption in Zambia now? If Rupiah meant well for the country, he would take the position that Hu Jintao has taken. Rupiah would realise that embracing corruption would kill his party and along with it, destroy the nation. This is what great leaders do.

Rupiah should not think that our people have forgotten about the involvement of his family in the scandalous privatisation of Zamtel. His own sons were connected to this unfortunate transaction. And one day, the truth that we know about this transaction will be told to the nation. Our nation will know who received bags full of money on the tarmac of Tripoli Airport in Libya before this dreadful transaction was consummated. Rupiah and his people should know that even walls have got ears and eyes to see when corruption is being conducted. The people that guard you today become witnesses against you tomorrow. The people that you send to collect money from contractors today become witnesses against you tomorrow.

We have not forgotten that when Rupiah was criticised for selling Zamtel by some opposition figures, he retorted, saying he would sell whatever he could and they can come and sell what he leaves behind. That is his attitude.

We are therefore not surprised that today, his ministers of finance and transport, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane and Prof Geoffrey Lungwangwa respectively, are trying to defend the indefensible by saying there is nothing strange about them opening negotiations on the possible public private partnership concessioning of the Lusaka International Airport to Guris Holdings of Turkey.

When intelligent people like Musokotwane and Lungwangwa stop seeing the absurdity of what is going on, then you know that the country is in trouble. We say this because how can they say there is nothing unusual about opening negotiations with Guris?

Firstly, this is a few weeks before an election. Why are they in such a hurry to negotiate such an important issue just before an election? Is it possible that as seems to be the standard now, Rupiah’s family has an interest somewhere? Could there be a Dingani or Henry connection somewhere? Why the rush? Why should they be doing such an important transaction for the public under a cloud of mystery? Who is negotiating? How did the contact with Guris come about? It is a well-known fact that like bacteria, corruption thrives in dirty dark places. Transparency is an enemy of corruption. Those who are pushing these kinds of transactions should know that one day, they will have to give an account.

We appeal to our people to hold their leaders to the standard that Hu Jintao of China proposed to the Chinese Communist Party. Let those who want to lead us commit themselves to fighting corruption. The Chinese are ruthless when it comes to fighting corruption in their own country. We hope that that ruthlessness extends to dealing with corruption when they deal with our country. This is what will make the Chinese real friends of our people. We should respect and emulate the standard that Hu Jintao has set.