Kayukwa's dismissal was long overdue - Chongwe

Kayukwa's dismissal was long overdue - Chongwe
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 02 Oct. 2011, 16:20 CAT

DR Rodger Chongwe says Colonel Godfrey Kayukwa's dismissal was long overdue and President Michael Sata should be assisted in cleaning up the corruption mess in the country. And President Michael Sata has fired ACC director Kayukwa and replaced him with Rosewin Wandi, whose appointment will have to be ratified by Parliament.

Commenting on Col Kayukwa's dismissal as Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general by President Sata, Lusaka lawyer Dr Chongwe said Lt. Col Kayukwa should have gone a long time ago when people demanded his resignation, only that he was stubborn.

Dr Chongwe said he was pleased that President Sata had acted to remove him from his position.

He said anyone who was serious with the fight against corruption should handle matters the way President Sata had done by first firing those at the top.

"So we are very happy that the current President has answered our prayers that we need a corrupt-free society in Zambia and we can't build that society if officers employed to prevent and also to detect corruption are themselves corrupt and if they are not corrupt they condone corruption, and even when they have detected it, they do nothing," Dr Chongwe said.

"A public servant who diligently carries out his work, and if he is impeded in doing that work by a political leader, he should not succumb to the order of that leader."

Dr Chongwe said public servants who were impeded in their work by politicians should simply resign and tell the people of Zambia why they had resigned, then would they win sympathy from the people.

"Kayukwa is leaving that office without a smidgeon of sympathy. Instead we are happy he is gone. If you are not catching corrupt people and there is a perception that you yourself have been consumed by corruption, then you go the same way as our dear friend Kayukwa," Dr Chongwe said.

"It appears to me there are very few people in our country today who care about their career service, their families and their country and are prepared to lose that dignity and honour for a few pieces of silver."

Dr Chongwe said this was unfortunately the state of affairs in Zambia today, where people were prepared to sacrifice their dignity.

"What we have to do is to support these efforts which have been started by the new President and assist him in cleaning up the mess," said Dr Chongwe.

According to a press statement issued by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah yesterday, President Sata appointed Wandi as Director General of the ACC to take over from Col Kayukwa.

"In exercise of the powers vested in me pursuant to the provisions of Section 16 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, Chapter 91 of the Laws of Zambia, I hereby appoint you as Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Commission. This appointment is subject to ratification by the National Assembly," stated President Sata in his letter of appointment to Wandi.

Chellah stated that Wandi's appointment confirmed President Sata's commitment to gender balance by ensuring the appointment of women to high positions of authority.

During the run-up to the 2011 general elections, Col Kayukwa lied that ACC was not investigating Universal Print Group (UPG) of South Africa, the company which the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) contracted over the printing of ballot papers, and some officers at commission for corruption and money laundering.

However, the fact was that ACC had actually instituted investigations and recorded a warn and caution statement against officials from both UPG and ECZ.