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Rupiah's rule an embarrassment to SADC - Mutukwa

Rupiah's rule an embarrassment to SADC - Mutukwa
By Roy Habaalu
Wed 28 Dec. 2011, 13:55 CAT

RUPIAH Banda's three-year rule is an embarrassment to the SADC region, says Dr Kasuka Mutukwa.

Commenting on revelations by home affairs minister Kennedy Sakeni that the corruption of Frederick Chiluba's 10-year-rule was a joke when compared with the theft of public resources in just three years of Banda's regime, Dr Mutukwa, a former secretary general of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum, said the Banda-led administration deliberately killed institutions of governance to shield themselves from prosecution.

He said there were deliberate efforts at destroying the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), police and the Auditor Generals' office for political gain.

"They were being starved of resources and abused for political ends so that they continue to reign and abuse resources of the country. Thank God the people of Zambia rejected them (MMD) and we took the lead in southern Africa by throwing out a regime that was pillaging resources of this country," he said.

"Look at the amount of money abused during the elections! It was there for everyone to see down to packaging sweets in the name of the president. It was really a pillaging process and they should be ashamed and say sorry to Zambians and not appear like they are magnanimous. There must be dignity in shame."

He said it was debilitating that people with dignity and sufficient education had to sink so low and participated in dirty schemes.

Dr Mutukwa said the only way out for former president Banda was to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness.

"At the moment, there is nothing that should be spared. One of the reasons why in Africa corruption survives is because the threshold of penalties is very low. It's not a matter of compromise on corruption. People must know that reward comes from hard work. Money has to be worked for," he said.

On the intended sale of Kamwala Remand Prison land to Nasla group, Dr Mutukwa said it was not a mistake that God gave Zambians land.

"One thing that is clear is that everything was up for grabs, wanting to sell schools… they (MMD) took a bill to Parliament to sell schools. We've now known of them wanting to sell land where there is a prison. Probably that was just a tip of an iceberg. God didn't make a mistake of giving us the land we have. If all land was sold out, what will our children have? It's not easy for a Zambian to get land outside Zambia. In some countries, foreigners are not allowed to own land or property," said Dr Mutukwa.

Banda has expressed his fears of being imprisoned by the PF government over corruption allegations levelled against him and some senior members of his government.

Labels: CORRUPTION, KENNEDY SAKENI, RUPIAH BANDA, SADC

posted by MrK @ 4:51 PM