Maravi

Mabenga is not being truthful about corruption in the MMD

Mabenga is not being truthful about corruption in the MMD
By The Post
Sun 04 Mar. 2012, 12:00 CAT

ACCORDING to Nelson Mandela, when leaders have the honesty to criticise their own mistakes, errors, transgressions, violations or even crimes, and their own organisations, then they can criticise others. But it seems our leaders are not in the habit of listening to the truth or wise counsel. What Katele Kalumba is engaging in is positive criticism and self-criticism that should be welcomed by all people of goodwill within and outside the MMD.

Katele is not accusing other MMD leaders, at the exclusion of himself, of corruption. He can't do this, even if he wanted to, because he is a man who has been convicted of corruption. It has taken a long time for Katele to come to this position, a position of embracing the spirit of criticism and self-criticism.

But who doesn't know that taught by mistakes and setbacks, we become wiser and handle our affairs better? Leaders - we mean honest leaders - should fear neither criticism nor self-criticism.

Katele was wrong to involve or engage himself in corrupt activities. But he is certainly not wrong to admit that corruption exists in his party and should be done away with if the MMD has to witness a reversal of political fortunes. Admitting a mistake, a weakness, a transgression or even a crime is the first step in correcting it.

It's also much easier to mitigate and obtain forgiveness for a wrong one has admitted. One cannot mitigate against a transgression they have denied. And who in this country doesn't know that the MMD is a corrupt political party with corrupt leaders, cadres and followers? It is a political party that has tried to keep itself in power through corruption.

Even Michael Mabenga who is today trying to accuse Katele of having been the only corrupt person in the MMD was found to have engaged in corrupt activities by the High Court of this country in a parliamentary election petition brought against his election as Mulobezi member of parliament by Sikota Wina. And accordingly, Mabenga's election was nullified.

So how can Mabenga today claim that he has never known any corruption in the MMD apart from that of Katele? As usual, Mabenga is not being honest and probably it is this dishonesty that made the people of Mulobezi kick him out - and probably forever.

For sure, Katele has not been the only corrupt person in the MMD. If Katele had been the only corrupt MMD leader, no one would be talking about corruption today because it would have ended with his prosecution and conviction.

And how can Mabenga deny the existence of corruption in the MMD when just five months ago, this party led the most extravagant, the most expensive and the most corrupt election campaign? Where did the money for all that extravagance and high expenditure come from? Who gave them that money? What was the consideration?

It is time the MMD leadership came to terms with its situation. They are known by everyone to be a corrupt party. And there is enough evidence for people to show that the MMD leadership is corrupt. Their conduct in the last elections demonstrated to everyone how corrupt they were. Even their own supporters know that they are corrupt.

And how can a political party whose key leaders have been found to be corrupt claim not to be corrupt? Frederick Chiluba, a former leader of this party, was found wanting by the London High Court on the issue of corruption. Katele, the national secretary of this party, has been convicted of corruption.

Mabenga himself, the chairman of this party for many years, has also been found wanting on issues of corruption by our High Court. And we have no doubt Rupiah Banda, the current leader of this party, will also be found wanting on issues of corruption.

Again, we ask: how can a political party whose key leadership is corrupt claim to be clean? It's not possible for the MMD as a political party to be free from the corruption of its key leaders because it is these same people who raised money for its operations and political activities.

This is not a political party that survived on the monthly contributions of members. It is a party that survived on dirty, blood money stolen in all sorts of ways from the Zambian people.

The best thing for MMD leaders is to admit the problems of their party vis-a-vis corruption and chart a new path. Denials won't do. What will do is an admission of their wrongs because with that they can seek forgiveness. And those who confess their crimes and seek forgiveness deserve to be forgiven.

But being forgiven should not be interpreted as a new licence for them to again seek the same public offices they had disgraced through corruption. There are many ways, other than occupying public office, that they can continue to serve their people if selfless public service is all they are interested in or is all they are seeking.

There is need for honesty in all these issues. We say this because if one is honest, truly honest, one won't be corrupted. If one is unassuming and has a clear understanding of the worth of people and of oneself, one won't be corrupted. There is need to maintain eternal vigilance about this and be very self-critical.

We think the line Katele has taken deserves support. For whatever wrongs he has committed, Katele is today defending certain principles that have tremendous value at a time of confusion and opportunism in our country, a time when many politicians are feathering their own nests.

We should therefore be unassuming and limit ourselves to doing duty to the best of our extremely limited possibilities. We should never draw away from the honest goal we seek and let ourselves be influenced by a desire to be rich, to acquire wealth and other things that are beyond our earned income. Political leadership should not be about self-enrichment.

What we need are politicians who profoundly love their own people and wish to serve rather than to be served. Such leaders cannot steal from the people they so love and so wish to serve. For this reason, competent and honest citizens should be encouraged to participate in party politics and take over the political leadership so that they do good in society.

A person chosen for political responsibility as a leader must remember that he is simply a servant or steward entrusted to offer humble service to others as opposed to enriching himself. The common good is the reason for the existence of all our political institutions.

It enables people to express commitment and concern for each other as well as attain the fullness of love. Common good calls upon all persons to contribute and commit themselves responsibly to building an honest, fair, just and humane society for all.

And political office and power must have as its aim the achievement of the common good. The best way to fulfil one's obligations of justice and love is to contribute to the common good.

Labels: CORRUPTION, FREDERICK CHILUBA, KATELE KALUMBA, MICHAEL MABENGA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 6:18 PM