ECL RAN A GOVERNMENT OF THE CORRUPT , FOR THE CORRUPT AND BY THE CORRUPT ; LET HIM LISTEN TO HIMSELF – HE DOES NOT KNOW HIS AUDIENCE WELL

Ronald Kaoma Chitotela, Freedom Chomba Sikazwe with former Fourth Republican President Rupiah Bwezani Banda (RB) and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL)

By Mark Simuuwe

It seems ECL does not know why he was voted out . Among other things that led to his removal is how he shielded corrupt friends and cleansed them using ACC.

This is the man who told citizens publicly that,” Nga waiba tabalila kumo nembuto “,( when you steal , you don’t steal everything ).

His own Minister Bowman is on record saying , “ when you steal , you steal for the future “.

ECL is also on record of saying ,” his own ministers were corrupt ,” but did nothing about it .

Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya after a court appearance

For Dr Chilufya Chitalu , everyone knows that what led to his firing was his aspiration to challenge ECL in the presidential race at party level .

Some of his ministers and some Permanent Secretaries are even appearing in court for corruption related matters or being in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime . His own child was in court for matters related to being in possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime .

ECL does not listen to himself . It seems he does not also know his audience well.

Often time , he shoots in the direction of a few former PF members who are sympathetic of him or ‘are themselves products of proceeds of crime .’ Former in the sense that ECL , currently has no party .

He has not come to terms with reality that he lost elections and that Zambians rejected him due to poor leadership , and often finds himself lopsided .

He is failing to understand the difference between the fight against corruption today in which Permanent Secretaries, Ministers , DCs and UPND officials are being arrested and those in public office fired , made to resign , verses his most corrupt government ever, since independence.

The Transparency International even published their survey on the corruption perceptions index which showed ECL leadership reaching an all high corruption since independence.

Mary Chirwa-Tshuma

Further , ECL fought any civil servant who raised a red flag against his corrupt government. We also saw ECL taking up a serious quarrel with Mary Chirwa , FIC CEO then , for making a document of ECL government corruption public .

He has also forgotten that at his time , corruption was institutionalized in government and this is why there were disputed fire tenders , ambulances, supplying air , 3000 ghost workers , Mukula scandals , carders collecting council levies instead of the Council Workers and FIC report scandals .

Today , he wants to blackmail citizens by dragging President Hakainde Hichilema on a matter that is purely a minister’s issue to explain.

Defeated Edgar Chagwa Lungu hands over instruments of power to victorious Mr. Hakainde Hichilema

HH went into government prepared, made his money , paid the right taxes , and made it clear he would not even get a salary once in State House . Further , HH is a man who has opted to forego a house due to any former President by law established , once he is done running the country.

At face value , HH and yourself are two different people .

Under ECL leadership , they employed people without grade 12 certificates in some institutions and some with forged results . An example , is about 112 workers at the Lusaka City Council who were found without Grade 12 qualifications.

ECL ran a government of the corrupt , for the corrupt and by the corrupt.

ECL has not told us how he was mentioned in the maize gate scandal in Malawi report which led to the firing of an Agriculture Minister there.

ECL has not also stated how those pre-marked ballot papers and the extra NRCs his own people were caught with were produced, including registration of foreigners as voters by the PF .

Like his former PF members , he has a short memory .

Former 6th Republican President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu

Mark Simuuwe is UPND Consultant