VICE-PRESIDENT, George Kunda has urged members of the public to desist from describing as corrupt individuals who have acquired wealth genuinely.
Mr Kunda said although corruption should be fought legitimately, this should not make people view all the rich people as corrupt.[quote]
He said there has been a growing trend among members of the public to harass and accuse individual Zambians who are wealthy of being corrupt.
Mr Kunda said this in Parliament in response to Chipangali MP Vincent Mwale (MMD) who wanted to know the progress made by Government in the fight against corruption.
This was during the Vice-President’s question time.
“As we fight corruption, let us be wary not to stigmatise people who have acquired wealth in a genuine manner.
“We must by all means avoid stigmatising wealthy people as being involved in corrupt activities but rather, if we have evidence, it’s only right to present it to the relevant law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Mr Kunda said Zambians should avoid fighting each other and instead support one another in development.
“If someone has acquired wealth, that is a good thing and please let’s avoid thinking negatively of such persons. I think this mentality dates back from the colonial legacy, where people used to think everything should be owned by Government.
“As Government, we shall fight corruption, but let us not fight individuals who are rich genuinely,” he said.
And Mr Kunda said Government has made tremendous effort towards the fight against corruption in the country.
He said the adoption of the National Anti-Corruption Policy and the strengthening of the Financial Intelligence Units in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) are among the measures taken to step up the fight against the vice.
“The fight against corruption has not started now; rather, we have been doing so since time immemorial and there are many examples we can give to attest to this,” he said.
Mr Kunda, however, noted that some sections of society were trying to paint a negative picture on Government’s performance in the fight against corruption to the outside world.
“As Government, we have performed exceptionally well in the fight against corruption, but it is unfortunate some people are trying to compare our performance to the outside world, which is not fair at all,” Mr Kunda said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Yes, those we know who are not politicians. Most politicians should be stigmatized.
Riches from honesty labour are less than 10 per cent in Zed. Eg a school bursar with a salary of less than K1m stinks rich, what should be the reaction of Zedians?
I agree with you vice but the way some of the citizens acquire the same, we doubt and that does not go without a question of how they managed to have that wealth.
GRZ should fight corruption hard
in zed only a teacher a nurse , and local police officer whos far from case ,can never be rich,
but the rest of others men they can be as rich as they see the money
And we should desist from accusing every rich man/woman as a satanist.
Ba VP, the only probrem is that the wealthy in Zambia behave so heartless. Only if one can see how much my eyes weep and my heart swell with grief to see poor people striken with massive poverty going hungry and surviving on one meal a day? The idea of walking without shoes pains me a lot too whilst the wealthy turn a big blind eye.. If local Zambins helped the vulnurable poverty stiken fellow citizens around them, the country would be a better place. Recently there was a fire disaster in this side of the world, someone went to buy underwear worth $1000 for the victims. such attitudes to be planted in Zambians elite pleasee!!!
Deut 15:11, For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Tell that to Teta who is busy acccsuing us Chalalasdalians of being corrupt. Ni washala washala boyi. You will just be complaining throughout your life ifwe tuleingisha bucks ! Wapya munzi
#6 Thejiwe Stevens, Good evening. Sorry are you a white lady? Those hands cooking seem white. On the other hand you write Nyanja comments….No hard feelings in my questions.
what !!!! you mean shimama weye when you are stealing our money? Who is reach in Zambia , is it not you politicians?? Waite for the time we start arresting you. REVOLUTION 2011.
#4 Zed 1, I feel you.
That is why most diasporians vow that ‘tatwakabwele’. Pity on the poverty striken.. the gap between the rich and the poor keeps growing bigger everyday…
Ba # 9, Chicago,
actually that is one of my gravators, thats my hubby cooking Nshima. Yes, My hubby is white Aussie and am a black born and bred Zedian. Iam Nyanja too but very fluent in Bemba. English will always remain my second languge till death. catch me on that one… gday…
Which state are you in??
Iwe George kapuli I hope you havent started stealing so that you come and tell us at the end of the day that you got rich genuinely.Its an open secret that your ka law firm wasnt doing all that fine before you started politics.We are watching you!
Kashiwa Bulaya was beeing stigmatised according to George Kunda the protecter of rich people and Kashiwa in particular.
Ba Kunda shut up please!!!!!! You have nothing to say. Just keep watching Kanitundila Bwezani Banda getting richer with his children and Chibwabwa Dora Siliya on the side.
continued: George Kunda, block Kanitundila from selling 75% of Zamtel to a company already known to be associated with his children. Genuine rich people aah!!!! Feed your crap to the dogs George. We were not born yesterday pa komboni like you.
So it’s just a mere coincidence that a person suddenly gets fastracked into being wealthy the minute they get a govt. position? These thieving charalatans forget that wealth made from dishonest means will never give you a good night’s sleep and will always come to an end. You may be rich today but when you are out of office we will tell whether you wealth was real or false. Some of Chiluba’s friends who were swimming in money and were supposed wealthy in the 90’s are something you would be surprised to see today
Genuine rich Zambian people are known in the community they live in as much as plunderers are known for their quick wealth. Zambians are smart people and they know the hard working Zambians who have progressed from discipline and hard work over the years. Zambians also know the ones who are not hard working and they have an idea of their income from their jobs and adding the two together it does not equal to the riches they have acquired over a short period of time. Zambians are smart people. God bless Zambia.
It is possible that the scrupulously honest man may not grow rich so fast as the unscrupulous and dishonest one; but the success will be of a truer kind, earned without fraud or injustice. And even though a man should for a time be unsuccessful, stil.
Mr vice president ya words are true since life begets life energy creates energy,It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.We need to uphold them and learn from the best in the class.But how shall we distinguish from fake and genuine when we are surrounded by plunderers.
Anyway ,wealth often takes away chances from men as well as poverty. There is none to tell the rich to go on striving, for a rich man makes the law that hallows and hollows his own life.A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.
Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant.
Iwe chi vice president, how come only politicians get rich in Zambia?
#5 Biggie Jim you are right! absoluely
VJ was never corrupt ,he was only a drug dealer!