The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has said that it is appalled at President Lungu’s utterances rubbishing a constitutionally established body, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accusing it of a political ploy fighting for regime change.
In a statement released to the media by Vice Chairperson Judith Mulenga, CiSCA said that President Lungu should not hold Zambia at ransom for fear of losing power.
The statement further said that if President Lungu believes strongly and suspects bias on the part of the Anti-Corruption Commission, CiSCA holds the view that a marketplace does not constitute the right place and audience for his evaluation of the Commission, adding that Corruption thrives in a society of instant gratification in which hard work and thriftiness is frowned upon.
Below is the full statement
CiSCA Statement on President Lungu’s Rubbishing of the Constitutionally Established ACC
Lusaka, 17 August 2020: The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) is appalled at President Lungu’s utterances rubbishing a constitutionally established body, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accusing it of a political ploy fighting for regime change.
Lungu should not hold Zambia at ransom for fear of losing power. He does not own this country. He was given its stewardship by us through our Constitution and he will leave power through the same Constitution. He cannot start dismantling the ACC or other constitutional institutions in order not to engender regime change. Regime change in a democracy is inevitable.
Therefore, since article 4 part 3 of the Constitution establishes our nation as a multi-party democracy regime change is our constant and anyone who gets into power should be ready to leave. There is no other pinnacle to go to, but out, after getting into power. The President further swore to defend the Constitution and yet he is disparaging the same Constitution he swore to defend.
The ACC is constitutionally established by Article 235 under Investigative Commissions which includes the Drug Enforcement Commission and the Anti Financial and Economic Crimes Commission. Traditionally, in any institution including non-state institutions, the individuals that have opportunities to be corrupt and that are indeed corrupt are the ones with power and politicians everywhere have power and logically the investigative wings’ lenses are and should be focused on politicians. Only last week, one of Lungu’s favourite Ministers Bowman Lusambo bragged about 2 million Kwacha being shopping money when teachers who retire upon reaching retirement age get an average of K400,000. Where is the service record of Tasila Lungu, Bowman Lusambo and the other corrupt politicians to have a paper trail of their earnings?
We are still mindful that President Lungu has never explained to us Zambians how his net worth jumped from K2 million in 2015 to K23 million in 2016. These are historical facts that will not be wiped away or glossed over. The President is very slick but not that thorough. He says different things to different audiences but on the same issue. We know the audience he said this to, the marketeers at Chifubu Market who had just received a new market so they were very receptive to viewing the President and his ministers as ‘victims’. If the President believes strongly and suspects bias on the part of the Anti-Corruption Commission, as CiSCA we contend that a marketplace does not constitute the right place and audience for his evaluation of the Commission. Corruption thrives in a society of instant gratification in which hard work and thriftiness is frowned upon. Hence, we have someone coming from being a mere overall-wearing violent die-hard cadre to a wealthy minister.
From the way the President has been speaking for corruption first encouraging ‘ukulya mwibala’, then labelling the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) Report as ‘mfwiti, mfwiti’, and now vilifying the ACC, it is clear that President Lungu has probably given up on leaving a clean legacy in Zambia. He has clearly thrown caution to the wind, but he should not dismantle our country. Leaving power is normal and one can either make it a noble exit or be taken out kicking, punching and screaming. Otherwise the time to leave will come.
Earlier this year, on Friday 6th March 2020 during his address to Parliament on progress made in the application of the national values and principles as provided for in Article 8 of the Constitution, the President said, and we quote, “My government remains committed to the fight against corruption. With regard to prosecutions, the Anti-Corruption Commission secured 17 convictions and recorded 7 acquittals during the period under review. I urge individuals, the public sector as well as non – state actors to continue partnering with government in the fight against corruption. We must all hate corruption in order to fight and eradicate it because corruption is number one enemy in sustainable development and good governance. Remember corruption is a two-way vice that requires concerted effort to curb. Join my government in fighting corruption: join us in developing Zambia, without leaving anyone behind”/. Five months later he changes his tune and becomes the defense lawyer of politicians suspected of corruption instead of waiting for the law to take its course. Why is President Lungu consistently changing his stance on national issues depending on where and with who he is with? What are we Zambians supposed to infer from his contradictions, all documented? Is this why in his ‘do or die’ Bill 10 they have elected to delete Article 10 clause 4 which read together with Article 16 on protection of property and which provides for pursuit of proceeds of a crime at international level using customary international law? By deleting this clause Bill 10 seeks to quietly allow illicit financial flows from Zambia to outside the country which successive governments cannot constitutionally pursue and retrieve as Bill 10 now suggests that what should remain on our Constitution is, ‘Subject to Article 16, the Government shall not compulsorily acquire an investment.’ That is all!
By disparaging the ACC Act Number 3 of 2012, Lungu is going against the very spirit of his beloved Bill 10 which he claims will provide empowerment to youths, women and persons with disabilities based on a vague constitutional provision that speaks to future unknown subsidiary legislations and yet he is disparaging current and known subsidiary legislation? Bill 10 is proposing in Article 47 (2) that elections to the national assembly shall be conducted under a mixed member electoral system as prescribed. As prescribed meaning subsidiary acts of parliament. Lastly, who employs the Director General of the Commission? Who nominates the Commissioners? Who ratifies the Commissioners if not the majority PF MPs in Parliament? It is therefore clear that the ACC dragnet is going after politically connected individuals who are scared cows in the eyes of the President.
CiSCA Vice Chairperson
Judith Mulenga
CISCA/UPND mouth piece. You yourselves and Akainde Ichilema said ACC must be disbanded and it’s useless.
You have no talking points for 2021. Go to the toilet.
The majority of Zambians concerned with the direction of the corruption fight wanted ACC disbanded, however in the light of recent developments it is clear there are powerful forces that might be behind the schemes aimed at making ACC look unprofessional, disorganised and incompetent. We now need to support them, they are hitting some nerves after all.
The quest to get rid of the ACC by the current government started with the chitotela case. The aim was to discredit the ACC who forgot their mandate when they started compromising. The staged court proceedings in the chutalu chilufya case coupled with the failed investigations or covering up on the 48 houses saga has exposed the ACC badly such that zambians have lost confidence in the institution which gives lungu a reason to shut it down.
ECL has never been serious of fighting corruption. AAC is his creation. I wonder if he know his responsibilities as president. No wonder cadres take advantage of the gap in his leadership.
Ubomba mwibala alya mwibala. Ask HH what benefits he got from the privatisation of government assets that the UNIP government had built. Any body, constitutional body, private or political is open to being rubbished if it does not work. How do you explain the fact the the ACC accused Dr Chilufya of corruption but the same officers who accused him about turned in court and testified for him? The ACC is rubbish.
When thieves rule they try by all means to justify stealing without shame and that’s the case with Lungu.
PF must go!
ACC was diluted and became political under the Mwanawasa presidency. It became a rubber stamp for Mutembi Nchito and the cartel and has never recovered since. Edgar Lungu has a valid point going by how the Chitotela and Chilufya cases have panned out.
Judith Mulenga is doing exactly what has discredited the ACC-fight corruption by speculation, character assassination and slander instead of thourough and scientific investigations that present hard evidence in a Court of Law. This almost dragged the FIC in the same hole. Starting with ZP, the whole apparatus needs an overhaul and separation from politics and these western funded NGOs who are now firmly entrenched in partisan politics!!
Yes close ACC, they are paid for nothing. They failed to put any PF minister behind bars.
Let ZP take their duty back. I believe Kapeso can arrest Kampyongo if need be.
Our president is a visionless !mbecile
Why are you surprised? Didn’t the man tell you that he had no vision or competency to lead?
The president is 100% correct! instead of proving yourselves, you have been caught pants down mingling with corruption rather than fight it. We have the likes of Kaizer openly showing off here on how he looted the coffers, countless politicians laughing in our faces on how they have enriched themselves but this toothless thing called ACC appears to have gone into hibernation. Who are you waiting for? are you waiting for the president to point at corruption for you? people are saying Lungu is corrupt so here is your chance to prove to the Zambian people that you can bite. Do your job! we know you would rather stay idle and enjoy your salaries without any effort. Zambia is rotten to the core with corruption and yes, you are to blame. Toothless bulldog!(meaning you look scary but that’s…
The ACC is failing because Edgar Lungu doesn’t want it to succeed. With investigators like Chipampe Manda, u cannot ein cases.
How can you be surprised?
The bark ends at State house, ministers are free to run their own shows knowing very well that the rottenness starts at the head, small wonder nincompoops can now disparage the kaundas and your ECL is mute. Like it or not, 2021 is going to be hectic, as for me and my family, this time around am not, repeat, AM NOT VOTING FOR PF. enough is enough
Wait a minute. Political corruption or large corruption is not the only form of corruption. Other forms of corruption include petty corruption and medium corruption. It is tempting to focus on politicians simply because they can access large amounts of cash through corrupt or fraud. However, a combination of petty corruption and medium corruption is greater than political corruption. When enjoying freedom of expression, it is inconsistent to deny others the same freedom of expression. What is consistent is to agree to disagree. In this situation, the media campaign against political corruption had overshadowed petty corruption and medium corruption. There is need to fight corruption at all levels of society. Take Euroland, for instance. In Euroland, a traffic police officer never asks for…
There is need to fight corruption at all levels of society. Take Euroland, for instance. In Euroland, a traffic police officer never asks for a bribe for moral and legal reasons. Why lose privilege and reputation and why lose job over a simple bribe? In Euroland, the passport office cannot collaborate with corrupt crooks taking bribes. In Euroland, carrying petty cash without declaration at immigration will be resolved through fresh declaration as opposed to taking a bribe. In Euroland,examination marks will not be inflated by taking a bribe. It is clear that a total strategy is needed to stamp out corruption in the country. Take time to focus on political corruption. Take time to ignore petty corruption. Take time to ignore medium corruption.
He himself is a failure so he wants the ACC to fail also. Success for the ACC , that is putting the corrupt in jail , would never be success for Lungu. By failing to put Chitotela in jail, that’s success for our president.
There is need to fight corruption at all levels of society. Take Euroland, for instance. In Euroland, a traffic police officer never asks for a bribe for moral and legal reasons. Why lose privilege and reputation and why lose job over a simple bribe? In Euroland, the passport office cannot collaborate with corrupt crooks taking bribes. In Euroland, carrying petty cash without declaration at immigration will be resolved through fresh declaration as opposed to taking a bribe. In Euroland,examination marks will not be inflated by taking a bribe. It is clear that a total strategy is needed to stamp out corruption in the country. Take time to focus on political corruption. Take tme to ignore petty corruption. Take time to ignore medium corruption.
Why are you surprised? Didn’t the man tell you that he had no vision or competency to lead? You even knew his background but we were too drunk with tribalism to
Lungu is in a wrong job, simple. It’s like having a Dracula manning a blood bank. What do you expect?
In any professional discipline, if a member of that profession rises to become president or head of government, the general membership feels proud and good about itself. In the UK, the Chartered Institute of Bankers felt very proud whn John Major won a Conservative party leadership election to become prime minister of the country. So proud were they that they elevated him to fellow from associate membership within days of him becoming prime minister. I wish I could find out how Law Association of Zambia members feel about ECL by conducting an opinion poll.
Cisca you are a useless bunch. Just look at how dr chilufya case was handled by ACC. It was appalling than an investigator can rely on hearsay without any solid evidence. It appears to me that even this cisca organisation has been compromised by some evil opposition agents. I can’t take such useless organisations lacking in objectivity seriously. Kz
Cisca you are a useless bunch. Just look at how dr chilufya case was handled by ACC. It was appalling than an investigator can rely on hearsay without any solid evidence. It appears to me that even this cisca organisation has been compromised by some evil opposition agents. I can’t take such useless organisations lacking in objectivity seriously. Kaizar
Edgar Lungu wants to turn the ACC into a river Jordan like he did with the magistrate courts. Currently the Magistrate courts are being used to cleanse pro Lungu Ministers of their corruption ahead of the 2021.
Zambia is probably the only country in the world where cases of grand corruption never even reach the high court.
@ Independent, you are dead right, Zambia currently is dysfunctional. Foreigners get amazed and wonder if there is leadership in Zambia.
Lungu provides a nourishing environment for corruption to flourish ……..he keeps ministers facing corruption charges in power
We know he’s talk of fighting corruption is only lip service.
Lungus first 5 years , he was very active in corruption scams. Especially the frost 3 years when he was not sure of prolonging his presidency , the man was stealing like there is no tomorrow.
Now he has slowed down but we know he has already stolen
Wait u mean to tell me someone you hire and fire at the will of the president is after him? I wonder when the president will realize his the person in charge. This is like saying the garden boy wants to take over my house please help….
I must say there is a very good clear explanation in that article linking it to Bill 10 that actually gives me as a ready some understanding… Well Done Judith Mulenga (Ms/Mrs)… Matters to consider in the grand scheme of things not just pointing fingers.
A useless incompetent fraudulent “low-yer” who should never have faked his path to the presidency. Sad that August 2021 is far away. We must work hard to remove him and his unpatriotic facade from power. Zambia’s nearly 5 years have been painfully wasted years!.
@Jamieson: and replace him with that oval headed tribalist tonga twit calling himself bally?? Please….