The New Dawn government has already lost the fight against corruption

Former Luanshya Member of Parliament Steve Chungu has said the New Dawn government has already lost the fight against corruption.

Mr Chungu, the former chief government whip in the PF regime, said he rates the UPND government’s campaign against corruption as two out of ten.

He said the President Hakainde Hichilema led UPND administration is only pursuing former government officials without following its officials named in some scandals.

Mr Chungu said the New Dawn government must investigate its ministers mentioned in dubious deals with the same energy being applied to investigate former government officials.

He said the fight against corruption should be inclusive.

“Talking about the corruption fight in this country from the time the UPND took over the Government. If I were to be asked to say can you rate them? I would rate the UPND’s fight against corruption two to ten. The reason is simple. Corruption should not be seen from the outside. Corruption starts from inside. The people that are running the government should not be seen to be saints because they are also just human beings. And if what we are listening to from people, the commentaries that are coming from the people, and the issues that we are reading about have some truth in it. Then it is so sad that the there is nothing completely that we are doing about the fight against corruption in the eight months of the UPND in government,” Mr. Chungu said.

“We have heard about the fertiliser issue, no official statement from the government to inform the Zambian people why the prices of fertiliser had to move from $1000 to $1,400 that was barely the UPND’s two months in government and there was that story. The Zambians have not been told anything. Now if fertiliser was to cost that much $400 more, are we surely expecting that we are going to be buying a cheaper mealie meal? The answer is no. There are too many scandals that we are getting to know about now that are coming out. I don’t have any proof but we are all reading about these things. The same things happened in the PF government we were reading about and we had no proof to say this is happening. It happened at this firm but these are things that should give us a lot of worries,” he said.

Mr Chungu continued:”The fight against corruption should have started on the first day of the UPND coming into power and by now we could have seen some people that have committed these crimes being brought to book. But what is happening is that the fight has been pushed back to pursue those people that committed crimes. Does it mean that there is no crime happening now within eight months of the UPND in government? The only things that we are listening to or reading about those who were in power are the PF. Yes it is not wrong for them to look back but what is wrong is not to look at what is happening currently. Because the same stories that happened that time are the same stories that are happening now.

“There has not been a stop in the way officials of the government have been operating from the PF government. Now there is so much that is happening and I would like to see a time when President Hichilema will have to make a decision on some of the officials that have been found wanting or are being mentioned in these scandals. What doesn’t take time, use the same effort that has been put in to go and investigate the issues that happened many years ago, is the same effort that should be put in the reports that are coming out today that ministers are involved in so many scandals,” he said.

“Corruption fight should not only be seen when there is a change of government. Corruption takes place every day. It is not only people that are outside the government that are involved, even those inside the government could be involved. But the worst part is when people who are supposed to serve the people in government take advantage of their positions to enrich themselves. That is where it is wrong. This is something that we saw in the PF and the Zambian people judged the PF with a red card and if what is happening now is truthful the Zambian people are going to make a decision again in 2026.”

“If the UPND does put efforts in fighting corruption within the government then I don’t see the corruption fight being won. So far I feel the fight against corruption has been lost already because there is nothing that is coming out in terms of the efforts being put into this fight to zero. Let the president come out strongly, he has eyes all over. He has the state machinery,” Mr. Chungu added.