By Kapya Kaoma
U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Gonzales’s recent revelation that $20 million in American aid—intended for maize for drought relief in the nation—remains unaccounted for did not surprise me. In fact, I expected it. What did surprise me was that despite the dire need and the skyrocketing cost of mealie meal, this money did not translate into food security for Zambians. If the United States provided such a significant sum, why didn’t President Hakainde Hichilema ensure the delivery of affordable mealie meal to the nation? Is he so unkind to the pain of ordinary people? Or is he keeping the money for his 2026 re-election campaign?
Then came the even more startling detail; the maize procured with these funds was purchased at more than 48 percent above the market price. How could such blatant financial corruption occur under the leadership of a president who once smiled when former US President Joe Biden insulted Zambia as a model for corruption and Hichilema as the Anti-Corruption champion? The irony is bitter. Are we now to believe that corruption is contagious—or simply resilient?
But my concern doesn’t stop at $20 million. The truly alarming figure is the $3 billion that Ambassador Gonzales claims Zambia loses to corruption annually. That number is the heart of President Hichilema’s leadership. He campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, promising to clean up after the alleged excesses of former President Edgar Lungu. We were told corruption would be a thing of the past. And yet, here we are again—witnessing impunity and graft flourish in broad daylight under a leader who promoted and billed himself as the most transparent in Zambia’s history.
I’ve long viewed President Hichilema’s anti-corruption rhetoric with skepticism. His decision to place the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission under the direct authority of his office raised red flags. So too has his persistent refusal to publicly disclose his business partners. If we are to trust him, transparency cannot be optional—it must be the foundation of his leadership. We deserve to know who sits at his dinner table.
Let’s not forget. The government cannot credibly investigate itself. We only know about “maizegate” because of a change in leadership in the United States. What else might be hidden? President Hichilema owe us an explanation.
We must reckon with this uncomfortable truth–while the nation reportedly loses $3 billion each year, someone—somewhere—is making $3 billion. Corruption doesn’t vanish; it merely changes hands. And more often than not, those hands belong to presidents and their inner circles. So we must all pause and ask, what happened to the clean, principled leadership we were promised?
“Illicit financial flows” continue to bleed, even under the man the Biden administration once celebrated as a champion of reform. Sadly, it appears that President Hichilema’s war on corruption was only waged on paper.
And now, even the U.S. Ambassador says so.
Where and when did the former ambassador make this claim? Can we check the full text of his statement and see his methodology for ascertaining the missing amount. Thanks
Don’t believe this drugged writer..,…
He is too full of hate
FWD2031
You seriously gonna pretend you didn’t see the statement from the US ambassador? Lol
Balance Kazembe
You always cry about how corrupt others are. But you still fail to search your own souls.
OK I have found it now. I still think it would be useful to publish the full information in this article. Who needs opinions in such matters kaili
No Doubt about that !! the figure could be lower or higher so what methodolgy is used is not necessary
the question is What has been done to stem this outflow
Some should understand there are a few outsiders who care more about zambia’s well being than some zambians
IF you think Donald Trump would let American money get lost like that…….
And if you think Donald Trump would not mention 3 billion corruption hole the US knows about ,
You are dumber then I thought
FWD2031
Yes,and any one who shall talk about wanting cheaper ZNS mealie meal in the midst of a hyper bumper harvest is even more dumberer
May God bless Zambia with a leader like Traore, who is determined to improve his country and not sell his people into slavery to foreign interests and his own selfish interests.
Traore belongs to the lucky Burkinabes.Rwadese have Kagame.We have our own HH and his home grown economic transformation genius plan.HH has brought a novel way of thinking that PF-Tonse find alien and puzzling and are failing to adapt
MuZambian
The Alliance can’t understand how this GRZ is functioning with giving out brown envelopes to anyone who can throw a stone in insult…….
and the minsters not donating trucks of food and cooking oil……..
FWD2041
HH has a genius transformation plan? LOL.
He has brought a novel way of thinking? ROTFL.
Man, praise singers are funny….which is kinda sad, coz they can see beyond their belly and tribal thinking.
Mwata
From the rot UPND found…….to
Economic….living on borrowed money to debt default……..to
Moral……Zambians thought the job descriptions included stealing to open tribalism to cader control of all civic spaces including the police……..
Any other president would not have done this far in the crippling drought
Yes , HH seems to have a magic formula
FWD2041
Donated drugs were sold to over 2000 pharmacies around the country
This happened on HH’s watch
Check world news Sites the investigation is all revealed
So list the pharmacies and shut them tomorrow
This agent of a man is on a mission to cripple our country. Zambians should look at him with caution. He looks like a man on a mission.
Apparently this is true…….
To save credibility, heads must roll
FWD2041
I don’t understand Spaka, and Balance Kazembe. Why comment before you establish the facts? This cadre mentality is behind the mess in our nation. What is wrong is wrong! I don’t see any tribalism in this article. Spaka sees tribalism everywhere.
I have never seen or heard ARVs being sold in Chemist/ pharmacies being referred to
The truly alarming figure is the $3 billion that Ambassador Gonzales claims Zambia loses to corruption annually. They claimed it wasthe PF thieves. Those thieves have been away for five years now we are still losing 3 billion dollars to NEW thieves