The power of the truth is that it never damages a cause that is just. Zambians need to know the truth behind the current corruption at State House.
Lusaka, Aug. 29 – I have always had a great belief in the power of the truth because it never damages a cause that is just. So probing purported ills under the angelic eye of Hichilema such as maintaining vessels of slander and defamation as a State House media platform should be a welcome move.
Also Read: Koswe and the gold scandal – The other side of HH.
At Woodpecker’s Digest, we address both our leaders and their followers through a very versatile but factual approach to putting news into some perspective that is easier to relate to in the context of our day to day struggles to make ends meet.
To begin with, let’s always agree on this fundamental principle that the point of journalism is to hold people in positions of power accountable not to write what they want to read so that they reward us. You don’t go into journalism to become rich or popular.
Today, we have been vindicated on many lies we condemned beyond reducing the price of mealie meal to K50 during Hichilema’s pre-election campaign rallies and radio/TV programmes. And we are not surprised that the same people who believed in his miraculous fixes are the same ones complaining the most because they avoided our objective analyses and commentaries.
Going forward, let’s learn from this Bally Will Fix It national tragedy by prioritizing patriotism, instead of defending the current corruption taking place at State House, that once again we are fighting. Patriotism demands that we stand by our country before any political party or public figure. Let’s defend the interests of our future generations.
Contrary to the current fake corruption cases which are nothing but political persecutions, it will be very easy to prosecute crimes by this regime because they are very dull thieves. Hichilema, too, will have to explain why he has been defending such characters by keeping them as his special aides instead of firing them.
He must be made to explain his decision to fire the former IG, Lemmy Kajoba, who said in his official documents that he suspended criminal investigations involving embezzlement of funds after being told to stop and wait for instructions from him through his Legal Advisor, Christopher Mundia.
There are several corruption cases that have taken place right under the nose of Hichilema and like the former Auditor General, Dr. Sichembe, said when he was forced to resign so that corruption could not be exposed, “The UPND agenda of institutionalised regionalism and corruption will have people arrested one day, and I will speak one day. In auditing, a paper trail always remains!” This was a powerful message to anyone with a critical thinking mind.
Also Read: Institutionalised regionalism and corruption force Auditor General out!
You may recall the story of the Foreign Affairs Minister driving to a Chinese firm to get a 2022 calendar in April. Or should we remind the nation of the legendary $50m fertiliser scandal single handedly gifted to the husband of the Minister of Information to understand that there’s grand corruption taking place in the new dawn government?
The corruption in the Ministry of Health saw many families losing their loved ones to curable illnesses due to the lack of essential medicines in public health institutions due to a careless political decision to cancel procurement contracts.
The sanctity of life is inviolable under any circumstances and we therefore urged Masebo to abandon her cruel state of denial and deal with the drugs crisis immediately. Did she listen?
How many chronic patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, etc, were suffering quietly or dying prematurely without getting the help from our hospitals? Who must pay for that?
You may recall Hichilema, himself, addressing the nation during a swearing in ceremony of Mary Chirwa as DEC Director General, over a Food Reserve Agency (FRA) scandal in which his Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, was fingered as being at the center of the $52m paid as penalties for a contract that was NEVER executed to supply 98 storage warehouses in 79 rural sites under the FRA to Savenda Management Services. Felix Mutati is still his Cabinet Minister.
In the meantime, Hichilema is busy persecuting his political opponents in the name of fighting corruption when he is allegedly sitting comfortably on corruption at State House. Why hasn’t he suspended any of those named here to pave way for proper investigations by Law Enforcement Agencies if he truly hates corruption?
In a world where vows are worthless, where making a pledge means nothing, where promises are made to be broken, it would be nice to see words of a statesman come back into State House.
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Putting news into perspective
