Corruption Pills: Swallow the Truth, Mr. President!

From drug deals stranded in trucks to phantom ambulances, corruption has become the heartbeat of Zambia’s health sector. To be fair to all, including cooperating partners, President Hichilema must publish the audit report and expose the true culprits behind this chronic malpractice.

Lusaka, Dec. 7 – Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, the Patriotic Front Member of the Central Committee in charge of Information and Publicity, has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to urgently publish the audit report on the Ministry of Health and the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZMMSA). President Hichilema had received a preliminary report detailing the alleged theft and mismanagement of public and donor funds within these institutions.

Also Read: Suspected corruption quarantines essential drugs. Why would the Minister of Health decide to initiate a fresh single sourced procurement process worth UD$70m when her Ministry has quarantined essential medicines in Zambia just needing re-testing?

Mwamba highlighted a previous forensic audit by the Global Fund, a key health sector donor, which exposed corrupt practices. The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary for Administration, Prof. Christopher Simoonga, attempted to award himself a $6.8m contract intended for faith-based organizations. Amb. Mwamba added that Minister of Health, Hon. Sylvia Masebo, had been implicated in a controversial procurement decisions, including the $100m infectious diseases hospital project.

A contractor accused Masebo of soliciting a bribe and reported the allegations to President Hichilema and the Anti-Corruption Commission, yet the President dismissed Permanent Secretary Dr. George Magwende instead of taking action against Masebo.

Amb. Mwamba further alleged that Masebo was involved in a $70m procurement deal with the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement Medical Agency (UPA) for medicines. According to Mwamba, the arrangement, presented as a bilateral government to government deal, resulted in the delivery of drugs worth $25m that were later stranded in Beira, Mozambique, and Lusaka for a total of ten months.

Mwamba expressed concerns about the quality and efficacy of medicines subjected to extreme weather conditions during the delay, blaming corrupt officials who had already secured their “cuts” for the logistical failures.

Mwamba also criticized the government over the controversial procurement of 156 ambulances worth $13m under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The officials used inappropriate procurement methods and deliberately excluded manufacturers and franchise holders. While 11 ambulances have been delivered to date, the remaining vehicles are unlikely to meet the December 2024 deadline, despite multiple contract extensions granted to suppliers Aqueos Investments and Ace Pharmaceuticals. He pointed out that Ace Pharmaceuticals, owned by a non-Zambian national, had been awarded more contracts at ZMMSA than any other local supplier.

Also Read: Hichilema Faces Arrest as his Silence is a Green Light for Corruption! Hichilema’s failure to address rampant corruption, from the CDF ambulance scandal to Mopani Mine’s unconstitutional sale, signals complicity rather than leadership. As his inaction emboldens institutional looting and undermines governance, he risks facing legal accountability post-2026, leaving a legacy stained by the very corruption he vowed to eradicate.

Furthermore, Mwamba condemned the exclusion of local authorities from the procurement process, arguing that this undermined the intended purpose of CDF as a community-driven initiative. He expressed skepticism about President Hichilema’s recent remarks about uncovering a cartel profiting from government drugs, warning against using rhetoric to deflect from addressing the systemic corruption within the Ministry of Health.

Mwamba concluded by urging President Hichilema to ensure transparency and accountability by publishing the audit report, emphasizing that this was crucial for the sake of the nation and its cooperating partners.

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