The reported immunity deal struck between Mr Milingo Lungu and the government of the Republic of Zambia makes a mockery of the UPND administration’s professed commitment to fight corruption.
TI-Z has always been of the view that when it comes to dealing with cases of corruption, the first port of call should be to push for criminal prosecution, with avenues such as forfeiture of assets being an option further down the priority ladder and only when prosecution is not a viable option for compelling reasons.
Therefore, we did not expect the UPND administration to sink so low as to strike immunity deals in cases such as this one. But alas, this immunity deal with Mr Lungu suggests that the UPND regime’s fight against corruption is nothing more than a window dressing exercise designed to create an illusion of a regime that is seriously fighting the scourge.
We are disappointed that the UPND does not seem to be following it’s own manifesto when it comes to fighting corruption, an endeavour that was presented as a central theme of the UPND campaign message.
We challenge the UPND-led govt to redeem themselves and reinject some confidence in the anti corruption fight. Getting into deals with suspects is an incredibly flawed strategy for fighting corruption and a complete slap in the faces of Zambian citizens eager to hold to account those who plundered national resources.
We continue to call on the UPND administration to develop and start implementing a comprehensive country strategy to provide a basis and framework for the fight against corruption. In the absence of such a strategy, the harp hazard approach in fighting corruption that we have seen will continue, and we will not make the sort of progress that we would like to make in tackling this scourge.
Maurice K. Nyambe
TI-Z Executive Director.
