Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) is appalled by Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Sturdy Mwale’s comments on the links between Russian and Belarusian businessmen on one hand and State House and the Ministry of Defence on the other, as reported in the 2nd June 2020 edition of the NewsDiggers newspaper. PS Mwale contends that there is nothing wrong with him taking pictures with people of questionable character and that he is under no obligation to give an explanation to the public about the 10 – 15 trips he has made to Russia.
TI-Z would however like to remind PS Mwale that he is a senior government official who is also the controlling officer for one of Zambia’s most strategic ministries when it comes to national security. In addition to this, all official business that PS Mwale undertakes is not only of public interest but also paid for by Zambian tax payers. Thus, TI-Z contends that the Zambian public, through the media and any other legitimate means, are well within their rights to raise questions about what appears to be troubling links between some foreign businessmen and people in the upper echelons of power in Zambia both at State House and in the Ministry of Defence. We would also like to remind PS Mwale that as a senior government official, the way he responds to the legitimate questions being asked concerning this issue will go a long way in influencing the perception that citizens will have not just of him personally but also of the Ministry he is in charge of and ultimately of his appointing authority.
TI-Z would therefore like to reiterate its call for State House or the Ministry of Defence to pronounce themselves on these alleged links in order to put this matter to a definitive conclusion and avoid the speculation and innuendoes which are brewing underneath and which threaten to negatively impact our international standing as a country. We are appalled by PS Mwale’s dismissive response to what was a legitimate query from the press and it is our belief that such a response will do little to quell the speculation and innuendos or indeed to inspire confidence amongst Zambians that there is nothing sinister behind the images that we saw in the NewsDiggers report.
Rueben L. Lifuka
TI-Z Chapter President
