LISTENING to President Hakainde Hichilema lamentation over the breakdown of the principles of public governance and respect for public assets made one think that the problem could be more than meets the eye.
As an outsider, President Hichilema had, while in opposition seemed aware of the extent of embezzlement and public looting which went on in the last seven years or so but perhaps he was not fully aware.
The looting seems to have gone on in almost all the ministries without anyone providing any checks or at least raising any red flag.
The tingle in President Hichilema’s voice indicates that he is really frustrated by the fact that in a country where the majority of the citizens are wallowing in abject, a clique of leaders and their cohorts chose to further deprive the very people they swore to serve.
Given the ostentatious level of corruption and lawlessness where public institutions totally collapsed, Mr Hichilema’s fervent plea to his ministers and permanent secretaries to join him in cleansing the public sector and in ensuring that the plundered resources are recovered is understood.
This is because both elected and appointed leaders, including career civil servants, seemed to have connived in depriving the people of the much-needed national development by squandering the resources.
His fears, and justifiable ones for that matter, seem to be the repeat of the last seven years or so but he should be rest assured that Zambians may not allow that again.
Zambians seem to learn once and for all!
Look at the issues of the third terms for presidential leaders which they have said no to and continue doing so even amid manipulation attempts by some past leaders.
The president should, therefore, be rest assured that Zambians will stand with him in the fight against any past, present and future corruption as he always says.
That is the least all well-meaning Zambians, regardless of the background, could do to encourage a leader who has shown determination to put their interests before his own.
A man who wants to be a servant of the people deserves support from the people!
We agree with President Hichilema that almost all immediate past leaders have no moral authority to even be vocal now, least of all because they had kept quiet when the rot was going on.
Indeed, where have they suddenly got the voices and moral rights to provide checks and balances when they glossed over alleged plunder of natural resources, which in normal circumstances could have triggered at least massive resignations among leaders, especially political ones!
While offices like those of the Auditor General and the Financial Intelligence Centre could be given the benefit of doubt because of the semblance of whistle-blowing which they vainly engaged in, the rest of
public offices should be indicted alongside suspected plunderers.
Similarly, current leaders, both elected and appointed, should take heed President Hichilema’s counsel to keep away from public resources, and instead join the fight for the protection of national interest in
all their dealings.
We are aware that the temptation could be high for some leaders who may want to emulate the lifestyle of the erstwhile leaders to get rich quickly by misappropriating public funds, but that, as President Hichilema has repeatedly warned, would be at their own peril.
Leaders and institutions of governance should all work at ensuring that such grand corruption does not recur in the country by each, playing their respective roles.
There is need to always nib corruption in its bud whenever and wherever it tries to rear its hideous face!