If the U.S. Was Right On Lungu,…

On September 21, 2021, during the United Nations General Assembly, Joe Biden openly insulted Zambia as newly elected President Hakainde Hichilema looked on. Biden cited corruption as one of the reasons Zambian youths voted out corrupt Lungu, and endorsed Hichilema in large numbers. But Biden went further—he placed Zambia among some of Africa’s most corrupt nations such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia.

To my surprise, President Hichilema sat there smiling. As for his cadres, they supported Biden’s remarks on the premise that the Lungu regime was corrupt, and that Biden simply pointed out the obvious. Then came the BBC interview in September 2021, where President Hichilema undressed Zambia before the world, claiming that the entire government was rotten with corruption—“they are stealing even as I am speaking to you.” I objected to his misrepresentation of Zambia.

His supporters simply argued that he was stating facts. I laughed. Don’t misquote me.

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Corruption remains Zambia’s cancer, and what the U.S. ambassador highlighted has been in the public domain since Hichilema took office in August 2021. Of course, HH rose to power on a platform of fighting corruption, but time has a way of revealing uncomfortable truths.

Corruption has continued on our roads, in civil service recruitment, including the infamous database recruitment of police officers, and at all levels of government. We only change names, but corruption remains entrenched in our national DNA. We don’t need the U.S.

ambassador to tell us what we all know—we bathe in, and drink from, the waters of corruption. And we all participate in it–”it is the only way we get by!” Ok , for credibility purposes and ethical conduct of “link to sources” as per existing internet tradition this article falls short. Identify yourself as author of this article then we can take its content more seriously.

Gonzales is a chola boy not a president. Meanwhile your article is anonymous, talking narcissistically about the mysterious “me” and what “I told you”. And what of facts, is it only 136 pf officials who have been arrested over drug thefts?

Nkosavuta kukamba the saying goes The presence that exists with perceptions measurements. LT why hide the author of such a truthful, factual article? Facts should be cemented with the mortar of honesty ,openness and accountability.The same qualities we demand of politicians should be the same for columnists/journalists and newspaper editors.

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