ARREST PLUNDERERS, DEMANDS FDD CHIEF
ZAMBIA Police must arrest civil society leaders named in the plunder of donor funds amounting to about US $ 1.9million, says Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) deputy national secretary Antonio Mwanza.
Mr Mwanza said it was unfortunate that the very organisation said to be advocating transparency and accountability should be caught up in such allegations as fraud.
He said the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Southern Africa Centre for Constructive Resolution of Dispute (SACCORD) and the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) must be probed for their involvement in the alleged theft and misappropriation of donor money.
“The money embezzled is part of the $3.5 million grant that was given to YALI by the UKaid through the British Council under the Zambia Accountability Project (ZAP) to ensure the delivery of transparent and credible elections.
“It is demoralising to note that the very institutions that ought to be the moral arbiters in spearheading transparency and accountability in the conduct of public affairs are themselves in the forefront of abusing and misappropriating donor money,” he said.
Mr Mwanza was commenting on reports that the British Council in Zambia has formerly filed a complaint against alleged misappropriation of funds given to the Zambia Accountability Project (ZAP) towards the transparency and credibility of the 2016 general election.
He charged that it was no wonder most Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) fail to perform their watchdog role in society, but instead behaved like bootlickers to speak against each other in order to access donor money for personal aggrandizement.
“Instead of focusing on ensuring that the necessary institutional and legislative frameworks are reformed in order to enhance good governance, these famished mercenaries posing as Civil Society leaders are busy writing project proposals in order to syphon donor money,” he said.
Mr Mwanza has advised against using the church, the civil society and politics as a means to amass wealth at the expense of speaking for the good of society.