KALABA CHALLENGED

…smear campaign meant to sabotage govt

By CHITE MTONGA and IRVIN MUYUMBWA HARRY Kalaba has been challenged to disclose the source of his wealth before pointing accusing fingers

at government leaders because he had nothing when he joined the Patriotic Front (PF).

And a cabinent minister has accused Mr Kalaba of trying to sabotage government through a smear campaign.

Agriculture minister, Dora Siliya says, Mr Kalaba’s claims of corruption in government

are corruption tantrums without any evidence, tantamount to sabotage.

This follows the former Foreign Affairs Minister’s rantings in which he accused President Edgar Lungu’s establishment of corruption shortly after his recent resignation.

PF former secretary general Edward Mumbi has charged that some people portraying themselves as saints in the eyes of Zambians were the ones who were in fact corrupt.

Mr. Mumbi observed that as former PF secretary-general, he knew very well where Mr. Kalaba came from.

“I was PF secretary-general before Wynter Kabimba came in and I know most of the membership of the PF, I know Mr Kalaba very well, so I can truthfully tell you that some of these people came from the streets and now that they have amassed wealth, they feel it is time for them to follow their presidential ambitions and they have even resorted to accusing government of being corrupt just to support their political ambitions,” he said.

Mr Mumbi said Mr Kalaba had always had Presidential ambitions and it was therefore not surprising that he resigned from cabinet.

He said Mr Kalaba had discovered that his secret manoeuvres had been exposed and he had no other option but to resign as a cabinet Minister.

Mr Mumbi said if Mr Kalaba’s resignation was on principle and meant to distance himself from President Lungu’s government he should have resigned from the party as well.

He said President Lungu was still the leader of the PF and it was clear that Mr Kalaba’s resignation was political and not on principle likening the situation to Mr Kambwili’s resolve to cling to the PF.

He advised the PF secretarygeneral to call for an immediate central committee meeting to amend the party’s code of conduct to bar cabinet members who resign from the party from causing anarchy.

Mr Mumbi said some cabinet ministers resigned and remained in the party just to destabilise the party from within.

And Ms. Siliya says it is extremely disheartening that Mr. Kalaba is beginning to have delusions on corruption in government without substantiating his blanket claims, which are only damaging his reputation.

Ms. Siliya said it is time that Zambians began to question the motives of those who continue to accuse others, especially in government of corruption with no due process and remains hopeful that Mr. Kalaba would reflect and desist from disparaging government.

“Mr. Kalaba was a colleague of mine until a few days ago. I would have expected more from him in terms of specific allegations so that the country is clear, because these tantrums on blanket corruption do not help.” Ms. Siliya said.

Ms. Siliya who is Petauke Central Member of Parliament said this against the resignation of Harry kalaba from his ministerial job who cited corruption and greediness for his decision.

She said mere smear corruption tantrums as a way of managing the fight against corruption only damages the country’s economic development with many corruption cases taken to court on flimsy grounds purely because of politics.

Ms. Siliya said in an interview that there could be corruption incidences which the Auditor General’s report highlights, but these should not be used as part of smear campaigns.

She further called for some modicum of decency when dealing with government issues especially considering that all former ministers are bound by the ministerial code of ethics.

“How much money have we lost for clean water, drugs and desks because of flimsy cases in court over corruption perceptions? Let's fight real corruption and not perception which just damages all of us as Zambians.” she said.

She has challenged Mr. Kalaba to explain why he did not report the allegations while still in government and his holier than others attitude that has suddenly got over him to see corruption now.

Ms. Siliya said it is now time that even the Auditor General’s report was put into context so that cases of misappropriation from two years ago were not seen by the public to be recent even when government had already taken corrective measures.