PERSONAL INTEGRITY
We have been accused of many things.
More recently and perhaps most enduring we have been accused, of practicing tribalism, more specifically of being anti Tonga.
A few years ago, then President Michael Sata took us to court for demanding tribal inclusivity in his cabinet and for questioning his support of Fred M’membe and Mutembo Nchito in their dealings with development Bank of Zambia in relation to Zambian Airways.
Our position on tribal inclusivity has not changed. We said the same of the Cabinet that President Lungu inherited from Mr. Sata. We even went further to make a public presentation to a Parliamentary hearing where we recommended a revolving presidency to ensure equity.
Our position has always been that elections are not synonymous with democracy. Informed democracy demands accountability founded on firm public policy merits and adherence thereto.
More importantly our position has been consistent. We have spoken against the abuse of power to victimize the voiceless. We have condemned specific cases of injustice where innocent people are left to suffer for no cause of their own. We have always demanded integrity of purpose in the exercise of any form authority in public or private life.
We believe that any power or responsibility must be exercised with decency, civility and more importantly compassion. This is the bedrock of integrity.
Integrity has been described as the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions
This is the level to which leaders aspiring for high office must be held to account.
It is against this background that we have earned the anti-Tonga name for questioning Mr. Hakainde Hichilema. We have done so with respect, responsibility and sensitivity. Our concern has been the plight of pensioners and those displaced from their land in circumstances that have led to litigations while some have fizzled out. There is also the question of the sale of Livingstone Inter-continental Hotel which was valued at more than US$26million that was sold for less than US$6 million, in a transaction where he was the chief officer on behalf of Government. The Hotel now belongs to him and Chief Mukuni as local directors while being an international company domiciled overseas.
Above all else we have asked why the Saturnia forensic audit report has remained a secret, when Government audits are made public. There may be absolutely nothing to worry about, but it concerns us because of the many lives that have been negatively affected by some of the dealings that Saturnia and related companies have undertaken.
It is a fact that in one such case a Judge in the High court faulted Saturnia for being less than honest in dealings with pensioners some of whom have died without receiving their benefits.
These are very specific issues we hope Mr. Hichilema can address otherwise they will continue to haunt him as an individual, concerns which have absolutely nothing to do with tribe.
On our part, we promise to stand by the poor and voiceless.