Graft fight not vindictive - HH

THE new dawn administra tion’s fight against corrup tion is not vindictive and not meant to punish polit ical opponents or silence critics, President Hakainde Hichilema has said.

President Hichilema said the corruption fight now was to safeguard the resources of the country and leave a legacy of transparent and account able leadership that would be a beacon to Africa and the world.

He urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that where corruption rears its head, “it is crushed immediately and emphatically.”

President Hichilema said this at the commemoration of the International Anti- Corruption Day being com memorated under the theme: “your right, your role; say no to corruption.”

“Citizens, do your part too, by reporting suspected mis conduct in management and distribution of resources to law enforcement agencies,” he said.

President Hichilema said the government would ensure that what was stolen from Zambians was returned and put to use in uplifting the lives of people.

He said the process of re covering stolen assets was already underway, and good progress was being made by law enforcement agencies.

President Hichilema said government had increased the budgetary allocation to the Anti-Corruption Commission in the 2022 na tional budget, to ensure that they were fully supported to carry out their mandate.

He also urged that pro cesses in the National Anti- Corruption Policy aimed at providing national guid ance on strategies and pro grammes that would deal with the problem of corruption, be speeded up and ensure the review was concluded as soon as possible.

And ACC acting di rector-general, Silumesi Muchula said they appreciat ed the political stance that the new dawn government had continued to take since taking office.

Mr Muchula said the move to denounce corruption and all other related crimes was a clear indication of how high the fight against corruption was placed on the govern ment’s agenda.