Crusade on corruption not witch-hunt - Clergy

AS the fight against corruption continues, more voices are rising to condemn perceived selective prosecution of individuals.

However, the Kitwe Pastors Fellowship has rubbished calls by some politicians and chiefs calling the crusade on recovery of stolen public resources as a witch hunt targeted at people from a certain region.

Kitwe Pastors Fellowship Chairman, Raddy Lewila said the issue of tribal witch hunt does not arise in this case because people given the responsibility of managing public resources must be ready to account on how they executed their jobs.

“There is no connection between ones’ tribe and accounting how one managed public resources or how they acquired resources that are way above their earnings, so issues of tribalism should not be brought into the fight against corruption,” Reverend Lewila said.

He said those running public offices should be willing to open their houses for searching if they know they have not committed any wrong doing.

He further noted that there is nothing strange about government trying to recover stolen resources as this has happened in the past.

He has since called on Zambians to desist from tribal talk which he said will lead to further division of the country.

Reverend Lewila noted that even the Bible admonishes people to be faithful even in managing little things.

And speaking in a separate interview veteran politician, George Mpombo prodded President Hakainde Hichilema to strengthen the crusade against corruption and recovery of stolen public resources.

Mr Mpombo said the crusade should shift from mere talks to actions that see suspected plunderers being taken to court with air tight cases that end in convictions.

“When people begin to be convicted for stealing public funds is when the tribal witch hunt talk will end because if the convicted is a Namwanga for instance, no Namwanga will support proven theft and the issue of tribal mantra will end, otherwise there is nothing wrong with the crusade,” Mr Mpombo said.

He explained that people are expecting to see suspected plunderers being taken to court so that the pronouncements on stolen public resources are justified for people to stop taking the recovery crusade as a tribal or political witch hunt.

He said once convictions begin to manifest, all people criticizing the president will go quiet.

There has been increasing criticism on President Hakainde Hichilema regarding the crusade against corruption and recovery of stolen public resources as some politicians and traditional leaders have alleged that the crusade is a witch hunt.