ECL’S GAUNTLET

FORMER President Edgar Lungu has every right to speak out and defend his family and close associates when they are being mistreated.

And no one should be surprised that he has broken his silence and thrown the gauntlet at the new dawn administration to arrest him if they think he stole while in office rather than harass and persecute innocent people.

The former President has behaved in a manner befit ting a former Head of State, staying clear of comment ing on political issues so as to allow his successor to settle down in office.

That is how former leaders behave in established democracies.

But the manner in which the new government has gone in its perceived fight against corruption has sur prised the nation, especially that it has been directed at those close to the former President.

However, what has shocked the nation has been the callous manner in which investigative wings raided the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust which was run by the former First Lady, Ms Esther Lungu.

The government cannot claim innocence over the search conducted at the Esther Lungu Foundation. It was a veiled attack against the former President.

Patriotic Front Vice President Given Lubinda, who has been speaking with the former President, said Mr Lungu is dismayed by the arrests and harassment of his close associates and the raid on the Esther Lungu Foundation.

According to Mr Lubinda, the former President said he was aware that the harassment of his close asso ciates and former ministers was just a ruse as he was the one they wanted.

Mr Lubinda said, “But President Lungu is saying, please, I know it is me that you are going after, please come to me if there is anything that you suspect that I stole. Come to me, stop harassing the people around me.”

But as we pointed out yesterday, the raid on the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust is in the same genre as the raid on Stoppila Sunzu’s father’s house in Chililabombwe and indeed the raid and subsequent destruction of Sammys’ farm in Siavonga.

They all have a common denominator: The search for Edgar Lungu’s riches.

An impression has been created that ECL has vast amounts of money stashed within and outside the country, which security wings must find.

In the process collateral damage in form of injured and harassed individuals has been deemed accept able. And no one can deny that this is being done with the tacit approval of the new regime.

That is why the UPND spokesperson Mr Cornelius Mweetwa for example can argue that there is nothing wrong with the raids that the investigative wings are conducting on former PF leaders because they were the ones handling public resources.

The public however has seen through the lies, that the fight against corruption is not anchored on the rule of law, but aimed at “fixing” President Lungu, the ulti mate target.

It is important for the new dawn administration to rein in the excesses being committed by State agen cies under the guise of fighting corruption.

It stands to lose the goodwill not only of Zambians but the international community as well.

The European Union, which hailed Mr. Hichilema’s electoral victory, has now started to question the ap proach that is being used in the so-called fight against corruption.

It has noted that the EU-backed anti-corruption cam paign is at risk of veering towards a political purge, according to a new report that was recently published.

Zambians are firm believers in fair play and won’t tol erate any form of injustice across the political divide.