LUSAKA- Vice-President W.K. Mutale Nalumango has reiterated Governments position in the fight against corruption.
Speaking during the Vice-Presidents’ question time in Parliament, Friday.
She was responding to Zambezi East Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Brian Kambita who wanted the Vice President to tell the House what the government is doing to give confidence to the public on pronouncements about corruption crimes that were committed and if convictions will be seen anytime anytime soon.
In her response, Mrs Nalumango said that Government will not only fight the past and present corruption but also the future one.
Mrs Nalumango said that Government is working tirelessly and has not relented on the fight against corruption.
“Government has not relented on the fight against corruption. Government is working seriously to fight corruption.
Government has made it clear that we will fight corruption, the past corruption, the present corruption and he future corruption. This is the position of government,” she said.
And Mrs. Nalumango said a number of peope have been arrested for corruption and that it is Governments hope that the fight bears fruit for the Zambian people.
“A number of peope have been arrested for corruption. After that honourable member, these are taken to the courts of law.
When we take them to the courts of law, separation of powers calls that the Judiciary takes over the prosecution. It is our hope that this fight will bear fruit for the Zambian people,” she said.
Meanwhile the Vice President has called for more publicity on corruption cases as they are being tried in the courts of law.
“And I would urge that we get a little more publicity on the cases as they are being tried in the courts of law,” said Mrs Nalumango.
Also responding to Mr. Kambita’s statement where he made mention about the former Head of State joining the political ground, the Vice President clarified that If the former Head of State wants to be in politics, nobody can stop him except that he needs to make it clear if hes retired or not.
She added that she has not been briefed if at all the former Head of State has joined active politics, but all she keeps hearing is the media alleging that he has joined active politics.
“All we can say is that hes a Zambian but we need to know. What makes It different is hes the former head of state, a position that is held by one person at one particular time and as hes title is, it means that he head of state is still being looked after by the Zambian People. What the Zambian people need to know is as a country, as executive and politics are we allowing things to move by the provision of the rule of law? Is the former president living by the provision of the act and the constitution that guides his life? That is what we should ask? If he wants to be in politics, I think nobody can stop him except we have to know, is he retire? Is he not? Colleagues this is no an issue to debate about. If hes not retired, we have to hear from him,” she said.
“What I know is that the executive has a letter saying that he is retired and therefore we want to regard him as a former head of state. Today I heard in the media someone declaring him ( Lungu) hes our party president.
We don’t want a man to be seen, today this way, tomorrow that way, no. Let us state the facts and run together, ,let us run our country the way we ought to. So if he has joined, I haven’t been briefed and all we hear is in the media. Are we going to follow the media or we are going to be told that I have come of retirement,” said Mrs. Nalumango.