NGOs Appalled By Lungu’s Attack On ACC

Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have expressed their disappointment with President Lungu after the head of state criticised the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and accused it of making politically motivated attacks against his ministers.

The president has intimated that this is part of a concerted effort to remove his Patriotic Front party from government. 

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) said that it is appalled with President Lungu’s attacks on the ACC and urged the president to “not hold Zambia at ransom for fear of losing power”. 

In a statement issued by CiSCA vice chair Judith Mulenga, the civil society organisation hit out at Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo, who boasted that 2 million Kwacha was his ‘shopping money’. CiSCA demanded to know how Lusambo had come to earn such vast sums.

The statement also turned against Mr Lungu himself, reminding Zambians that the president never explained how his net worth jumped from K2 million in 2015 to K23 million in 2016. 

CiSCA’s criticism was echoed by Transparency International Zambia (TIZ), which reminded President Lungu that the ACC was investigating corrupt ministers on his own orders.

It comes after the ACC’s corruption case against health minister Chitalu Chilufya found that Dr Chilufya’s total earning for the period of November 2013 to February 2020 were in excess of K22 million. 

Dr Chilufya is currently undergoing trial on charges of possessing property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.