PF Officials Need To Prove Their Innocence In The Court of Law, Says Copperbelt Minister
Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo has challenged the host of former PF government officials arrested recently to prove their innocence in the courts of law, rather than protesting their arrests to the masses.
Former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji, former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo, former Water Development Minister Raphael Nakacinda and former Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Fredson Yamba are just some of the most high profile former Patriotic Front officials to have been arrested recently.
Malanji and Yamba have both been charged with wilful failure to comply with the law, in transferring over K154.2 million to the Zambian mission in Turkey without following the law on supplementary expenditure detailed in article 203 of the Zambian constitution.
Meanwhile, law enforcement have arrested, warned and cautioned Mr. Kampyongo for Endangering Safety Contrary to Section 8(f) of CAP 445 Safety of the Civil Aviation Act of the laws of Zambia. Mr. Nakacinda has been charged with defamation of President Hakainde Hichilema
Certain outspoken figures have condemned these arrests. However, speaking during a media briefing in Ndola on Monday, Mr. Matambo dismissed libellous claims that the arrests are being made on tribal or political lines.
The Minister said law enforcement agencies have made more arrests recently because they are finally able to act freely against corruption under the UPND Government.
Indeed, Mr. Matambo highlighted the recent arrests as evidence that the New Dawn Government is coming good on campaign promises and restoring law and order.
“Let me talk about arrests which are going on against those who stole from Zambian people. Some are saying the arrest is tribal, it is not tribal. A thief is a thief so if a thief is arrested then you will be bringing trial issue. No,” he said.
“And everyone is innocent until they are proven guilty. This is the time for those who are affected to go and prove themselves, to prove their innocence. There is nothing to do with tribal when it comes to this. We promised the people of Zambia that every coin that has been from thepeople of Zambia we will have to recover it so that it can go back to the people of Zambia,” said Mr. Matambo.
“And His Excellence [President Hakainde Hichilema] is not that type who influence or instruct officers to go and arrest who, no. We have given power back to the law enforcement officers, there is no cadrelism. Police officers will operate professionally they will not be looking at who is this one? Which party is he coming from? Which part of the country is this person coming from? Officers will treat Zambians as one because nobody is above the law. We are here to maintain law and order,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Matambo criticised the PF members who have not been arrested, and said they are seizing every little opportunity to criticize the New Dawn Government with jealousy.
“I want to appeal to the people of Zambia, the people of the Copperbelt to stop listening to these colleagues of ours who failed to run the country in ten years, now they want to act like Messianic agents. All of a sudden they have become Messiahs, speaking on behalf of Zambians, the Zambians they suppressed,” he said.
Mr. Matambo’s media briefing highlighted some of the achievements of the UPND government, such as the removal of cadres from markets and bus stations, awarding of a 12% salary increment to civil servants, the planned hiring of 30,000 teachers, increasing of CDF allocation and provision of free education.
The Copperbelt Minister also defended the removal of fuel subsidies, saying the decision was not taken lightly and he is sure it will serve the good of the overall economy in the near future.