President Lungu - The Rich Uncle

Alliance for Community Action (ACA) Executive Director and civil society activist Laura Miti has called out President Lungu on his claims to be making personal donations to hospitals, markets and schools. 

“Service delivery is a government duty. It should be done systematically from the national budget,” writes Miti. 

“We can't have a President throwing pocket change at structural problems. Change from the billions he has miraculously accumulated, since he became President,” she continues in apparent reference to the increase in the President’s wealth since he took office. 

In the 16 months between the 2015 and 2016 elections President Lungu more than double the value of his assts from K10.9 million to K23.7 million. It is not clear yet how much his wealth has grown since, but figures will be revealed when he files his papers for the upcoming presidential elections. 

According to Miti, “Services in rural areas and townships, where Zambia's poor suffer the undignified lives of those in a war-torn country, must be planned and budgeted for, from national resources.” 

“Unfortunately, our situation is that the national resources that could routinely buy the mealie meal President Lungu unashamedly "donated" to a hospital in Luapula Province, are the ones he has allowed people in his administration to unapologetically steal, in mind spinning levels of corruption,” she claims. 

Miti also questions the use the money is put to writing, “As though facilitating an industrial raid on the Treasury was not enough, the President gave billions more, of money meant for services, to Minister Kampyongo, so that he could buy lethal weapons and armoured vehicles. Lethal force for the police to use against citizens.” 

“Simply, President Lungu has spent billions to prevent citizens from protesting against his destruction of the functional country he inherited, but he could not ensure that hospitals have mealie meal,” she writes. 

Miti advises President Lungu “Zambia needs government to work!” 

“We do not elect a President so that he runs around acting like a rich uncle visiting poor relatives, bearing frivolous gifts that will do nothing to change the fact of their deep deprivation,” she concludes.