TI-Z Calls For Action On Africa Freedom Day

Today is Africa Freedom Day. This year’s theme is “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for building the Africa we want.”   

Among those to mark the day were Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z). 

“Unfortunately, the story of Africa’s political culture and heritage has become less about the selfless service that our founding fathers rendered during the struggle for independence and in the early years of self-rule across Africa. Rather, the story of Africa’s political culture and heritage is increasingly about governance and economic failures at different levels, coupled by a corruption problem that is taking its toll on many African countries, including Zambia,” TI-Z Executive Director Maurice K. Nyambe stated. 

“TI-Z therefore calls upon Africa’s leaders to reflect on where they have steered the continent over the last several years and to make amends for the wide ranging service delivery failures that have become a permanent feature in many African countries,” he continued.  

Mr Nyambe urged the Zambian government “to be less rhetorical in responding to the governance challenges that are ravaging the country, such as corruption and an ever decreasing civic space.” 

He noted that corruption in Zambia has worsened in recent years, reflected in a declining score on the organisation’s Corruption Perception Index. 

Mr Nyambe identified the upcoming elections an opportunity to “create a political heritage and culture that will espouse the selfless ideals and values that drove our founding fathers in their battle for Africa’s political emancipation.”  

He ended his statement with a call to all stakeholders to “exhibit selflessness as they engage in the process in order to not only enhance the integrity of our electoral process, but also as a demonstration of commitment to the broader ideals of Africa’s political heritage and culture as envisioned by our founding fathers.”