VJ Mwaanga Praises President Hichilema’s Corruption Crackdown

Former foreign affairs minister and veteran diplomat Vernon Johnson Mwaanga has praised President Hakainde Hichilema’s record for cracking down on corruption, saying the President has set “very high standards”.

Mwaanga, who also served as chief whip under the MMD government, said it was not easy for the New Dawn government to clean up the mess left by the Patriotic Front but that those working under President Hichilema should follow his lead.

“Politics is a commitment to serve the country and people. Politics is not for people who want to make money. President Hakainde Hichilema has set very high standards of anti-corruption and those under him must follow or be relieved of their government duties,” Mwaanga said.

He added that the “UPND was nationally elected to make a difference from PF and President Hakainde Hichilema defeated the incumbent President by a whopping margin of one million votes, something never done before. There will always be critics, even after implementation of a number of key election promises like free education, ending cadreism, paying retirees, recruiting over 30,000 teachers and 11,000 health personnel among others.”  

Clamping down on corruption was a major promise of the UPND during the 2021 election campaign. Upon taking office, President Hichilema pledged to clear out rotten officials who had been stealing from the public finances by empowering the Anti-Corruption Commission and other investigative agencies.

Since then there have been numerous high-profile busts against PF officials, including former Justice Minister Given Lubinda and former Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

Dr Mwaanga concluded his remarks by observing, “We should avoid believing in democracy only when we are in opposition, but forget its importance when we are or were a ruling party. This important warning applies to all political parties, and they are well advised to heed this call. Whether we are in government or in opposition – the meaning and importance of democracy should remain the same.”