When the Ambassador of the United State of America to Zambia, Michael Gonzales, last Thursday announced his country’s decision to cut US$50 million or K1.4 billion in annual aid for drugs to Zambia due to the recipient country’s failure to stop their systematic thefts, almost every Zambian guessed what the response would be from the government. “It’s the PF government to blame”. And the guess was right.
Later on as that Thursday progressed, Health minister Dr Elijah Muchima issued a press statement, reacting to Ambassador Gonzales’s spine chilling announcement. He stated: “This persistent challenge, reflects a deep-rooted problem that took hold long before the current administration assumed office in August 2021, stemming from systemic weaknesses in oversight and supply chain management, under previous governments.”
The American government, just like most Zambians, must have been very disappointed by this government reaction although not surprised.
Disappointed because the thefts and corruption that have given rise to this decision have nothing to do with the actions or inactions of the previous PF government.
Ambassador Gonzales was very clear in his announcement. He said the US government detected those thefts of donated medicines towards the end of the year 2021. And who was in government that time? Wasn’t it the UPND? It is said that to be a good liar, one has to have a very good memory just so they can remember what they said the previous day before telling another lie today in order to remain consistent.
Muchima failed this standard of a good liar. In one breath he says the thefts of donated drugs by the US government were rooted in the PF’s administration where oversight systems and supply chain management were weak. He said to address this, President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration sanctioned a forensic audit whose interim report was shared with stakeholders, including co-operating partners. Further, Muchima said following this interim report, a number of ZAMMSA top officials – including the now ex-director general Victor Nyasulu – were fired, arrested and now appearing before the courts of law. What a contradiction! In one breath, the corruption and thefts that the US government is complaining about were a baby of the PF government. In another, Hichilema has addressed this by firing the ZAMMSA top managers who are now undergoing prosecution.
In telling this lie, Muchima forgot that Nyasulu and other top ZAMMSA officials he referred to were actually hired by the UPND administration. In fact, Nyasulu is a UPND mayoral losing candidate in Lusaka who was appointed into government after he lost elections in 2021.
Almost the entire top ZAMMSA management was labelled PF after UPND won elections and were replaced unceremoniously by a few new names before the current crop that has now been fired were put in place. Muchima, why fire and prosecute officers who are aligned or associated with the ruling UPND if this problem was entrenched by officers under the PF regime? Why not go for those ‘PF ZAMMSA officials’? You see how you are entangling yourself in a web of lies? And more interestingly, the public will vividly remember that Nyasulu and his colleagues were not fired for thefts of the US donated drugs. They were fired in connection with those 61 containers of drugs which were found marooned in Lusaka’s Makeni area. In any case, if Nyasulu’s and others’ firings were connected to the thefts of the US donated drugs, Ambassador Gonzales’ could not have complained against government’s failure to act on their complaints.
The truth of the matter is this government of angels has been caught with its fingers deep into the pie. Let them just own up and accept that corruption is everywhere in this government as acknowledged by this same Muchima a few months ago when he was quoted in the press as saying that corruption scandals were everywhere in the UPND government, not just in his Ministry of Health.
By Daily Revelation Editor
When the Ambassador of the United State of America to Zambia, Michael Gonzales, last Thursday announced his country’s decision to cut US$50 million or K1.4 billion in annual aid for drugs to Zambia due to the recipient country’s failure to stop their systematic thefts, almost every Zambian guessed what the response would be from the government. “It’s the PF government to blame”. And the guess was right.
Later on as that Thursday progressed, Health minister Dr Elijah Muchima issued a press statement, reacting to Ambassador Gonzales’s spine chilling announcement. He stated: “This persistent challenge, reflects a deep-rooted problem that took hold long before the current administration assumed office in August 2021, stemming from systemic weaknesses in oversight and supply chain management, under previous governments.”
The American government, just like most Zambians, must have been very disappointed by this government reaction although not surprised.
Disappointed because the thefts and corruption that have given rise to this decision have nothing to do with the actions or inactions of the previous PF government.
Ambassador Gonzales was very clear in his announcement. He said the US government detected those thefts of donated medicines towards the end of the year 2021. And who was in government that time? Wasn’t it the UPND? It is said that to be a good liar, one has to have a very good memory just so they can remember what they said the previous day before telling another lie today in order to remain consistent.
Muchima failed this standard of a good liar. In one breath he says the thefts of donated drugs by the US government were rooted in the PF’s administration where oversight systems and supply chain management were weak. He said to address this, President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration sanctioned a forensic audit whose interim report was shared with stakeholders, including co-operating partners. Further, Muchima said following this interim report, a number of ZAMMSA top officials – including the now ex-director general Victor Nyasulu – were fired, arrested and now appearing before the courts of law. What a contradiction! In one breath, the corruption and thefts that the US government is complaining about were a baby of the PF government. In another, Hichilema has addressed this by firing the ZAMMSA top managers who are now undergoing prosecution.
In telling this lie, Muchima forgot that Nyasulu and other top ZAMMSA officials he referred to were actually hired by the UPND administration. In fact, Nyasulu is a UPND mayoral losing candidate in Lusaka who was appointed into government after he lost elections in 2021.
Almost the entire top ZAMMSA management was labelled PF after UPND won elections and were replaced unceremoniously by a few new names before the current crop that has now been fired were put in place. Muchima, why fire and prosecute officers who are aligned or associated with the ruling UPND if this problem was entrenched by officers under the PF regime? Why not go for those ‘PF ZAMMSA officials’? You see how you are entangling yourself in a web of lies? And more interestingly, the public will vividly remember that Nyasulu and his colleagues were not fired for thefts of the US donated drugs. They were fired in connection with those 61 containers of drugs which were found marooned in Lusaka’s Makeni area. In any case, if Nyasulu’s and others’ firings were connected to the thefts of the US donated drugs, Ambassador Gonzales’ could not have complained against government’s failure to act on their complaints.
The truth of the matter is this government of angels has been caught with its fingers deep into the pie. Let them just own up and accept that corruption is everywhere in this government as acknowledged by this same Muchima a few months ago when he was quoted in the press as saying that corruption scandals were everywhere in the UPND government, not just in his Ministry of Health.
Related
You can share this post!
HH’s govt must explain failure to act against drug thefts – Rev Mulenga
Take action against thefts of medicines, EAZ urges govt
Related Articles
Zambians must question long hours spent in darkness
Govt, PF should share some blame over Lungu’s…
Is UPND, HH scared of a dead man?