ACC is making it simpler for you to declare assets, support them

By Daily Revelation Editor

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has disclosed that the commission is developing a Bill on asset declaration for all public officers.

Speaking at the launch of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 Report at Taj Pamodzi Hotel yesterday, ACC Director General Thom Shamakamba said developing the Bill on asset and declaration for public office bearers, was aimed at enhancing transparency among public office bearers and strengthening law enforcement investigative operations.

He said this would facilitate and enhance the conduct of lifestyle audits.

Shamakamba expressed pride and optimism with the revelation made that Zambia had not only increased its score on the corruption perception index but had also significantly improved its ranking.

The move to come up with a bill for asset declaration for all public officers, including Republican Presidents is the right way to go. We wish to note that especially ACC chairman Musa Mwenye has been unflinching on this score, and may have ruffled some feathers in the process. However, this should not just be Musa’s or ACC’s baby to carry, it should actually become a rallying call for every patriotic Zambian regardless of their political, religious or other affiliations.

Enactment of laws such as the one Musa and his colleagues at the ACC are pushing should be welcomed in order for the country’s corruption perception to continually improve as has been noted already in this 2023 Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The UPND administration deserves credit for that too.

However, for the fight against corruption to be truly effective to ensure that all the people buy into the anti-corruption agenda, corruption, past, present and future will have to be fought not only in word where only the past graft is targeted but also the present and future. The fight should be an honest fight to rid the country of the vice and should never be used as a weapon to settle political scores.

Corruption should be fought as a pandemic that should be eliminated and should not be used as an instrument for portraying some as angels and the others as devils, because angels and indeed demons exist everywhere be it in the ruling party or opposition.

In this regard, we wish to appeal to the UPND administration to wholeheartedly support this bill towards its speedy enactment. We urge the opposition also to ensure that they work together with the administration as this is a worthy bill that needs the support of all.

To instil confidence in the masses that our leaders, especially those in power are living above board, the conduct of those leaders should be made as transparent as possible. We do not want to live in a nation where our leaders become rich overnight or use their offices to abuse public resources and natural resources to enrich themselves through commissions or other pay for play schemes.

We wonder why it should be such a big issue for instance for the public to know the extent of the wealth their leaders possess, and why they feel they should actually be compelled by law to simply state to the people they lead their correct asset value if indeed they are interested in transparency, and are interested in being held accountable as the servants of the people they always claim to be.

Well, since the country has debated extensively on this matter with some even indicating that there needs to be a law to compel certain officials like the President and permanent secretaries to regularly declare their assets, the ACC has just made that move and made it a little simpler for you to do that. You have no option but to jump on the board and support this progressive bill.