By Mubanga Mubanga and Isaac Zulu
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) executive director Maurice Nyambe says President Hakainde Hichilema must declare his assets, given potential conflict of interest between business and political interest.
Activist Brebner Changala says if President Hakainde Hichilema is a man of integrity as he claims, he must declare his assets and liabilities.
Responding to Daily Revelation on information minister Cornelius Mweetwa’s statement that President Hichilema will not declare his assets as no law requires him to do so, Nyambe said it is particularly important for President Hichilema, who is known to be a successful businessman even prior to his presidency to declare his assets and liabilities.
“TI-Z continues to call on the President not to use a legal loophole to avoid declaring his assets, but rather do the right thing in the interest of accountability,” Nyambe said
“In our view, this is the litmus test for the President’s professed commitment to the fight against corruption,” he said.
And Nyambe has urged President Hichilema not to use the loophole in the current law to avoid declaring his assets saying he must do the right thing.
He said making asset and liability declarations for those in high public office helps to enhance accountability and ultimately contributes to the fight against corruption.
Nyambe said given how committed the UPND in opposition were over this issue, the backtracking being seen leaves a lot to be desired.
He observed that while Mweetwa was right that no law compels the President to declare his assets, it is also not true that no law stops him from doing so.
Nyambe also asked the UPND government what was stopping them from amending the Constitution, to include the declaration of assets since they were the majority in Parliament.
“ln any case , the UPND has parliamentary majority so there is nothing stopping them from amending a current law or indeed introducing a new law that will require sitting presidents to declare their assets, ” said Nyambe.
And Changala said Zambians do not need to call for legal reforms in order for the Head of State to declare his assets, saying it is about doing the right thing at the right time.
He said what the Zambian people want is to know the net worth of President Hichilema and which companies he has interests in.
“President Hakainde Hichilema has told us that he is a man of integrity, that he is an upright man. If he is straightforward, let him declare his assets and liabilities. Zambians don’t need to call for legal reforms for him to do that. The Zambian people want to know his net worth and companies in which he has interests,” Changala said. “And if I was President Hakainde Hichilema this would not be a challenge, I would declare my assets and liabilities. He must account.”
He said that today people are having their properties grabbed for failure to account on how they acquired those assets, saying the same yardstick that President Hichilema is using will be used against him.
“Today people are appearing in court for owning a car, for owning a house; for failing to account on how they acquired that car. President Hichilema will one day leave office and become former president. And the same yardstick he is using will be used against him,” Changala said. “He will be inconvenienced, he will be made to account. Even the things he genuinely acquired will be grabbed from him.”
Changala reminded President Hichilema that the law of equity demands that those who seek equity must come with clean hands.
“I have repeatedly said that when President Hakainde Hichilema leaves office even that Community House will be subjected to scrutiny. He will have to account on how he acquired that land and how he built it. When you are telling others to do certain things, you should also do the same. President Hakainde Hichilema should lead by example. He must understand the importance of equity that those who seek equity must come with clean hands,” Changala said.
He said former president Edgar Lungu demonstrated some transparency in the declaration of his assets and liabilities when he was Head of State and that is why his accumulation of wealth was in public domain from the time he became Republican President.
“President Edgar Lungu used to declare his assets. And that is how we came to know that his net worth was from K2 million to K20 million then K43 million. Although there was that rubbish talk about it, at least president Edgar Lungu was transparent when it comes to the declaration of his assets and liabilities,” said Changala.
However, Lungu did not avail the declaration of his assets publicly when filing in his nominations for the 2021 general elections, something which all the other opposition leaders followed suit.
