By Daily Revelation Editor
The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged the government to provide a full, immediate, and transparent account of actions taken in response to allegations of theft and diversion of public medical supplies.
In a press statement, NGOCC demanded that the government must provide a comprehensive public update on investigations into the alleged diversion and sale of state medical supplies, including any pharmacy networks implicated.
They also demanded that there should be prompt prosecution and administrative action against all individuals involved, regardless of rank or position, and publicly communicate the outcomes.
”Publicly outline and implement time-bound reforms to secure the medical supply chain, strengthening oversight, traceability, and internal controls.4. Uphold the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act by safeguarding those who report corruption and prioritising action on the substance of credible allegations,” NGOCC board chairperson Beauty Katebe stated. “We call upon citizens, civil society organisations, and especially women’s movements to use all lawful means to demand accountability, transparency, and integrity within the health sector and all public institutions.”
NGOCC stated so while affirming the government’s position, as articulated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe SC, that Zambia is a sovereign State with established and respected diplomatic channels for engaging all cooperating partners.
NGOCC further noted the government’s response to a statement by the outgoing US Envoy, which suggested that certain health-sector support may have been linked to negotiations involving Zambia’s critical mineral resources.
We have been on record, and we wish to re-emphasise our position that any deal that involves trading off our country’s natural resource must not be entertained. The $1 billion Kwacha health deal over a period of many years can actually be secured if we managed our resources wisely and to the benefit of Zambians.
If there happened to be any irritation on the part of Amb Gonzales because Zambia refused to play ball to that deal, that that irritation is unfounded. However, that does not discount the substantive matters he raised about the corruption, inaction and bureaucracy in the UPND administration.
Amb Gonzales did not lie when he said that the only cows in the fight against corruption under President Hichilema were those who were disloyal.
He also did not lie when he talked about “the theater of commissioning a report to get a scandal out of the news cycle but taking no substantive action on accountability is all too common.”
Let’s take the example of USA’s aid withdrawal towards the health sector for instance. When the Americans took that move, we saw hasty moves by the President to launch a report on the same. But one year down the line, very little has happened on that score. Even the people who were arrested over the same were those one could describe as low level personalities, who could be conveniently disposed off.
We had the scandal of the 61 containers of drugs that were marooned at some truck yard for seven months for instance. What has happened on that matter for instance? Where any of the very senior most people in the Ministry of Health taken to task for instance? Nothing! Actually some were simply taken from one public responsibility to the other.
Actually, most of the issues Amb Gonzales raised were issues that have been raised before by the public, including this newspaper.
And we actually agree with the position taken by the NGOCC that the government must provide a full, immediate, and transparent account of actions taken in response to allegations of theft and diversion of public medical supplies.
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By Daily Revelation Editor
The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged the government to provide a full, immediate, and transparent account of actions taken in response to allegations of theft and diversion of public medical supplies.
In a press statement, NGOCC demanded that the government must provide a comprehensive public update on investigations into the alleged diversion and sale of state medical supplies, including any pharmacy networks implicated.
They also demanded that there should be prompt prosecution and administrative action against all individuals involved, regardless of rank or position, and publicly communicate the outcomes.
”Publicly outline and implement time-bound reforms to secure the medical supply chain, strengthening oversight, traceability, and internal controls.4. Uphold the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act by safeguarding those who report corruption and prioritising action on the substance of credible allegations,” NGOCC board chairperson Beauty Katebe stated. “We call upon citizens, civil society organisations, and especially women’s movements to use all lawful means to demand accountability, transparency, and integrity within the health sector and all public institutions.”
NGOCC stated so while affirming the government’s position, as articulated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe SC, that Zambia is a sovereign State with established and respected diplomatic channels for engaging all cooperating partners.
NGOCC further noted the government’s response to a statement by the outgoing US Envoy, which suggested that certain health-sector support may have been linked to negotiations involving Zambia’s critical mineral resources.
We have been on record, and we wish to re-emphasise our position that any deal that involves trading off our country’s natural resource must not be entertained. The $1 billion Kwacha health deal over a period of many years can actually be secured if we managed our resources wisely and to the benefit of Zambians.
If there happened to be any irritation on the part of Amb Gonzales because Zambia refused to play ball to that deal, that that irritation is unfounded. However, that does not discount the substantive matters he raised about the corruption, inaction and bureaucracy in the UPND administration.
Amb Gonzales did not lie when he said that the only cows in the fight against corruption under President Hichilema were those who were disloyal.
He also did not lie when he talked about “the theater of commissioning a report to get a scandal out of the news cycle but taking no substantive action on accountability is all too common.”
Let’s take the example of USA’s aid withdrawal towards the health sector for instance. When the Americans took that move, we saw hasty moves by the President to launch a report on the same. But one year down the line, very little has happened on that score. Even the people who were arrested over the same were those one could describe as low level personalities, who could be conveniently disposed off.
We had the scandal of the 61 containers of drugs that were marooned at some truck yard for seven months for instance. What has happened on that matter for instance? Where any of the very senior most people in the Ministry of Health taken to task for instance? Nothing! Actually some were simply taken from one public responsibility to the other.
Actually, most of the issues Amb Gonzales raised were issues that have been raised before by the public, including this newspaper.
And we actually agree with the position taken by the NGOCC that the government must provide a full, immediate, and transparent account of actions taken in response to allegations of theft and diversion of public medical supplies.
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