Democratic Party leader Harry Kalaba says individuals who are rich must have records that show how they got rich.

And Kalaba says the fight against corruption is anemic.

Speaking when he featured on the Catholic Church run Radio Oblate Liseli in Mongu, Friday, Kalaba said the fight against corruption was currently only targeted at political opponents.

“I can say with a lot of conviction that the fight against corruption in this country is anemic, it’s completely weak. The leadership of our government today only fights corruption when they are reading a speech which has been written for them on corruption, that’s how far they have fought that battle. So the fight against corruption is basically academic and heavily selective. The cases are plenty and you have been seeing for yourselves. Not wanting to be cited for contempt of court, but all animals are equal than others. While others can be arrested, nothing is going to happen to some people, they will continue carrying out their duties and giving orders. And yet others are being fired and arrested immediately. We saw a police officer who was found wanting by getting bribes from motorists at a road block, who was immediately put on suspension,” Kalaba said.

“When I look at Western Province in its entirety, this province would have made a lot of progress if corruption was not permitted, but you find that corruption has continued and our leaders are not convinced that there is corruption. They keep telling us that there is nothing wrong with being rich, but they are not showing us the businesses that they are carrying out to become rich. Being rich in itself for me is not a bad thing, but you need to show a record of how you have reached where you are.”

Kalaba said corruption had made some leaders extravagant when majority of citizens were living in poverty.

“Corruption has permeated the backbone of the PF government and that’s why I resigned. Because you can’t allow in a country where 60 per cent of our people are living on less than a $1 a day, you have leaders now in government who have to take a glass of red wine to attract appetite and they can have any meal. Meaning that they don’t even feel like eating, they have to take wine for them to eat a bit and yet here in Western Province, we have got a lot of people that want to eat but they don’t have what to eat,” Kalaba said.

And Kalaba said the PF was only concerned with winning by-elections at the expense of delivering development, promising that would abolish by-elections if he became republican president.

“Right now the current leadership is more engrossed in politics, they are always telling us that they should win and they pride themselves when they win a by election. But even when they win elections, how many jobs do they create? That’s why for me I said I am not going to waste time by participating in a fruitless by election. We have tried that method, it has not worked, why should I be part of the method that has not worked? So I have said we are not going to participate in these by-elections, I will participate in the general elections,” Kalaba said.

“And that is why when I become President, I will make sure the constitution is amended in order to remove this rubbish of by elections. What type of people are we? We have got money for by-elections and yet we don’t have money to employ our teachers. How many people here in western province have graduated as teachers? How many have been employed? The reason government is not employing them is because they are saying there is no money, but how is the same government funding by-elections? So it is things like that that are preventing development.”

Meanwhile, Kalaba said those in government were claiming to love the Litunga of Western Province when they had even failed to renovate a road leading to his palace.

“I was at the Litunga’s palace this morning, the road where the Litunga stays, is catastrophic! And yet every year, they come for the Kuomboka ceremony, don’t they see that road? They see that road and they have not worked on it. But they are busy telling us that they love the Litunga, actions speak louder than words. If you love the Litunga give him a good road, if you love the Litunga, open up industries in Western province so that people can see that indeed these people love the Litunga,” said Kalaba.

“We have a government that only remembers Western Province when it is time for elections. That is why the DP is saying we can’t continue on that journey, we are tired of those politics, you have used us enough you PF and we are not going to allow you to continue beyond 2021. We are saying these same years you have used to distract this country, are enough. 2021 cannot be yours because 2021 is for the DP. How can you have a party that doesn’t know whether it’s going or coming? How do you have a party that gets even people that do not believe in its ideology but for as long as those people can play politics, they will get them.”