Prince Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika says for many years in Zambia, thieves have been publicly displaying proceeds of crime while the country watches in silence, thereby condoning the criminality.

And Prince Akashambatwa has questioned the partnership between the Lebanese Community and President Lungu’s daughter Tasila who have donated a police post in Kuku compound, saying people were being blinded to corruption.

In a statement, Monday, Prince Akashambatwa, who is a founding member of the Movement for Multi Party Democracy, said he was battling the thought of publishing his letter of resignation from Frederick Chiluba’s Cabinet in 1992, but was being discouraged by the realisation that nobody cares about good governance anymore.

“A spirit is leading me to a thought of re-publishing my letter of resignation from the Zambian Cabinet of ministers on its 27th anniversary on July 19, 2019. That will happen to also be the 29th anniversary of the act of audacity, promise and naivety of the launching of the beautiful one movement that is still not yet born. I’m resisting and telling this spirit that there are no innocent eyes needing and welcoming to read that adage of a message. And that it is not out of ignorance that my letter of July 19, 1992 has been ignored and rejected for three decades,” he wrote.

Prince Akashambatwa observed that criminality had taken deep centre stage in Zambia, to the extent that thieves were now controlling the state through capture, while politicians were bribing their way back into elective office.

“Thieves have been announcing themselves and parading their loot for years and decade’s as they they have openly and usually successfully, corruptly, bribe-gifted their way to elective and appointive looting-table offices. They have been watched, encouraged, prayed for and prayed with as well as hero-worshiped all the way to capturing the State. Is anyone really surprised? I think not. We all have known all along that we have been watching and condoning shameless and purposeful thieves each time we look at political seats and lucrative job seekers playing santa at public and private functions,” he said.

“Please spirit, understand, they are knowingly allowing themselves to be led and to beg to eat with thieves.
Indeed, they have never tired from mocking me for being theoretical because my message lacks practical instructions on how to join and eat with thieves. There must be another way.”

And commenting on the donation of a police post by Tasila, who with help from the Lebanese community, Prince Akashambatwa said beuiness communities must simply pay taxes and not seek favours through bribery.

“Is Zambia police on council budget or package of responsibilities? This is how a people are blinded to corruption. Business house should just pay taxes and rates and seek no favours through bribery – however slickly they launder it. I wish young people would bring in clean and straight forward politics. And wish we don’t condone corruption by any means,” said Prince Akashambatwa.