Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya says a story attributed to South African’s eNCA news channel where the station reported that each Zambian Cabinet Minister owns 40 houses through corruption is misleading and erroneous.

Reacting to a news report where the broadcaster reported a story that each Zambian Cabinet Minister owned 40 houses through corruption, Siliya described the report, which emanated from an interview with a Lusaka-based journalist, as misleading and erroneous.

“Government finds highly erroneous and misleading a story attributed to South African’s eNCA news channel in which the station in an interview with a Zambian journalist from Lusaka alleges that each Zambian Cabinet Minister owns 40 houses through corruption,” Siliya stated in a statement issued, Monday.

“Government is unaware of a report from any of its investigative wings to this effect. Government regrets that sensationalism and failure to cross-check facts with relevant authorities will remain a liability in the fight against corruption. If a Zambian journalist, a Ms. Kwangu Liwewe, had bothered to go to the Ministry of Local Government and get facts, she would have offered a more substantiated story. I restate Government’s unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption in the delivery of development to the people.”

And Siliya, who doubles as Information and Broadcasting Minister, insisted that the PF government’s anti-corruption crusade was producing results.

“Government is proud that as a result of these and other measures, for the first time in the history of the country, the anti-corruption crusade is not only visible but also bearing the desired results as can be seen in the many arrests and prosecution of suspects regardless of their status in society,” Siliya added.

“The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and more recently, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), attest to this.

This is coupled with Government’s hands-off approach to the media which is free to report on corruption and other issues of national interest. This has enhanced the visibility of the country’s governance system including the fight against corruption not only locally but also at the international stage.”

On the successful Yellow Card protests held last Saturday, Siliya described the development as normal, but mocked the event as only attracting less than 100 protestors.

“On the Yellow Card campaign that occurred at the weekend in the capital, Lusaka, this is normal and it is not the first time citizens are coming together to express their views on an issue as it is within their democratic right to do so. People are free to organise such demonstrations just as others are equally free not to join as what happened with the Yellow Card campaign at the weekend where out of a population of four million people in Lusaka city, barely 100 people turned up to participate,” stated Siliya.