The PF government keeps proving that they are in public office to enrich themselves, as evidenced by the deposit of over K1.4 million of tax payers’ money collected from speeding fines in a private bank account, says Jack Kalala.

And Kalala, who served as president Levy Mwanawasa’s Special Assistant for Policy Implementation and Monitoring, has charged that government is abusing Christianity to plunder public funds.

Commenting on the latest Auditor General’s Report that revealed that the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) deposited over K1.4 million collected from speeding motorists into an unauthorized ‘private’ bank account, where part of it went missing before it was deposited into a government Escrow account, following an inquiry, Kalala said the revelation was normal because that was just one method government leaders use to steal.

He said Zambians should not be surprised that PF leaders and their proxies were stashing public funds in unauthorized private bank accounts because their vision was to enrich themselves.

“What we need to understand about this PF government is that they are not there to serve the country, they are there to serve themselves. The President (Edgar Lungu) himself is on record to have allowed theft when he said ‘ubomba mwibala alya mwibala’ (a proverb used by Bembas to justify pilferage) people talked about it, but he never refuted or tried to explain, which is not acceptable. This government’s vision is to enrich themselves not to develop the country. So, when you find such things like putting money in a private account, it is normal, that is the way of stealing,” Kalala said in an interview.

“In these financial regulations of government, you are not even allowed to put your personal money in a government safe, you cannot do that. People should not be surprised because as far as PF is concerned, it is normal. That is what they stand for. What should be a surprise is if the opposite happened, if people stopped stealing. It is like these road blocks, what is the purpose? They are not there to control the motor vehicles they are there (mounted) to make money.”

And Kalala said there was need to change the culture of people enriching themselves immediately they entered into government office.

“In this country, we call ourselves a Christian nation, which I dispute myself. We should not do that because whether we like it or not, this country belongs to God. We should not put that into the Constitution. We are trying to abuse Christianity in order to steal! You find when they (public officials) enter government, suddenly they build big houses! Of course, some people may get a loan, the loan can be traced, but then you find a chain of expensive motor vehicles that they own. That is the unfortunate thing about our country. You see, we need to change this culture of using a public position to enrich yourself,” said Kalala.

“For example, there are certain things that we don’t question that are said by the President; when the President says something, we accept that as normal. When the President said ‘for me, I will scrap this provision that government should build a house for a former president and he should be put on a salary.’ Now, you ask yourself that this President who has done this, how is he going to provide for himself? You were supposed to ask him that ‘Mr President, you were a poor man, when you served in this position and the government doesn’t build you a house as part of appreciating your services to the country, how are you going to build the house for yourself? Because you cannot go back where you came from and live in that state because your status has changed.’ I hear that where he used to live, it is a paradise now! We don’t question these things.”