National Guidance and Religious Affairs Minister Reverend Godfridah Sumaili says the government is serious about fighting corruption considering that some ministers have been questioned by law enforcement agencies for alleged corrupt practices.

And Rev Sumaili says she will give the benefit of a doubt to South Africa-based Nigerian prophet Andrew Ejimandu’s threats that PF party and government officials will die if they fail to return “borrowed powers” to him and will wait for the 20-day ultimatum to lapse.

Speaking on a live programme on Diamond TV, Tuesday night, Rev Sumaili insisted that government was committed to fighting corruption as evidenced by President Edgar Lungu’s repeated condemnation of the vice on several forums.

Zambia has, however, dropped one point on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) from 35 to 34 out of 100, and slumped eight places in ranking from 105 to 113, the country’s worst-ever performance, according to Transparency International Zambia (TIZ).

“When you talk about corruption, we can confirm that even the President at many forums has talked about corruption and we have even seen action. Even some ministers have been questioned and various Law Enforcement Agencies have been able to interrogate them. So, we are serious about corruption. And we all have to be concerned about our nation in as far as corruption is concerned,” Rev Sumaili argued.

Meanwhile, the minister said government wants the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019 to be enacted so that it addresses concerns around the application of the Public Order Act (POA), among other issues.

“And when you talk about the Public Order Act, of course, we are concerned about that and that is why we are pushing for Bill 10 to go through because that is what is going to give that provision for us to look at the Public Order Act,” Rev Sumaili said.

And on threats by Ejimandu, who calls himself Seer 1, the Reverend said she would put his 20-day ultimatum to the test and await for his deadline to lapse.

Early this week, a video recording of Seer 1 went viral, in which he threatened unnamed ministers in the PF government, some members of parliament and mayors whom he claimed had sought assistance of his “powers” just for them to win elections.

“Let’s wait for 20 days. The only way I can believe him, knowing that witchcraft is a false prophet, the only way I can believe is let him bring the evidence and let him show something to confirm that, ‘yes, they took something and, of course, if they don’t take it back, he said he will kill them.’ Those utterances which he was making have no power at all. The Bible says, ‘those who are wicked will be destroyed by their very own wickedness.’ I am seeing the beginning of an end. He is a Satanist, he is in witchcraft. So, it’s very difficult for me to actually think what is saying is true, but for a benefit of doubt, let’s wait for 20 days,” said Rev Sumaili.

“To be honest, this is a man who does not believe in the power of God. This is a man who has confessed through his mouth that he is using other powers. So, if you are not using the power of God, then you are using the power of Satan. And we know, according to the Word that, Satan is a coward, he is a Lucifer.”