United Progressive Party (UPP) president Saviour Chishimba says Zambia can easily be wiped out because of its careless leadership which has allowed foreigners to dominate the country.

And Chishimba says Zambians have now waken up from slumber to fight corruption.

Speaking when he featured on UNZA Radio’s ‘Lusaka Star’ program, Monday, Chishimba observed that China had more than just influence on Zambia but was ruling the country.

“What we have is not Chinese influence, it’s beyond influence. China is ruling Zambia. And I want to seize this occasion to appeal to the people of Zambia, commanding the four wings of Zambia to arise. Let Zambians arise. Are you a professor, a marketeer, a young person, I want you to know that we have lost our sovereignty. There is state capture. China is controlling Zambia. How is China doing this? When you hear of the debts that we have contracted from China, the total is $30 billion. This money has not come into the coffers of Zambia. If it came in the coffers, you and I today wouldn’t be struggling with cash issues. There is no money in Zambia,” he said.

“These Chinese, here is how they do it. They go to their government where they get the money, lets say they get a $10 billion facility, they don’t give that money to the Zambian government, its given to AVIC. Then AVIC comes to the Zambian government and tells them ‘give us the projects we are going to do it with our money but at some point you will repay the money with interest’. They set the interest. Do you know that some of these projects are inflated by as much as 400 percent to 500 per cent? Who will pay, its the people of Zambia.”

Chishimba urged the Chinese to go back to their country.

“I want to warn China. China bwekela ku China! You Chinese be very careful. Every corrupt Chinese, be very very careful. A time is coming when you are going to pay and you will pay heavily. That corruption you have brought from your country. I want to warn you, this is my country. All I’m saying is that these Chinese companies must be warned. Everywhere you go in the markets ni China,” he said.

“In Zambia, its very easy when you have a careless government to wipe out the entire population. When you look at water resources management in Zambia, its not a preserve of Zambians anymore. How many Indian companies have mushroomed? This water we are drinking everything is foreign. You go and give water to foreigners? This country Zambians, with the careless kind of leadership, we can easily be wiped out. I’m afraid for the country and the future of Zambia.”

And Chishimba said the party’s ‘bring back our money campaigns’ had yielded results because every Zambian could see the corruption.

“Each and every person including all those who opposed us are now suddenly aware that there is corruption in Zambia. We have achieved it. That’s a big result. Anyone, including the opposition, everybody now has identified corruption as a problem. So we are [the] original identifiers of corruption in the modern history of our republic. I’m very happy on behalf of the UPP that everyone, including ordinary citizens are alert. That’s why they can try to stop mukula trucks, that’s why today they can even sing songs that are against corruption in Zambia. We have sensitised the citizens and all the citizens have risen from slumber,” said Chishimba.

“I went on a tour to Europe. I went to many countries on the pain and sweat of our colleagues in the UPP. We put money together. The countries that I have been to, these are the countries where they have taken the money that they have stolen from the people of Zambia. And I had high level meetings to talk to political leaders as well as leaders of international organisations that help to stop corruption. And those meetings have yielded results. As I’m speaking, we have incorporated a not-for-profit anti-corruption agency which is also involved in financial intelligence called AFRI-INTEL public watch. We shall soon be launching it with an independent secretariat of professional investigators and volunteer lawyers. We are going to begin to bring action against every thief in government. Every ngwee is going to be brought back to the people of Zambia. This is not a joke.”