Youth Activist Gregory Chifire says President Edgar Lungu’s Cabinet reshuffles are pointless because he has left corrupt ministers untouched.

Commenting on President Lungu’s reshuffles in an interview, Thursday, Chifire said he expected the Head of State to act on corrupt ministers.

“I expected the President to dismiss the Ministers that are involved in corruption, as according to his pronouncements not long ago. He had said that he is aware that some of his colleagues were corrupt and was soon going to speak to those concerned and probably fire some of them, but low and behold, those we know, the citizens also know, including children also know that are corrupt, have not been touched. What does that show? Maybe he is telling us that since he has only fired [Lloyd] Kaziya, maybe he is the one he meant that was corrupt?” Chifire asked.

Chifire said the reshuffles were meant to strengthen the ‘ubomba mwibala, alya mwibala’ policy.

“President Lungu is only playing to the gallery where fighting against corruption is concerned. He can’t fire those he eats with, this has been demonstrated. Truly ‘ubomba mwibala, alya mwibala’. These changes are nothing but a well calculated move designed to strengthen the ubomba mwibala, alya mwibala policy. These changes are a strategy for him and his cohorts to steal more public money without anyone to question them,” he said.

Chifire said the President was a disaster because he was surrounded by friends and advisers who were pushing him to do wrong things.

“Presidency is under siege, the President as a person is surrounded by the wrong team of friends and advisers who are pushing him to do wrong things so that they can continue to plunder public resources. It can be said without a shadow of doubt that this is another ‘state capture’. There is nothing inspiring in that reshuffle. The President has just strengthened his pro-corruption arsenals. He has placed his friendly pieces in the positions that favour his corrupt shenanigans. In his wisdom, he has placed square pegs in square holes, ready to plunder more. The man is simply a disaster,” he said.

Chifire urged President Lungu to learn from former South African president Jacob Zuma’s predicament.

“I’m sure the President is following the happenings in South Africa. Zuma pretended to be blind to the demands of the people to divorce himself from corruption and corrupt elements, see where it has landed him. Well our dear President, your days are also numbered. I honestly expected the President to fire those we know that are corrupt. Let me take this opportunity to announce that since the President is failing to make right decisions as far as dismissing the corrupt is concerned, we shall soon help him not long from now, using all legally available channels, watch this space,” said Chifire.