Outgoing American Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote has challenged government leaders in the PF administration to make personal financial disclosures so that the Anti-Corruption Commission can carry out real investigations and prosecute corrupt officials at all levels.
And Foote says President Edgar Lungu must commit himself to restoring Zambia’s reputation as a strong democracy devoted to serving ordinary citizens and avoid degradation of human, economic, and political rights.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Foote has expressed disappointment that the Zambian government consistently frustrated American efforts to reform the energy and tourism sectors by rebuffing key initiatives.
Ambassador Foote’s remarks come in the wake of strained US-Zambia relations that had been exacerbated by President Lungu’s declaration, December 15, that he did not want the US Envoy in the country after the former criticised the jailing of two Kapiri Mposhi men to 15 years for “having a consensual relationship, while public officials who were embezzling public funds were left scot-free”.
In a farewell message to Zambians following his sudden departure from the country, Ambassador Foote expressed disappointment that the Zambian government frustrated the US government’s efforts at trying to expedite development in Zambia’s tourism and energy sectors.
“I am disappointed that American efforts to reform the electricity and tourism sectors have been consistently rebuffed, as have proposed financial reforms to help move Zambia toward a credibility-enhancing agreement with the International Monetary Fund,” he said.
“Even as I depart, I encourage the Government of the Republic of Zambia to require its own leaders to issue personal financial disclosures, to empower anti-corruption institutions to carry out real investigations and prosecutions of corrupt officials at all levels, and to make public the terms of excessively opaque debt arrangements, which will affect every Zambian for years to come,” he advised.
The American Envoy implored President Lungu to commit himself to restoring Zambia’s reputation as a strong democracy devoted to serving ordinary citizens and avoid the degradation of human, economic, and political rights.
“Let me once again thank the wonderful Zambian people for your fantastic hospitality. And to Your Excellency, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, I implore you and the Zambian government to commit to restore Zambia’s reputation as a strong democracy devoted to serving your exceptional people, and to avoid degradation of your own citizens’ human, economic, and political rights,” Ambassador Foote stated in a statement released, Thursday.
“To demonstrate America’s continued commitment to the Zambian people, the U.S. will soon announce US $3.5 million in food assistance for your countrymen and women most in need because of the effects of drought.”
He, however, stated that it was a “distinct honour” to have served in his brief two-year tour of duty, which was abruptly cut short by recent events.
“It has been a distinct honour to serve as the Ambassador of the United States of America to Zambia since 2017. While promoting U.S. interests, I believe I stringently held up my pledge to collaborate closely to improve the lives of Zambian citizens, particularly in health, education, refugee-assistance, and peacekeeping. Farewell, my Zambian friends! I will forever hold close to my heart your welcoming, gracious spirit, your desire for all citizens to enjoy the freedoms, protections, opportunities, and rights upheld in your Constitution, your resilience, and your friendship,” stated Ambassador Foote.
7 Responses
Thank you so much, for the desire that corruption is fought at all levels!!
glad he is gone
What Zambians need is calibre of HH. sourses of PF’s wealth and Edgar’s has been better told by chishimba kambwili
Foote is no longer relevant. Whatever he says is now considered nonsense
Foote is gone but whatever, he has said is what every Ambassador from America will say. They – Americans will differ on their political ideologies but when it comes to foreign policy they stick together and they are always good at that. Just look what hsppened to Ngandu Luo, more to come for those in the corridors of power. Its interest to read how one can celebrate the leaving of Ambassador Foote when he was talking and defending the, voiceless, handicapped, poor of the poorest, ordinary people subjected to the harshest basic conditions created and executed by the same people whom the Zambians people have entrusted power in them. Ambassador Foote is a seasoned and weathered friend to ordinary people of Zambians. He has left a mark to millions of Zambians for standing up to the most dangerous useless criminals of the corrupt, by the corrupt for corrupt who have no shame.
Stealing from a poor person of the poorest is the most sin that even if lungu and his minions create 365 days of days of prayers, the God Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could hear their prayers because we see and witness the power of God through the poor, the, needy , handicapped, voiceless, and creating death traps for masses by creating and reinforcing agendas that are born out of greed, selfishness, self enrichment hit at the heart basic needs of the poor is not only criminal or sin but the failure of human dignity ( degrading God through his own image). when president lungu, his ministers and those along the corridors of power subject the poor who are now crying , shedding tears in sorrow and anguish just now God is listening and the time will come to those who have created and excuted these misdeed to account for.
Foote gone, is Christian Zambia any better? or is it still a shithole country at the mercy of muslims, hindus and pagan chinese?
Former American Ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, left Zambia a bitter man. He did not think the PF gov could flush him into the toilet drain so fast & easily. Well Diplomatic Etiquette must always be embraced regardless of your origin. Foote just went too far in trying to dismantle the Zambian penal code, regarding same sex marriages. His arguments that were off course, made him look so stupid by combining two parallel nonrelated issues; freedom for same sex marriages & corruption among gov officials. He was so ignorant that he failed to change anything he attacked gov on. Foote is history now. In fact he was more of a tourist than a diplomat. He talked & visited game parks almost every weekend. Bye bye ba Foote.