HEALTH Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya must step down following his appearance at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to pave away for investigations, says African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Zambia Chapter Chairperson Cornelius Mweetwa.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lusaka, Tuesday, Mweetwa also urged the ACC to avoid being used as a laundry pulpit to cleanse leaders in government ahead of next year’s general election.
Dr Chilufya appeared at the ACC’s head office in Lusaka for questioning over allegations of being in possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
“We also like to take this opportunity to ask Dr Chilufya, whom we are told last week appeared before the Anti-Corruption Commission to consider stepping down from his position because we believe that for the ACC to invite him for investigations, they have prima facie substantiated and justifiable evidence to do so, otherwise, the integrity of the ACC is at stake because they cannot be in a habit of, one, either calling political leaders in no order to damage their names and associate them with corruption or allow themselves as an institution that is mandated to be used as a laundry pulpit to cleanse leaders in government that once someone has been invited by the ACC then they publicly declare such to have nothing to do with corruption ahead of the 2021 election. Is this the scheme? We also want answers because we are wondering why it appears that there are two leaderships or more within the PF,” Mweetwa said.
“It would appear there are strong ministers and weak ones because we saw him, Chitotela, was invited by the ACC; he didn’t step down; President Lungu didn’t ask him to step down, the same way now we are wondering why President Lungu has not asked Dr Chilufya to step down, yet over the case of Hon Emerine Kabanshi as a (former Community Development) Minister she was fired! Now, we are wondering because she was fired before investigations would proceed, before the matter would go to court. So, we are wondering what is going on in this country at this particular time. Strange things are happening, ministers appearing before ACC, not fired, gassing of citizens taking place, no explanation. Is there an intervention of Seer 1?”
And Mweetwa, who is also Choma Central UPND member of parliament, urged the PF to come out clean and exculpate themselves from allegations that they went to seek supernatural powers from South African-based Nigerian prophet Andrew Ejimandu, popularly known as Seer 1.
“I would like our colleagues in the PF to redeem themselves from the accusations Seer 1 has levelled against them that they went to ask for supernatural powers. Is it the supernatural powers they went to seek from him that are making them behave like this? Let them exculpate themselves. We want to have morality in a country; we profess to be Christians. The Bible says the truth shall set you free, tell the nation the truth,” said Mweetwa.
