PF national chairperson for women and gender Elizabeth Phiri says for the fight against corruption to be fair, every rich person in Zambia must be asked to explain their wealth regardless of which political party they belong to.

Commenting on arrests of PF members, Phiri said if government was really interested in cleaning up, nothing should be left out.

“We saw someone buying a jacket at K2.5 million, let them also be visited, we should know how he made his money to buy a jacket at K2.5 million. I know that today it is UPND in power, tomorrow it can be another party in power, we were in power and who knew that we could lose power? So even as we do these things, we should not plant a seed that will be watered by these issues that are happening now. Because any seed that we have it will haunt when power goes out. As we are visiting, let us make sure that there should be no sacrificial lamb. Let us start with those killings that happened in Southern Province. For me, I would like the President to do his job, if these people that are being prosecuted are guilty, who is he not to say don’t prosecute them,” Phiri said.

“There are people who have been doing business and making their money in a clean way. Everybody who has got money in Zambia, let them also be visited consider less of their political affiliation. As long as they are rich, let them explain how they got their money. There are people that abused money for retirees. It is in the public domain that retirees cried foul. They should also be visited. The retirees who received their money through court and did not receive it what happened? Those are the issues that we have also to consider. Now that this government is trying to clean up, if they are cleaning up let us not leave out that thing.”

Phiri lamented that PF members had continued to be arrested for crimes which they committed in the past when UPND members were going Scott free.

“It is worrying. All that we can say is that as PF, we are a bit worried because there are issues that our colleagues had done before this time. As you are aware, Southern Province was a no go area for any other party. We had experienced the killing of a teacher who was Bemba, those people have not been followed up and are not arrested, the displacement of people, then the beating of people. So we expected that justice should be brought out. It should not be discriminatory. I am not saying those that are arrested should not be arrested, if it is not persecution, let it visit everyone. There were killings in Kanyama, whether the one who killed is PF or UPND or another political party, they should all be arrested,” said Phiri.

“As a mother, it is painful to see people going in and it is my prayer that justice should not be delayed, because justice delayed is justice denied. Let these people that have been visited by law alleging that there was crime committed, let justice prevail. Let us see those that had committed crimes in the other provinces that were UPND strongholds also be visited. All I am saying is that we need a clean Zambia. As we are looking for a clean Zambia let us not select who to give it and who not. I am appealing to his Excellency the President of Zambia to make sure that withstanding tribal, political or social affiliation in the society. People should be visited.”