Zambians voted for the Patriotic Front because they thought that its government was going to bring about a huge improvement in their social welfare. But it has devastated them to realize that, true to the African narrative, most people who seek political office are sociopaths motivated by one or both of two motives: illicit wealth and absolute power.

What is happening in Zambia today is not an accident. There is a well-calculated move through which government is manipulating and abusing existing legal provisions to obtain a monopoly on the use of coercive force in achieving wealth and unquestionable power over citizens.

Our government has forgotten about public service, it has become a framework by which the worst elements in society, those motivated by unprincipled greed and hunger for power, get on top and exploit the system for all it is worth.

The rampant corruption and abuse of power in today’s Zambia, is the clearest possible illustration of that truth. There used to be “single sourcing” as a theft mechanism by the ruling political elites, but to confuse the public, they have now escalated another mechanism called “concession” with the surname PPP, otherwise known to us as Private People’s Pockets.

This is a commercial agreement in which a private entity acquires the rights and authority to use land or other facilities for a specified purpose and period, granted by a government or other controlling body. Using this mechanism, those in power have connived with their business connections to enter into single-sourced concession agreements with the government, approved by the so-called PPP Council.

Every viable sector you look at in Zambia today has been surrendered into private hands through this concession mechanism. Look at Kasumbalesa Border. It is the country’s business dry port processing over 200, 000 trucks per year, and collecting over K350 million in revenue from imports and exports. Is government in charge of this vital facility? No, it is under a PPP concession with a company called Zambia Integrated Property Border Crossing Company (ZipBCC). That is our government diverting Zambia Revenue Authority proceeds into private pockets.

Before the introduction of toll plazas, our findings are that the Road Transport and Safety Agency was second highest revenue collection institution in the country. What has our government done to RTSA? They have stripped it off the responsibility of collecting this money and diverted it into private pockets.

Today we are waking up to the news that a company called Intelligent Mobile Solutions which is running RTSA operations has been extended to the Road Development Agency and National Road Fund Agency where they will be collecting all toll fees from motorists on behalf of the government for 17 years. This is nothing less than murder on the people of Zambia to say the least.

Why is the Patriotic Front governing us through concessions? Zambians did not vote for Intelligent Mobile Solutions to govern this country, they voted for the Patriotic Front and its leaders. If these leaders feel they are too dull to run a country without the help of “Intelligent Solutions” from a private company, it is not too late to step aside and giving chance to others who want to try.

We wonder what goes on in the minds of our government leaders when they talk about safeguarding the country’s security when they are in the forefront surrendering strategic institutions into the hands of private companies, foreigners. How can you have national security when your border is managed by foreigners; your cars are registered through a foreign company; your traffic surveillance is done by foreign investors and citizens are paying road taxes into private pockets?

Seriously, this government leadership is a joke! And they have no shame when they are lying. They assume that citizens are so dull to know when they are stealing. When asked why they are signing these concessions, our leaders deny that any such deals exist. But there it is in plain sight now.

Our investigation has revealed that not only is the government surrendering its responsibilities to private entities, but it is also awarding these tenders without subjecting them to competitive bidding. No one in government has refuted our findings because they know the truth; they know that we have dug out facts.

Why have these people continued single sourcing government services with impunity? It is because our leaders have developed a system that is giving money to private companies first, before part of that money can be credited back into their pockets. They cannot allow competitive bidding because they fear that a company that they have no kickback agreement with may win the deal and cut them off.

These are the things that the people of Zambia must seriously consider when deciding whether they want to keep this regime in place – a government that has subcontracted foreigners to run the affairs of the country. Our leaders have completely forgotten about public service. They are busy cutting deals while people in Lumezi are drying mangoes to survive on when the fruit trees wither off. Where is your shame PF?

Maybe it is better to appoint the CEO of Intelligent Mobile Solutions into Cabinet, and firing the minister of Transport and his Infrastructure Development counterparts since they have no solutions to the challenges facing their ministries.