TIZ decries Lungu as GEARS advises Chitotela to resign

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has questioned President Edgar Lungu’s ability to truly fight corruption in his government.

The TIZ is disappointed that President Lungu has refused to fire Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Ronald Chitotela, who on Wednesday, was arrested for corruption.

Executive Director Wesley Chibamba says his organization expected President Lungu to demonstrate his resolve to fight corruption by letting go of all elements that are deemed corrupt in his administration.

Mr. Chibamba says given that President Lungu has however not fired Mr. Chitotela the TIZ is now suspicious that State House could be involved in the Minister’s alleged corruption.

He has told QTV News that his organization has observed that corruption allegations leveled against Mr. Chitotela are quiet humongous for him to continue holding on to his Ministerial position.

Mr. Chibamba has wondered how Mr. Chitotela will even be all able to answer to corruption allegations in court when he is still Cabinet Minister.

And Mr. Chitotela has been advised to resign on his own in view of the corruption allegations leveled against him.

Governance, Elections, Advocacy Research Services (GEARS) Initiative Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi is urging Mr. Chitotela to realize that he will still be fired if he is found guilty of corruption.

Mr. Chipenzi thinks that this is what President Edgar Lungu may have meant on Thursday when he argued that Mr. Chitotela is innocent until proven guilty in defiance to calls that he fires him.

In a walk-in interview with QTV News Mr. Chipenzi says this is why his organization is encouraging Mr. Chitotela to find honor in resigning on his own from his Ministerial position.

Mr. Chipenzi is also of the view that President Lungu is being unfair to Mr. Chitotela to keep him in his government position when he already knows that he may fire him at some point.

He states that GEARS  has in fact been left to wonder whether indeed President Lungu is genuinely fighting corruption in his government.