Former Attorney General Musa Mwenye has charged that leaders who are not corrupt must be willing to undergo lifestyle audits.
Mr. Mwenye who also served as Solicitor General in late President Michael Sata’s administration said people are entitled to conclude that leader’s wealth is corruptly obtained when they refuse to undergo lifestyle audits.
He said corruption is a cruel tax on current and future generations.
“Money that is corruptly stolen by leaders, is paid for by every citizen and the poor among us pay the most. It is cruel to deny a poor person, who can not afford to buy Panado or send their children to school, development because leaders decide to steal scarce resources,” Mr. Mwenye said.
“It is even more cruel when we leaders, shamelessly show off our corruptly obtained wealth, in the name of not glorifying poverty. That is why when we leaders suddenly become rich, the people are entitled to ask us what we are selling for us to make so much money in a short time.”
He added, “To make money, people have to either sell goods or provide a service. If we claim to sell goods or services, the people we lead are entitled to ask who those goods or services are being sold to. If the people buying our goods or services or putting millions in our bank accounts are obtaining contracts from Government, then we leaders are abusing the authority of our offices.”
Mr Mwenye said abuse of authority of office is corruption and it is a criminal offense.
“When leaders suddenly become rich, chances are that they are engaged in corruption. People without any track record of business who only appear to become intelligent businessmen when they are in power or close to those in power, are, in all likelihood engaged in corruption.”
“Corruption is bad for the development of the nation because the corrupt are cruel people who cannot care for the suffering masses they lead. Their interest is to pack their pockets with money that is supposed to better the lives of the people.”
Point
Thanks Musa and very aptly described. Now what is it with that colonial wig?
From what I can remember Mmembe and Mutembo Nchito engineered everything to persuade Sata to appoint you as SG.
While in the position, you twisted the system to protect Mmembe from paying the million of dollars he owed GRZ in taxes. You became part of the so called curtail. Plus you started to undermine Hakainde Hichilema ( HH)
Is this a ( Born Again ) situation coming from you?
Good point though
Musa.. you were a corrupt Solicitor General. You new very well that Sata was very sick and could not last long.
MMD was falling apart with RB versus Mumba. The only opposition that was formidable was UPND and HH.
Power became sweet. Mmembe had promised you a bigger part in government.
So you started undermining HH because he was the only threat left. You went as far as writing an Editorial in The Post disguising yourself.
Musa you are corrupt and a snake. So that preaching coming from you is a joke.
Musa fyabupa ifi ulelanda. Life Style Audit is useless way of looking at life.
Look at Kaizer, the worst corrupt chap, but his life style is DIRTY and he looks very dirty, maybe he baths twice a weak.
Audit what…
If ZRA was an upright tax collection agency, they would have done the needful already.
Thank you sir for speaking up. I think, however, that corrupt people cannot willing volunteer to be audited. Rather the audit has to be IMPOSED on them. They have to be forced to give in to the audit. Expecting corrupt Lungu to volunteer to be audited is like expecting Al Capone to investigate himself. Won’t happen. Checks and balances in Zambia are very weak among government institutions, and especially among the 3 main branches of government. That’s why corrupt people feel comfortable stealing public funds, and expecting no repercussions. Worse still, we have a president who is corrupt himself. Until a day comes when a leader arises who will make it his or her goal to strengthen the government institutions, make them truly independent, have proper balance of power and checks and…
balances, it’ll continue to be an uphill battle against corruption in Zambia. Corrupt Lungu shows no desire nor will to fight corruption. How can he be fighting that which he’s involved in? And why hasn’t anyone in parliament suggested that Lungu, his family and close friends be audited? Fear, me thinks. They’re scared. Or they just think it’ll be a waste of time, since gangster Lungu calls all the shots anyway. Zambia is now steeped up to its eyeballs in corruption. Because corruption and corrupt people multiply when good and decent people choose to remain silent. Only chance for Zambia to truly turn things around is to vote for a patriotic Zambian in 2021, who truly loves his/her country and its people. That person should promise to work hard and help strengthen our weak…
government institutions, and fight corruption 24/7. Because if Lungu wins again in 2021, it will be business as usual, only this time …it’ll be corruption and mediocrity on steroids for the next 5 years.
The draining of resources.The transfer of economic wealth.The undermining of Africa’s institutions and constructs.The rape of Africa continues.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Why do you not ask what is it with the colonial shirt and pants.I knew an organisation that tried to eliminate every thing colonial.They(the organisation)ended up living in the country naked.What about the colonial motor car and the colonial ships that are exchanging white consumer goods for political patronage.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Today Zambia is a country run by thieves and gangsters.
To any Zambian loving rule of law and good governance, Zambia is not for you today…..
Zambia today is where corruption , stealing rule supreme. Today Zambia is a free for all in terms of stealing, bad governsnce ,as long as you support lungu.
We have said, and we say again, if lungu can legalise corruption, he would do it , only Zambias dependence on donner aid stops him.
Agreed Musa. This trib.al has said something sensible for a change, I always give credit where it is due.
Musa should listen to the song “Phd” by MC Wabwino.
That is a point. One of these days I will talk about why the majority Zambians are living in poverty and why our country is not developing at the fastest rate
We can not resolve this arbitrary mentioning of corrupt leaders, it’s like all leaders are corrupt. Having worked in GRZ at level of Solistor General I should have expected to see names of leaders who are corrupt being highlighted, otherwise it’s the usual story of playing to the gallery or witch hunting.
What a dreamer…. It will never happen!!!
Musa had the best interest of Zambia when he supported Scott. Most Zambians did not see anything and that is how we ended up with this dununa group of thieves. God bless you Musa. You meant well for the country. It is the likes of KBF, Chimense, Kalaba, et al. who through greed and arrogance and corruption sabotaged Zambia. The country would have taken a completely different route.
Very true……KBF even has the gall to boast of him being instrumental in lungu ascending power….
in this country and especially on this forum, nothing comes and goes diligently with the audience.His worship the leaned one is just right to enlighten us. …you just wonder anyway.
nice elaboration of the lifestyle that most Zambians in the executive are living. for the already poor people, the amass wealth within the shortest period of time and suddenly they are so rich and untouchables. time will come when they will have to account for their wealth. time tells a good story. if at all they think they will be there forever they are cheating themselves. we africans never learn.
Some of the loud mouthed ignorant have proceeded to insult Musa, when all he is saying is true and for the benefit of the same unhired insultant fools.
Just got a call from Al Bashir..yes the deposed Sudanese ruler. He is asking for newspapers..old newspapers? He has had no toilet paper since imprisonment…lesson to ECL. Today you use K100s as toilet paper. Tomorrow you will not even find a newspaper to wipe your bottom at Mukobeko! Zambians are not stupid!
The moral dilemma is profiling any rich person. It is unfair to target the rich people. However, laissez-faire attitude is also another extreme. The conflict is between privacy rights and public accountability. The State agent has got the mandate to investigate suspected criminal conduct (smoking gun!). At the same time, the process must not be selective, dubious or unjust but thorough and sector driven. Let us take the legal fraternity. LAZ could lead the process of holding lawyers accountable for illegal accumulation of wealth. For politicians, Old Secretariat could play a leading role in holding office holders and former office holders accountable. Tax declaration is also the moment of verifying income suspected to be proceeds of criminal conduct. A legal mechanism acceptable to…
For politicians, Old Secretariat could play a leading role in holding office holders and former office holders accountable. Tax declaration is also the moment of verifying income suspected to be proceeds of criminal conduct. A legal mechanism acceptable to stakeholders is possible. However, it requires political will.
There is merit in what the man is saying.
If you acquire your money legitimately, why would you shun a public inquiry into how you make money?
The issue of privacy does not hold water.
If I am brick maker who has sold a tone of bricks to a construction company, why would I be against an inquiry into how I make money?
Additionally, on the public officer holders, it ought to be an unwritten rule.
Musa Mwenye you should be the last person to talk morality. You are a womaniser without a moral conscience. You cheat on your wife and you want to preach morality. get out of here. Need we say more about your cheating habits…….
Life style audit is long overdue. But the question is, who is going to enforce it? We are just not going to achieve anything in our beloved country until we change our mindsets. The ones to help us institute the audit are caught up in this same corruption we talk about. God help us!
That’s totally true and remember that the blood for those people who a dying because of that corrupt money u have eaten will be upon u