Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya has described as s highly erroneous and misleading a story attributed to South African’s eNCA news channel in which the station, in an interview with a Zambian journalist from Lusaka, alleges that each Zambian Cabinet Minister owns 40 houses through corruption.
Reacting to the story, the Minister said that Government was unaware of a report from any of its investigative wings to this effect, and regrets that sensationalism and failure to cross-check facts with relevant authorities, will remain a liability in the fight against corruption.
” If a Zambian journalist, a Ms. Kwangu Liwewe, had bothered to go to the Ministry of Local Government and get facts, she would have offered a more substantiated story, ” the Minister said
Below is the full statement
STATEMENT ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS IN THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT
Government is not naïve to the reality of corruption and the harm it has on society if allowed to thrive.
This is why Government under the leadership of His Excellency President Edgar Lungu has, and continues to put in place stringent measures to fight corruption in which there are no sacred cows.
The establishment of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and more recently, the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC), attest to this.
This is coupled with Government’s hands-off approach to the media which is free to report on corruption and other issues of national interest.
This has enhanced the visibility of the country’s governance system including the fight against corruption not only locally but also at the international stage.
Government is proud that as a result of these and other measures, for the first time in the history of the country, the anti-corruption crusade is not only visible but also bearing the desired results as can be seen in the many arrests and prosecution of suspects regardless of their status in society.
I further wish to state that the fight against corruption is not only targeted at politicians but all Government and private sector players as corruption can only be fought if we stop those who induce it and benefit from.
This is why Government introduced transparency in the procurement systems which stakeholders can check even in the procurement of fire engines referred to by the media in question.
However, Government finds highly erroneous and misleading a story attributed to South African’s eNCA news channel in which the station in an interview with a Zambian journalist from Lusaka alleges that each Zambian Cabinet Minister owns 40 houses through corruption.
Government is unaware of a report from any of its investigative wings to this effect.
Government regrets that sensationalism and failure to cross-check facts with relevant authorities, will remain a liability in the fight against corruption.
If a Zambian journalist, a Ms. Kwangu Liwewe, had bothered to go to the Ministry of Local Government and get facts, she would have offered a more substantiated story.
I restate Government’s unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption in the delivery of development to the people.
On the yellow card campaign that occurred at the weekend in the capital Lusaka, this is normal and it is not the first time citizens are coming together to express their views on an issue as it is within their democratic right to do so.
People are free to organize such demonstrations just as others are equally free not to join as what happened with the yellow card campaign at the weekend where out of a population of 4 million people in Lusaka city, barely 100 people turned up to participate.
Hon. Dora Siliya, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON.
Look at Doras face, corruption through and through…..
No wonder people don’t trust news organizations any more….just manufacturing FAKE NEWS every day without verifiable facts….we all know there’s corruption in Zambia but please let us be factual when reporting…..
Kwangu riding on her late father’s popularity trying to sound relevant with her FAKE NEWS…typical of modern day Internet (Google university ) Journalist . Reporting FAKE NEWS and ending up missing on real news….
This is a silly response. I read the report and it didnt say that all ministers have 40 houses. It said a known mimister had 40 properties. PF thrive on twisting information. Dora is being dishonest.
Funny how she is alluding to the FIC as proof that PF is fighting corruption forgetting that every country in world after September 11th terrorist attacks is mandated to form such an organisation and her govt ministers inluding the president call it a useless organisation and want to further erode its powers by putting it under DEC.
Why not sue that Kwangu, maybe in court she present evidence of 10 each and NOT 40 houses naimwe.
And Zambian famous judge will declare PF ministers with “no case to answer”. Because 10 is not 40.
@journeyman, go back to the same primary school and redo your “can you remember” exercise. Dora has clearly refuted claims that each minister owns 40 houses by telling Kwangu to verify facts before making wild claims like someone with a hungover.
This woman, Dora, is part of the corrupt system. What can you expect? Where’s the evidence that PF is actively fighting corruption, other than the organizations she mentioned, which by the way have nothing to do with PF gang of thieves and robbers. If anything, the PF gangsters frustrate these entities, and impede their effort to clump down on corruption. Where’s the evidence that high profile crooks have been arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated for corruption? Stop lying. But just wait. Come 2021, you’re all going to prison once you lose the election. Every last one of you, including the gangster in chief, corrupt Lungu himself, prison awaits you.
I remember when I was last in Zambia with my white beautiful Swiss wife Elisa. We saw this woman dora in the car park at levy. She gave my woman a dirty look of jealousy. When my wife noticed she asked me who that was. I told her that is apparently the most attractive woman in Zambia who men lust for. My wife was almost hit by a car through shock.
N.E.E.Z (whatever that may stand for)
Are you again at it about your “white beautiful Swiss wife”?
If you drag her to Zambia next time, please bring along
a few shock-absorbers for us, in case we spot her!
Ok Dora tell us where Chitotela got the money from to build all those Houses ?
Every dog has its day !!
Time will come.
That’s what happens when you get information from prime TV and watchdog, you end up misleading the world. How can one own 40 houses? Maybe one or two or four or five ministers can have 40 houses but all ministers? Very misleading news and full of hate. God help us
DORA IF YOU HAD BOTHERED TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD HER SAY THAT THESE ARE ALLEGATIONS BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED IF IT IS TRUE. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MOST PF MINISTERS ARE CORRUPT. MOST MINISTERS EITHER OWN LARGE FLEETS OF TRUCKS, OR LAND, OR LODGES, THE LIST GOES ON. INSTEAD OF ALWAYS DENYING WHY DON;T YOU SAY WE WILL INVESTIGATE THESE ALLEGATIONS. CAN YOU MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF ZAMBIA WHAT ASSETS YOU OWN TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE NOT CORRUPT ?????????????????
This is psychological and it seems the spokesperson has fallen in the trap. Why defend things that do not make sense to you? It just shows that there is something she is defending. Talk of smoke without fire!
What a disaster!!!
This is very typical of most ordinary Zambians to carelessly spread mere fiction stories, talk about such stories as if they have any tangible information and worse still air them in a naive public media hungry to show that they are spreading some news. We have some close ministers in Govt. No such trash can be even insinuated. Yes corruption is real and must be fought by all of us and not only ministers.
Ba Kwangu if you have run out of stories go back home. You ride on your fathers popularity together with your brother who insults my hero Great Lusha after cheering for him for years… Ungrateful brats
@N.E.E.Z, Did you mean Dora Siliya is more attractive than your mother, sisters, aunties and all your female relatives?
In this government it is possible. I’m NOT saying it is true Ministers own 40 houses each but it is possible. We have heard about senior PF government officials owning beautiful properties abroad. Does Chiluba still own those properties in Belgium? Did his children inherit them?…..Why don’t some people ever learn?
Had the cobra not passed away many would have been convicted now. Chishimba Kambwili will be more like Mwanawasa with a new deal government, so you people who are in leadership today please refrain from acts that would make you an enermy of the task force on corruption that will be formed by Kambwili after PF leaves Office in 2026. I say 2026 because in 2021 PF will win again. HH’s time will be after Kambwili in 2031.Kambwili will just rule for one term 2026-2031 then HH.
That’s very true, why are you people defending the the same politicians who are stealing your money. Open your eyes and see the level of corruption happening under the current government. If an ordinary mayor can build 10 houses what about the minister?? Eg Chitotela, Kambwili, Katele, Bowman etc and Lungu himself how many properties do they own, do you need a calculator to understand or you are just another Thomas from the Bible.
you’re missing the point….
it doesn’t matter if it’s not 40 houses but 17 or 11 by say 80% of the ministers.
the point is that pretty much all ministers have wealth that they can’t account for. even if a minister has 3 houses that s/he can’t acquire from the salary and allowances they get, it’s need for concern.
I wish there was an independent auditing firm to do a thorough investigation of all ministers
She is scared by the story as people
Can react and do what they did to
Mr lubinda.Majority can’t get one time meal and some have so many
Properties got dubiously.