1. By Noel Sichalwe in Lusaka, Zambia

Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa, who was viewed as a puppet of his predecessor Frederick Chiluba after he retired in 2002, has launched the country's biggest crackdown on corruption and declared a rule of law. In trying to defy the ‘puppet’ perception that was created in the minds of many Zambians, Mwanawasa seven months after assuming office addressed a special session of Parliament in July 2002 highlighting a catalogue of corrupt allegations against Chiluba. He alleged that Chiluba had plundered national resources, a scenario that had retard national development during his 10 years of presidency. Among the allegations raised was that the Chiluba’s government failed to account for US about $41 million raised from the privatisation of Roan Antelope Mining Corporation. Mwanawasa also alleged that US $20.5 million earmarked for arms purchases, was diverted from the public coffers for the personal benefit of the former president, his family and associates. He further stated that several million dollars were paid to Chiluba's family and supporters from a special bank account maintained by the ZSIS in London. Afterwards, Mwanawasa constituted what he called the Task Force on corruption. The Task Force was appointed with a specific mandate of prosecuting the suspected plunderers and recovering the stolen national resources.

Shortly, in the same July 2002, there were demonstrations from students, the labour movement, church and other civil society organisations that called for the stripping of Chiluba’s immunity so he could be prosecuted for corruption. Parliament bowed down to the mounted pressure and voted to strip the immunity from Chiluba in order to be prosecuted for corrupt practices and theft of public funds. This formed a basis upon which several leaders in the previous government were arrested and charged for various offences especially the most preferred theft of motor vehicle charges. However, while most observers applaud the lifting of Chiluba's immunity as evidence of Mwanawasa's commitment to fighting corruption, some observers believe he is using the state machinery to settle old scores with his opponents. Consequently, several of Chiluba's close associates, including the former head of the Zambia Intelligence Security Services, Xavier Chungu, and Zambian ambassador to the United States, Atan Shansonga, were arrested in connection with Chiluba's plunder of national resources. The duo was arrested on a series of theft of motor vehicle charges. The charge was preferred because under the Zambian Constitution, a theft of motor vehicle charge is not bailable. Unfortunately, the state has failed to secure any conviction in all their cases that have taken to court since July 2002. Chungu had been arrested on more than four occasions but he had always been acquitted in court. After the unsuccessful prosecution, Chungu who was perceived to have been at the helm of the plunder was then jointly charged with Chiluba regarding theft of millions of dollars. Chiluba and Chungu were first charged with theft of about US $3 million but these charges were dropped in April this year due to insufficient evidence. However, the duo was later charged with 168 counts of theft of US $29 million. The case dragged from last year until last month when it was dropped after Chungu disappeared. Immediately these charges were dropped last month, Chiluba has been charged on a fresh indictment where he is appearing with two others. The disappearance of Chungu in March this year, who was regarded as the pillar of the corrupt practices has been a serious set back that affected the Task Force in its pursuit of the suspected plunderers. The situation was however, aggravated by the state’s earlier decision to facilitate the exit of another key suspect, in March this year, from Zambia to the United Kingdom before Chungu disappeared. The state had secretly facilitated the exit of former Zambia’s former ambassador to the United States Atan Shansonga to the UK but they reported to the media that Shansonga had run away. But it was later learnt that they had sent Shansonga to help them retrieve more information regarding the plunder cases to pin down Chungu and Chiluba. It is because of this predicament on the part of the state that has affected the pace at which the corruption cases are going. They are now trying to locate where Chungu had run to while Shansonga who has duo citizenship of Zambia and Britain has refused to return home. This move has therefore, eroded the confidence of people in the fight against corruption because this decision was regarded as the state interference in the operations of the Task Force, which is supposed to work independently. The fleeing of Shansonga attracted scathing attack on the state and the Task Force from the civil society and the opposition political parties. What came to be disappointing to people was that the Vice-President Nevers Mumba recently announced in Parliament that the Task Force has only recovered about K6 billion (US $294,000) since they started operating and spent about K4 billion (US $196,000), which many Zambians consider to be unsuccessful. However, to amend this daint, Mwanawasa recently announced that he will strengthen the operations of the Task Force and people are now waiting to see what strategic actions he is considering taking.

* Noel Sichalwe, Lusaka, Zambia.