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Zambian President Hakinde Hichilema has taken the extraordinary step of sacking the entire commission of the country’s anti-corruption body after they themselves were accused of corruption, which they deny.
A few days ago, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Thom Shamakamba resigned.
He and the country’s Attorney General, Field Marshal Muchinde, have both been accused of taking kickbacks. Both have strongly denied the allegations.
Authorities have been investigating several former government officials accused of corruption since Hichilema came to power three years ago.
Now, the explosive allegation is that ACC officials have been accepting bribes from politicians who are the subject of the investigation in exchange for pardons.
The whistleblower is named O’Brien Kaaba, who was a member of the ACC’s board of directors.
“According to news reports, institutions such as the ACC have reached legally meaningless settlements that shield some of the most corrupt individuals from legal consequences, allowing them to escape legal sanctions and accountability,” he wrote earlier this week.
He said the “immunity deal” practised by the former ruling Patriotic Front party was now being “used by the current government in a way that shows no determination to fight corruption”.
He said the ACC must be reformed, claiming that corruption was not limited to the four sacked board members but affected the entire institution.
Mr Mukende has sued Mr Kaba for defamation – a move that other figures are likely to take as well.
A statement from the Zambian presidency said the dissolution of the commission was necessary “to renew the sacred mission of the Anti-Corruption Commission”.
State House also released a statement announcing Mr Shamakamba’s resignation, leading some to speculate whether he had actually been sacked.
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty
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