THE recent arrests of former Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) director general Victor Nyasulu, former director of supply planning Nalishebo Siyandi and current director of procurement Nchimunya Habbadu by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) have raised eyebrows across the nation. Charged with willfully failing to comply with public procurement laws in awarding contracts to 26 companies between January 2023 and December 2025, these individuals now find themselves at the centre of a controversy that many believe is a calculated political maneuver as the 2026 elections approach.
The timing of these arrests is conspicuously convenient for a government eager to project an image of anti-corruption vigilance. However, a deeper examination suggests that Nyasulu, Siyandi and Habbadu may merely be sacrificial lambs in a broader scheme designed to divert attention from systemic corruption that permeates higher echelons of power.
A critical starting point in unraveling this narrative would be to disclose the identities of the 26 companies involved and scrutinise their ownership structures. Such transparency would reveal whether these entities have connections to influential figures within the government or the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND). Without this information, the arrests appear as a superficial attempt to placate public demand for accountability while shielding more powerful actors.
Upon assuming office, the UPND swiftly shut down the entire procurement section of the Ministry of Health, citing the need for audits and investigations into suspected corruption. This move led to a nationwide shortage of essential medicines, resulting in preventable deaths and suffering among Zambians. The government’s hasty procurement efforts to mitigate the crisis only opened new avenues for corrupt practices as urgency overshadowed due diligence.
Now, after those in positions of power have allegedly profited from these expedited procurement deals, the focus shifts to lower-level officials like Nyasulu, Siyandi and Habbadu. By prosecuting these individuals, the government crafts a narrative of accountability, conveniently obscuring its own role in creating the conditions that facilitated corruption.
This pattern is not unprecedented. In late 2024, the US$13 million ambulance procurement scandal exposed significant irregularities within the UPND government’s procurement processes. Despite public outcry, the primary actors behind these decisions faced minimal consequences, reinforcing the perception that accountability is selectively applied.
As the 2026 elections draw near, the government’s actions suggest a strategic effort to cleanse its blemished image by targeting individuals who, while complicit, are not the principal architects of corruption. This approach allows the administration to claim progress in the fight against corruption without addressing the systemic issues that enable it.
The Zambian populace must remain vigilant and demand comprehensive transparency. Revealing the identities and ownership structures of the 26 companies awarded contracts by ZAMMSA is essential. Citizens deserve to know who the owners and directors are and what their family and business connections are.
Furthermore, there should be an insistence on accountability that reaches beyond mid-level officials to include those at the highest levels of government who have benefited from corrupt practices. They must be exposed.
Chali Ngalande is a political analyst.
