Nyasulu’s has exposed the rot in the New Dawn govt

Nyasulu’s has exposed the rot in the New Dawn govt

VICTOR Nyasulu, the former director-general of the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), has disclosed some intriguing information about the activities at ZAMMSA and the political interference by State House in the affairs of the agency. We believe this is just but a tip of the iceberg with regard interference in public institutions by President Hakainde Hichilema’s very own seat of power.

Nyasulu has named some individuals at State House who used to call him to revoke certain contracts for the purchase of medicines and medical supplies because the individuals who owned the companies that were awarded the contracts were deemed to be “enemies of the state” and supporters of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF). It is a matter of serious concern that a government can label its own citizens as “enemies of the state” for merely belonging to another political party other than the United Party for National Development (UPND).

It will be interesting to see how the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will handle the State House officials named by Nyasulu as their actions suggest that they have been abusing their authority of office by dictating who must be goven contracts and who not, or if everything will continue as usual because the individuals involved acted with Hichilema’s full blessings.

Nyasulu also deserves praise for his courage in exposing Health Minister Dr Elijah Muchima as a liar when he claimed that the government had previously taken action against the theft of medicines and medical supplies and that he was among those arrested for the theft.

In a statement issued on May 8, 2025, Dr Muchima said a number of ZAMMSA officials had been suspended and removed from their positions, including Nyasulu, the director supply planning Nalishebo Siyandi, director procurement Nchimunya Habadu and director of finance Milimo Ngululu.

Dr Muchima said other than Ngululu, these officials are appearing in courts of law.

“The final report has been completed and cleared by the Office of the Auditor General for further action. Note that there will be no sacred cows in this process. However, all the suspects will go through the entire legal process, with the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty by our competent courts of law. The Government of the Republic of Zambia urges the Ambassador of the United States of America to Zambia to share any additional information that may be useful for action and/or prosecution,” he said.

Nyasulu’s response to Dr Muchima’s remarks on the arrest of individuals involved in the theft of medicines donated by the US government has exposed the insincerity of the New Dawn government in dealing with the systematic pilferage that has the potential to affect millions of Zambians. Nyasulu has clearly stated that he is appearing before the courts of law for a procurement ‘glitch’ and not for theft of medicines donated to Zambia by the US government. He has since demanded an apology from Dr Muchima within 72 hours for allegedly lying against him and defaming him.

We are also concerned with this growing tendency by the New Dawn administration of deeming business persons as ‘enemies of the state’ when they are citizens of this country like any other who are free to participate in public tenders and procurement. When did belonging to an opposition political party become a crime against the state?

This is ridiculous and hypocritical because Zambians saw many UPND members and leaders get contracts from government during the reign of the PF and the MMD and they were not labeled enemies of the state. What kind of people are these, sure?

The Constitution of the Republic of Zambia guarantees freedom of association and Zambians should not be deemed as ‘enemies of the state’ for choosing to associate with the PF, Socialist Party (SP) or any other opposition political party. It is a democratic right for people to belong to political parties of their choice.

As we have stated above, we are aware of UPND members who were never deemed “enemies of the state” when they were awarded contracts during the MMD and PF administrations.   They freely participated in public contracts and procurement because they are Zambians and have the necessary qualifications and competences to execute the projects.

Time is fast catching up with those who abuse their authority to disadvantage fellow citizens and very soon, “the chickens will come home to roost”. You can cover up evil, but it has its own way of coming out for the public to know.