Africa-Press – Zambia. Anti-Corruption Commission Chairperson Musa Mwenye, SC has said poverty eradication cannot be achieved without fighting corruption. Mr. Mwenye is attending the 20th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), the world’s largest independent global forum to fight corruption, in Washington D.C. on the theme, “Uprooting Corruption, Defending Democratic Values.”
During the plenary, on the topic ‘Fighting Greed, Kleptocracy, Oligarchs, Money Laundering and their Enablers’, Mr. Mwenye said the most important question which needs answers is why fight corruption and for what benefit.
“Why the corruption fight? This is the question we keep asking. Fighting corruption is an important economic strategy. There should never be developmental discussions or a discussion around aid without corruption or the fight against corruption being an agenda discussion,” Mr. Mwenye said.
“I am yet to see any country that has moved from the position of under development to a developed nation without first fighting corruption.”
He said developing countries’ have a problem that the resource basket is pierced by corruption. Mr. Mwenye said all the leakages in any system should be stopped first as countries move to develop.
“The leakages must be stopped first. We can’t develop or eradicate poverty without fighting corruption. There is an inter-play between the increase of corruption and the democratic backsliding. Whenever there is economic backsliding, there is an increase in corruption. So, corruption increases, there is economic backslide, then transparency goes out of the window.”
“We can’t have a successful conversation around democracy or increase of freedoms without having a conversation around the fight against corruption,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwenye told the conference that Zambia’s establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Court has helped the fight against corruption.
“The Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) has helped a lot to fight corruption and highlights transactions which are suspicious. Every year, the FIC releases the trends report on money laundering. This is the process that has helped and is effective in exposing corruption. There is also the establishment of the Financial and Economic Crimes Court,” said Mr. Mwenye.
This year’s IACC takes place at a critical moment in the fight against corruption as governments around the world renew their focus to anti-corruption efforts – introducing new commitments, launching new anti-money laundering directives and recognizing corruption as a core security concern.
According to Charles Tembo, First Secretary Press and Public Relations Washington, DC United States of America, the IACC 2022 is hosted by the U.S. government and organized by the International Anti-Corruption Conference Council and Transparency International, in partnership with Transparency International U.S. Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema has arrived in Washington DC in the United States of America to attend the US – Africa Leaders’ Summit.
President Hichilema is expected to attend a number of side events including discussions with the US Council on Foreign Relations, as well as taking part in a conversation with selected African Heads of State involving Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Mozambique, Ghana and the Chairperson of the African Union.
“President Hakainde Hichilema has arrived in Washington DC in the United States of America to attend the US – Africa Leaders’ Summit. President Hichilema is today expected to attend a number of side events including discussions with the US Council on Foreign Relations, as well as taking part in a conversation with selected African Heads of State involving Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Mozambique, Ghana and the Chairperson of the African Union, with discussions largely bordering on the need to enhance and leverage sustainable peace and security efforts, for inclusive economic development for all citizens,” Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said in a statement.
Mr. Bwalya added:”The President is later in the day expected to attend a dinner reception hosted by Senator Christopher Coons who is Co – Chair of the Congressional International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), a platform that supports the conservation of natural resources through strategic partnerships and broad based knowledge sharing, among policy makers and the wider network of partners.”
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