The Editor Zambia
For 35 years, corruption has remained one of Zambia’s most persistent obstacles to development, surviving changes of government, political slogans and promises of a new beginning.
From the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to the Patriotic Front (PF), successive administrations have faced allegations, scandals and public criticism over the management of national resources. 
The consequences have been borne by ordinary Zambians who continue to demand better hospitals, decent schools, reliable public services and value for their taxes.
President Hakainde Hichilema’s warning to civil servants, Members of Parliament and other public officials that there will be “no sacred cows” in the fight against corruption must therefore be treated as more than another presidential declaration.
It must become a defining principle of public administration: nobody is above the law, nobody owns public resources, and nobody should expect political connections to provide protection against accountability.
“If you engage in corruption, you are on your own,” the President declared when opening the First Session of the 14th National Assembly in Lusaka.
President Hichilema’s insistence that there should be no political exemptions is particularly important in a country where accusations of selective justice have frequently accompanied corruption investigations.
The President also challenged civil servants who believe that reporting for work at 08:00 and leaving at 17:00 is sufficient, even when they have little to show for their time.
His argument that the public service must be judged by measurable results strikes at a culture in which administrative routine can sometimes take precedence over the needs of citizens.
The President’s message to MPs about allowances is equally timely. When he reminded legislators that money spent on additional allowances could instead help keep children in school, he raised a fundamental question about public priorities.
Elected representatives must be willing to examine their own claims on the national treasury before demanding sacrifices from citizens.
This is especially relevant following the increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million to K40 million per constituency.
The expansion has created significant opportunities for local development, but larger allocations also demand stronger procurement controls, transparent project selection, and public disclosure of expenditure. Communities must be able to see where the money goes and what it achieves.
The same scrutiny should apply to parastatals, councils, and government delivery units. Public institutions must justify their expenditure through tangible benefits, not simply produce reports showing that meetings were held and activities undertaken.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other oversight bodies must be allowed to investigate credible allegations without fear or favour.
Their performance should be measured not by the number of arrests announced but by lawful, evidence-based outcomes and the protection of public resources.
Zambia cannot afford another generation of political promises followed by business as usual. Every Kwacha lost through corruption is money unavailable for medicines, classrooms, roads, water, and economic opportunity. The poor suffer most because they have the fewest alternatives when public services fail.
The message to public officers should be unmistakable: government employment is a responsibility, not a licence to enrich oneself. Political office is a public trust, not private property. And, the national treasury is not a reward for winning elections.
If the warning is enforced consistently, transparently, and within the law, it could help strengthen public confidence in Zambia’s institutions. If it remains rhetoric, the country will continue paying the price for a problem that has outlived successive administrations.
The time has come for accountability to become a permanent feature of government, rather than a promise repeated whenever a new administration takes office.
