Munir Zulu, a Member of Parliament from Lumezi, has been arrested by the police after repeatedly failing to comply with requests to present himself to authorities. Zulu is being held in police custody, and a detailed statement on the matter is expected to be released later on Tuesday.
This development follows allegations made by Zulu, who is an Independent Member of Parliament, against Finance and National Planning Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane and his Infrastructure counterpart, Charles Milupi. Zulu claims that the two ministers received bribes of US$250,000 each in relation to the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway project.
Zulu made these allegations during a media briefing in Lusaka last week. He stated that he had information from trustworthy sources that the two ministers had been appearing before the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in secret, and that the State House was aware of the investigations. Zulu demanded to know why the commission was not providing updates on the progress made and urged the it to inform the public why they were not releasing information on the matter, which they had been investigating for two weeks.
Zulu also revealed that Engineer Mulchard Kuntawala had allegedly transferred some money before he was appointed RDA Board Chairman, and that the ACC had been investigating the matter. Zulu demanded that the anti-graft agency come clean on the allegations against Milupi and Musokotwane.
President Hakainde Hichilema, who took office in August 2021, has dismissed the allegations as baseless and without merit, stating that Zulu is a “mischievous individual who tries to destroy innocent people.” In response, President Hichilema announced that his government is taking legal action against Zulu and has encouraged his Finance and Infrastructure Ministers to sue him.
President Hichilema has reiterated that his government is committed to fighting corruption and revitalising the economy, which has been struggling in recent years due to high levels of debt, inflation, and unemployment. In addition to his efforts to fight corruption and promote economic growth, President Hichilema has pledged to invest in infrastructure and social programs to address the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.