By Enyichukwu Enemanna
In response to the recent allegation by the US Ambassador to Zambia, alluding to “systematic theft” of drugs donated to the southern African country, Zambia’s Foreign Minister, Mulambo Haimbe, has cautioned diplomats against getting involved in the country’s internal affairs.
Haimbe accused diplomats of an increasing tendency to ignore diplomatic channels, stating that this could undermine the “spirit of mutual respect”.
US Ambassador to Lusaka, Michael Gonzales, had at a press conference last week announced that the US was cutting $50m of health aid to Zambia, arising from alleged theft of life-saving medications provided by US authorities to Zambian patients.
The ambassador had announced that the decision to blow the matter open came after his office had held over 30 “fruitless” meetings with senior Zambian officials to address the matter.
The US embassy last week said it had presented its findings of the alleged corruption to Zambian officials in April last year in connection with the alleged theft and had also offered help to stop further theft and bring those involved to book.
The embassy, however, claimed that no action was taken by the Zambian authorities. Gonzales said an inspection carried out by US officials at more than 2,000 pharmacies in Zambia last year had found that most were selling drugs and medical supplies donated by the US.
Responding to the development, Haimbe said that addressing the government through a press conference amounted to interference and was in breach of diplomatic conventions.
“We remain open to addressing any matters of concern through appropriate diplomatic channels,” the minister added.
On Monday, Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister, Jacob Mwiimbu, said that a forensic audit on the alleged theft had been completed and handed over to security agencies for further action.
About 75 people have been arrested in a countrywide crackdown that saw more than 400 health facilities raided over the alleged scam, he said.
“There will be no sacred cows in this pursuit,” Mwiimbu added.
