TIZ Challenges President Hichilema to Declare Assets, Calls It a Litmus Test for Anti-Corruption Commitment

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has challenged President Hakainde Hichilema to publicly declare his assets, interests, and liabilities, describing it as a critical test of his commitment to fighting corruption.

In a strongly worded statement, TIZ Executive Director Maurice Nyambe questioned why the President has yet to make his wealth public, despite having built his political reputation on demanding accountability from others including former President Edgar Lungu.

“The declaration of assets by President Hichilema is the litmus test for his commitment to fighting corruption,” Nyambe stated. “In its absence, everything he says about the corruption fight is mere rhetoric.”

Nyambe acknowledged that no Zambian law currently compels the President to declare his assets but argued that there is equally no law stopping him from doing so. He emphasized that such a move would build public trust and enhance transparency.

“It is important for citizens to know how much any president is worth and what interests and liabilities he or she has,” Nyambe said. “This is even more crucial for President Hichilema, whose vast business empire prior to taking office raises legitimate questions about potential conflicts of interest.”

The TIZ leader drew a parallel between Hichilema’s current silence and his past actions as an opposition leader, when he publicly questioned the rapid rise in Edgar Lungu’s wealth between the 2015 and 2016 presidential elections both of which were declared.

“Why should the current administration deny Zambians the opportunity to hold their leader accountable by hiding behind the excuse that ‘there is no law’?” Nyambe asked.

He further cited Article 8.5 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which Zambia is a signatory to but has yet to fully domesticate. The article encourages public officials to declare their assets as a safeguard against corruption.