Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo has reportedly resigned after allegedly being captured on video accepting a large sum of money from a Chinese businessman.
However, the foreign minister did not deny appearing in the video.
Kakubo, on the other hand, stated that he was facing “malicious claims over a business transaction” and had resigned so that the administration would not be “distracted” by the matter.
Two men are shown in the video sitting beside a table, counting the neatly arranged cash, which includes both US dollars and Zambian kwacha.
Their faces are obscured, but social media users speculated that the men were Mr. Kakubo and a Chinese businessman.
Some others wondered why no bank transfer had been made and whether taxes had been paid as a result of the transaction.
Mr. Kakubo did not deny the validity of the video or the handwritten comments in his resignation letter.
Instead, he claimed to be the victim of “malicious claims over a business transaction between my private family business and our business partner, with whom we still have good relations.”.
He said he had resigned as a minister to ensure that the government was not “distracted” from its efforts to improve the lives of Zambians, but he would remain an MP.
“In due course, we will provide the accurate context surrounding the recent developments,” Kakubo said.
Mr. Hichilema accepted his resignation, saying he admired the former foreign minister’s “commendable work and leadership.”
Mr. Kakubo has found himself at the center of a dispute for the second time.
He was suspected of accepting a bribe last year after he was seen leaving the headquarters of a Chinese-owned cement company with a briefcase.
He denied any misconduct, but the president backed him by stating that he had received a calendar and a diary.
Chinese firms are significant investors in Zambia. In 2022, the Chinese Embassy reported that more than 600 Chinese companies had spent more than $3 billion in Zambia.
Mr. Kakubo is the first minister to be forced to quit since President Hakainde Hichilema’s inauguration in August 2021.
Mr. Hichilema has promised to combat corruption, but the opposition accuses him of unfairly targeting its members, which he disputes.
Ex-President Edgar Lungu remarked in response to Mr. Kakubo’s departure that he should be investigated for potential corruption.
“I am not implying that Kakubo is guilty. All I am saying is that if there are no sacred cows in Mr. Hichilema’s fight against corruption, Kakubo should be investigated and, if needed, prosecuted,” Mr. Lungu said.
