Britain freezes aid to Zambia over graft fears

LUSAKA: Britain has suspended aid payments to Zambia over concerns of alleged fraud and corruption by the government of President Edgar Lungu who has faced graft allegations from within his own party.

Britain’s High Commissioner to Lusaka Fergus Cochrane-Dyet confirmed the suspension of funding in a tweet posted late on Monday.

"Correct that UK frozen all bilateral funding to Zambian government in light of potential concerns until audit results known," Cochrane-Dyet wrote in a tweet. "UK Aid takes zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption."

Britain’s development ministry says on its website it earmarked 48 million pounds in aid for Zambia in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The amount that has been suspended is unknown.

Former foreign affairs minister Harry Kalaba, who resigned his position in January this year alleging "swelling" official corruption, said Britain’s decision proved there was a problem.

"I feel vindicated. The very first time I resigned and when I spoke people felt that I was speaking politics," said Kalaba who is still a lawmaker in Lungu’s ruling party. "But now the foreign community is saying what I said when I resigned.