Matemba appointed Solicitor General

President Lazarus Chakwera has appointed Reyneck Matemba as Solicitor General and Principal Secretary for Justice following the expiry of his contract as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general on December 1 2020.

In a telephone interview, the outgoing ACB chief said the President appointed him to the new position in November.

“I don’t take it [the new appointment] for granted because it rarely happens. In most cases when there is change of government, the director general of ACB is removed,” said Matemba.

He said he was awaiting the appointment of his successor at the graft-busting body to ensure a smooth transition.

But Matemba said despite his new appointment, he will continue prosecuting the alleged judge bribery case involving business mogul Thom Mpinganjira.

He said: “It is incumbent upon me that the work that we had embarked on continues uninterrupted and I will make sure that I work very closely with the person who will succeed me.”

Matemba said he has confidence in the officers at ACB and that they will continue with the excellent work they are doing.

Last week, the Public Appointments Committee(PAC) of Parliament chairperson Joy Chitsulo said Matemba faced similar challenges like his predecessors, noting that the bureau tended to tick after a change of administration.

Matemba will replace Gertrude Hiwa in his new role. Hiwa was posted to the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC), but challenged the decision in the courts. n