Stanley Kakubo, Zambia’s Foreign Minister has tendered his resignation.
He resigned after he was allegedly caught on video receiving cash bribes from Chinese contractors.
In the 2022 video, the minister had promised to sell rich mineral mines to Chinese businessmen. But he reportedly failed to live up to the terms before the video surfaced online.
The minister said he resigned because he didn’t want his controversy to distract President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration, Lusaka Times reports.
Mr Kakubo, however, vowed, “In due course, we will provide the accurate context surrounding the recent developments.”
The president promptly accepted his resignation while appreciating his commendable contributions and leadership as a minister.
The viral video shows two men sitting by a table counting the neatly stacked cash, both US dollars and Zambian kwacha. Their faces are not visible, but it led to a frenzy of speculation on social media that the men were Mr Kakubo and a Chinese businessman.
This is the second time that Mr Kakubo has found himself at the centre of controversy.
Last year, he was accused of receiving a bribe after he was spotted leaving the office of a Chinese-owned cement company with a briefcase.
He denied any wrongdoing, while the president defended him, saying he had received a calendar and a diary.