Maravi

Damaging Zambian Airways will be a political miscalculation - Ililonga

Damaging Zambian Airways will be a political miscalculation - Ililonga
By Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Wednesday September 10, 2008 [04:00]

DAMAGING the businesses of people opposed to the MMD leadership is certainly not part of president Levy Mwanawasa's legacy, Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga has observed.

Ililonga on Monday said it would be a tragic political miscalculation to damage Zambian Airways because one of its shareholders is opposed to the Rupiah Banda administration.

“In fact, it's the domestic investment spearheaded by Zambian businessmen that will attract foreign investment,” Ililonga stated. “It's for this reason that we consider malicious destruction of local business particularly retrogressive. The rule of law should not be replaced with despotism.”

He stated that the new generation of Zambia's business leaders needed to be nurtured instead of being destroyed.

“If Zambian Airways is grounded, the overall losers will be the Zambian consumers,” he stated. “So the MMD government must be mindful not to put high premium of politics at the expense of the economy. Let commercial sense prevail.”
Ililonga urged the government to work towards improving the country's business climate to allow private investment to flourish.

“The MMD came to power on the premise of promoting a private sector-led economy. It's alarming that hardliners in the MMD are now sharpening their knives to slaughter that which they are supposed to be protecting,” he said.

Ililonga described as undemocratic some government officials' stance against Zambian Airways.

“Such high-handed actions against perceived political enemies are undemocratic and distasteful,” he stated. “Such politics are anathema to governance of a modern state where political and economic freedoms are exalted.”

Ililonga advised the Ministry of Communications and Transport, headed by Dora Siliya, to sort out the many problems under their ward, instead of harming an airline that had restored the pride of the country.

“Our bus services are dominated by un-roadworthy ramshackles that dangerously ply our roads with little regard for passenger safety, comfort and value for money,” stated Ililonga. “The telecommunications sector is also hopelessly inefficient. The problems surrounding both local and international call connections continue to haunt the consumer. The railway sector is not even worth talking about.”

Labels: MMD, ZAMBIAN AIRWAYS

posted by MrK @ 4:20 AM