HH challenges Rupiah to give economic recovery guidelines
HH challenges Rupiah to give economic recovery guidelinesWritten by Lambwe Kachali and Masuzyo Chakwe
Friday, January 16, 2009 5:03:40 AM
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has challenged President Rupiah Banda to critically spell out a stimulus plan for the country's economic recovery in his speech to Parliament today.
And Hichilema charged that Zambia has become a political talking-shop with no practical implementation of economic programmes, alleging that President Banda's leadership is politically confused.
Meanwhile, the University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) has stated that it expects President Banda to state what the government is doing about the job loses as a result of the global economic turndown in the mines.
In an interview, Hichilema said although most Zambians were aware of President Banda's leadership failures, the only way to regain the trust of the people was for him to take charge of the country and spell out guidelines about the country's roadmap to recovery.
Hichilema said while many countries around the globe were committing their energies towards addressing similar economic problems arising from the world economic meltdown, Zambia under President Banda's leadership was still dreaming.
He said President Banda's speech to Parliament would either bring hope or take Zambia's hope away.
Hichilema said it would still be worthless for President Banda to present to Parliament a well-spiced speech without implementing it to the benefit of the country.
Hichilema said it was disastrous to the country's future for President Banda to continue giving Zambians lame excuses that he was still settling down and therefore should be given more time before fulfilling the promises.
"Rupiah is running the opposite of his predecessor [late president Levy Mwanawasa]. By looking at what is happening in the country, there is no continuity; it is clear that he's not taking charge towards finding solutions to the country's numerous problems," Hichilema said.
"As he presents his first speech to Parliament, Rupiah Banda must specifically spell out comprehensive short and long-term stimulus plan, how he will overcome problems sector by sector. Knowing his lack of capacity, Rupiah should wake up and face these problems head on. Job losses ought to be prevented from spreading to all sectors."
He said President Banda should bear the consequences of duping Zambians into thinking that he was a presidential material worth his salt.
"To make matters worse, he mocked people who voted him into office by admitting that he is forgetful and those are the consequences of voting an old person as President. That statement to me amounted to mocking the people," Hichilema said.
“He has also sent a clear signal for 2011 that old people of Rupiah's calibre are not capable of driving our country to better heights."
However, Hichilema said Zambians were not to blame for electing what he termed as mediocre President, saying they were cheated.
"I feel sorry for the people of Zambia. I know that currently the MMD government is just forcing itself on the people through its usual political lies and tricks. Because even myself, I feel guilty that a country like ours is led by mediocre and discarded leaders, because we know that we deserve better leadership. But I have every hope that Zambians will blow a last whistle to MMD in 2011," he said.
He said in a country like Zambia whose leadership was confused with blurred vision, citizens should not expect quick answers to their problems.
Hichilema also said although President Banda was boasting around the country that mealie-meal prices had reduced, hunger would continue to ravage the people because fertiliser prices were still high.
"When we criticise him, his dull ministers including himself Rupiah Banda say we are politicking. There is nothing politics about this. The Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) has been a disaster. Intended beneficiaries have not accessed the commodity, and the price has not been reduced as promised in the run-up to election last year. So, this means that our farmers have been affected and [this] will result to poor harvest," Hichilema said.
"And also cholera which is a preventable disease has become an annual ceremony in Lusaka and beyond, resulting to indefinite closure of schools. I think Rupiah should be ashamed of his leadership."
Hichilema also confirmed that President Banda through his special assistant for political affairs Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika had responded to his letter that he wrote to him last month in which he tabulated measures on how to tackle problems faced the country.
He said President Banda expressed commitment to implement the proposals.
And in a statement signed by UNZASU vice-president Duncan Nyirongo and secretary general Charity Samunuma, the global economic meltdown presents an opportunity for the President Banda-led administration to demonstrate that it had minds or capacity to govern the country and hence solve the problems that confront this country, including the current economic crisis.
The union said Zambian Airways was the only pride in terms of airline and needed to be bailed out.
They stated that a decision in the best interest of the nation should be made on Zambian Airways.
"The debt is internal but something we as a nation can help out, instead of pushing them out of business," he said.
The union stated that the President should also explain why the government decided to export maize to Zimbabwe even when the food security of the nation was not certain.
They also urged the government to pay particular attention to infrastructure development and basic social infrastructure in terms of education and health.
The union also stated that bad roads and inadequate hydro-power compounded the negative effects of the global economic meltdown.
The union stated that increased access to education and skills development would enable the people to comprehend the dynamics of the global economy.
"While good health will be a key pillar to enhanced economic growth as a healthy population enhance productivity. Hence, UNZASU expect increased finances to the education and health sectors," stated UNZASU.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA, UPND
posted by MrK @ 5:05 AM
1 Comments:
This is a good article, it's high time all stakeholders in Zambia held the Govt accountable, let's not just wait for election campaign times. Even in Organizations and companies there are probations and performance appraisals. The Govt should be held accountable to the same standards if someone cannot show signs of performance during the first 3 months in other companies 6 months that person is seen as a liability and is laid off.The first performance appraisal based on the 3 months probation should be held on February 1st 2009, the second should be May 1st 2009 based on a 6 months probation period and Zambians should then determine whether this Govt is productive and competent or is just a liability on tax payers. If their performance is productive then yearly appraisals should be carried out on the 1st of November every year until 2011. This practice should continue for all Govts that will ever rule Zambia. Zambians should never again be taken for a ride. God bless Zambia.
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