Maravi

MMD should allow members to speak their mind, says Maureen

MMD should allow members to speak their mind, says Maureen
Written by Mutale Kapekele and Agness Changala

Maureen Mwanawasa has advised the MMD leadership to allow their members to speak their mind. And Maureen, the widow of president Levy Mwanawasa, said she does not need sympathy from people because she is a strong woman. In an interview, Maureen said there was need to improve democracy within the MMD for the members to stop 'running' to the press when they had contentious issues.

“If you see people going to the press with party issues, it means that the leaders are not giving them a chance to meet with them and express themselves,” Maureen said.

“MMD is not only the biggest party in Zambia but the party in government and it should allow members to speak their mind. If members are allowed to do that and are given a chance to speak freely within the party, we won't be seeing the outbursts we see in the papers because those issues would have been handled within the party.”

Maureen said all political parties had differences and that opening up the channels of communication helped them to keep contentious issues within.

On Mpulungu member of parliament Lameck Chibombamilimo's comments that the former first lady was being treated as a leper, Maureen said she was not aware that President Rupiah Banda was against people associating with her and that she had no problems visiting the latter or any party member.

“Mr Chibombamilimo has been very close to my family, even when my husband [late president Levy Mwanawasa] was alive. I have no problem associating with him or any other party member,” she said. “What I can say is that we are currently in a transitional period from late president Mwanawasa's rule to the current one and this is not an easy time. We all need healing and unity.”

Chibombamilimo, who was fired as energy deputy minister and expelled from the MMD for alleged indiscipline, recently said Maureen was being treated as a leper by MMD members and yet she was a darling of the people when her husband was alive.

Maureen said the country would not develop without unity and reconciliation.

She also said she did not need sympathy from anyone if she was to rise above the challenges that she was currently facing.

“I am a very strong person with a strong character and if people have deserted me, I don't mind because although this has been a difficult time, I'm happy with what I'm doing,” Maureen said. “I don't expect sympathy from anyone because if I start trivialising things, that will be my downfall. So right now, I just want to rise above the challenges I have.”

Maureen said there was need to have a revolutionary approach to economic challenges.

She said sometimes it was necessary to restrict some of the imports especially for products that could be produced locally.

“We have witnessed what has happened to the wheat industry after restrictions on imports,” she said. “That is the same thing that we need to do to ensure that we produce our own products, and we can do that. We also need a conducive policy environment and in the end we shall create employment and when our manufacturing industry is viable, we can open up to imports.”

She said diversification of the economy must begin making sense by shifting the dependence on copper industries to other key sectors.

Maureen said copper was a diminishing asset and Zambia had to find pragmatic solutions.

She said the government must finance alternative industries that would be able to translate natural resources into wealth and that it was not too late for a solution to be found to address the current economic challenges.

She also demanded that next year's budget should aim at creating industries that had nothing to do with copper in all copper producing towns.

Maureen said Zambia had a competitive advantage to supply to other African countries its products and services.

She challenged Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to assist the country to sell its goods and services and not just be housed in the country without Zambia reaping the benefits of accommodating the regional organisation.

Maureen also called on all African political leaders to change their altitude and put on the economic heart.

“Like the European Union (EU) and others sit down round the tables to resolve the problems and begin to say Africa can do it,” she said.

Maureen said Zambia was not experiencing the fall in copper prices for the first time and challenged the government to refer the situation to the past.

“When it happened, what was done to come out of it to ensure that things are better?” Maureen asked.

She said Zambia had many resources, which other countries did not even have and could be utilised.

“We have so many resources to do things which Europe and other countries are doing, we are also able to do it ourselves and quality must be maintained to be able to compete with the outside world,” she said.

On gender deputy minister Lucy Changwe's announcement that the ministry would embark on a programme to educate rural women on their rights and gender issues, Maureen said it was not practical without funding.

She also expressed disappointment with the government for creating a ministry without funding.

“Women in the rural areas are not going to eat rights because I believe they already know their rights, we need programmes that will make a difference like giving them safe drinking water, economic empowerment and agriculture inputs,” she said. “We also need to open up economic zones which should provide them with opportunities to sale their produce and to buy the basic things they need without walking long distances.”

She said the government had not been practical and that there was need for them to be pragmatic in their approach when dealing with women issues.

Maureen also challenged members of parliament to ensure that the national budget reserves money for food security.

“Food should be a priority because when people are hungry, you create tension in the country,” she said. “Members of parliament, whether from the opposition or the MMD should find money within the budget to go to food security. This should be their first priority.”

Maureen also urged the press to make a difference by writing about situations that created solutions and bring out innovative ideas from those who were rarely heard that the government could pick up and work on.

Labels: MAUREEN MWANAWASA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 11:12 AM