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Demos over job losses are causing political anarchy, says Mpombo

Demos over job losses are causing political anarchy, says Mpombo
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Thursday, May 07, 2009 3:19:38 PM

DEFENCE minister George Mpombo has accused people demonstrating over loss of jobs by miners on the Copperbelt of causing political anarchy in the country. And Mpombo has asked people criticising President Rupiah Banda to give him a break.

In an interview, Mpombo said it was unfortunate that some members of parliament who were supposed to be explaining the effects of the global crisis to the people were in the forefront inciting people to demonstrate against the government.

"They are just creating political anarchy. It amounts to leadership being made simple if you have leaders who do not understand the global crisis and leaders who are wallowing in ignorance, it is very bad," Mpombo said.

"Leadership has to be honest and tell people this is the situation. Now once we paint a picture that the Copperbelt is volatile, how do you attract investors in a struggling industry? The same people who are causing these confusions are on a salary and they don't feel the pinch at all. We were recently in DRC where people have lost 300 jobs. We could see the economic slump but have you heard that people in Lubumbashi are demonstrating?

"That kind of attitude shows the narrowness of our political perception in understanding of these economic factors because surely, if you know this is the situation, how do you tell people to demonstrate? How do you accuse government of moving in a sluggish manner? This is unfortunate, but I think we need to provide leadership for us in the opposition because trying to gain advantage of something which is of a global dimension is sending a wrong message."

Mpombo said leaders in the opposition should be able to tell their members on the effects the global crisis.

He said it was unfair that the President was being criticised for things he was not even responsible for.

"Why is everybody waking up saying Rupiah Banda has done that? I think it is very unfair to drag the President's name into smear campaign over issues that he is not even personally responsible for," Mpombo said. "There are lot of issues that we need to concentrate on and not just throwing political grenades at the President all the time. The amounts of attacks that are dished out on him, accusing him of all sorts of things, it is not right to subject the President to this kind of carousing hatred. The tendency of putting him in constant negative limelight I don't think that is helpful. Why don't people give him a break?"

He said there was a tendency by Zambians to do things which could be described as political utopia.

"So, democracy is it about constantly fighting government structures because this is a negative development. If you have a political culture full of insults, I don't think you are singing the best message. Even the people that are independent they get so disappointed that Zambians should behave in this way," said Mpombo.

"The President has a mandate from the Zambian people and therefore that mandate should not be subjected to these political convulsions we are seeing."

Labels: DEMONSTRATION, GEORGE MPOMBO

posted by MrK @ 2:21 PM