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Zambians are docile – Milupi

Zambians are docile – Milupi
Written by Margaret Habbuno
Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:51:21 PM

PARLIAMENTARY Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Charles Milupi has said Zambians have displayed a special talent of being docile on several issues. And Federation of Free Trade Unions in Zambia (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde Simukoko said over-respecting of leaders by citizens in the country has contributed to poor leadership.

Speaking on Let the People Talk programme on Radio Phoenix yesterday, Milupi said it was sad that Zambians remained docile on issues of governance.

“It is important to know and appreciate the fact that over the years, Zambians displayed a special talent of being docile in the way we reflect on issues. If you look at governance issues in the number of countries, it’s the citizens themselves that drive what needs to be done in the nation,” he said.

Milupi said in developed countries, it was citizens themselves that blocked massive rigging in an election.

“It is the citizens themselves that do not tolerate if there has been massive rigging in an election. With the Zambian context, we need to look at things in a different way. Maybe we are peaceful which is a good thing,” he said.

Milupi said if Zambians had displayed an attitude of unity and fighting poverty in the country, positive results would have been achieved.

And Simukoko bemoaned the pattern of voting in the country.

“The pattern of voting in this country is bad because it is based on friendship, tribe - somebody who is sociable, somebody who can buy us beer,” she said.

Simukoko said it was important that the Zambians start taking the government to task by providing checks and balances.

“We have been complaining about the bad state of roads in the country. We should engage government to monitor their activities and look at their expenditure, income and wastage. We have the Auditor General’s report coming out every year. But have the unions taken management to task? Now I am criticising the unions. Yes I am criticising myself as a union. Because we are so scared when we put our leaders in office and because of that, we have been unable to provide checks and balances to our leaders in the country.

“We must be in good books with them so that we get favours from them there is no sacrifice. So we are the ones who have made the leaders to be the way they are in this country today,” said Simukoko.

Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, CIVIL SOCIETY, GOVERNANCE, JOYCE NONDE, PAC

posted by MrK @ 2:52 PM