Lack of planning has cost the poor, says Fr Mwewa

Lack of planning has cost the poor, says Fr Mwewa
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 08 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

NDOLA Catholic Diocese treasurer Father Augustine Mwewa has charged that President Rupiah Banda’s lack of planning has cost poor people the much needed social services.

In an interview yesterday, Fr Mwewa said President Banda has exhibited a serious lack of planning in the way he governs the country. He said currently there was nothing to show the direction the country was taking in terms of providing social services.

“President Banda who is supposed to be in charge of running the affairs of this country, has failed the people completely. I am one of those leaders who are fully involved with the people at the grassroot and I see people’s suffering everyday. The health sector is not doing well as it should, educational provision is poor and people continue to be denied these services which they need so much,” Fr Mwewa said.

“I can honestly tell you that every day we receive an average of 10 people coming to seek material help from our offices. I do not even know if the social welfare department still exists. I say so because this is one branch of government that should provide some social services to the people. It all points to lack of serious planning from this government. We don’t even know if there is a governance programme that they follow because all we see is a country retarding.”

Fr Mwewa said President Banda was busy consolidating his hold on power at the expense of providing social services.

“What we have seen is the President aligning himself to people who toe his line. He cannot listen to those with opposing views; he thinks they are his enemies. We have also seen him create political alliances with people who have questionable characters, all in the hope of wining the 2011 election. In the end, the majority poor Zambians continue to suffer because this government can’t provide them with clean water. There are no proper medical facilities and the roads are terrible,” he said.

“I grew up on the Copperbelt and sometimes one would cry upon seeing the state of Mufulira where I grew up. President Banda has contributed more to poverty than to development. He flew around the country with the body of late president Levy Mwanawasa seeking the people’s vote. And even after getting it in questionable circumstances, he can’t deliver anything to the same people. Where is he taking this country so that people can follow him properly?”

Fr Mwewa said President Banda should not get offended when people mention his name because he is the one in charge of national affairs. He observed that where there was no proper planning, the country could collapse.

“He is in charge of government and he should know this. Zambia is not like MMD where he is acting president. In Zambia he is Republican President, meaning he is fully responsible for everybody’s welfare. It is unhealthy to have a President who has no clear plan for the country he governs. And when people question this he becomes reactive and calls them all sorts of names. We need a clear plan about the future of this country. The MMD has no monopoly of intelligence and if they can’t provide a plan let them give room to others,” he said.

And Fr Mwewa has challenged Vice-President George Kunda to explain his sudden change of heart towards former president Frederick Chiluba.

He said Vice-President Kunda had become a shame to the nation because of his unprofessional conduct.

“George Kunda is a shame to this nation. He spent three months in England gathering evidence against Chiluba using the taxpayers’ money. When he came back he told us that there was overwhelming evidence that Chiluba looted Zambians’ money. And today just because Mwanawasa is no longer there, George Kunda is telling us that Chiluba is a clean man; shame on him!” said Fr Mwewa.