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It’s madness for Rupiah to hike fuel prices – Nawakwi

It’s madness for Rupiah to hike fuel prices – Nawakwi
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 16 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT

FDD president Edith Nawakwi yesterday charged that it is utter madness on the part of President Rupiah Banda’s government to hike fuel prices in the middle of the farming season.

Commenting on the Energy Regulation Board's 15 percent hike in fuel, Nawakwi said she had been justified over her assertions that President Banda is incompetent.

"Mashilufye they are just mad people. Fifteen per cent? How can you describe that in January, with farmers running around, rains short, plus the fuel shortages of October and November? The farmers never got fertiliser and didn't plant on time because of the October and November shortages that were created by this government, there is no way to describe this other than outright madness, sheer madness on the part of President Banda's government," Nawakwi said.

"They are hiking prices, and the President is watching football. Basically there is no seriousness, it doesn't matter how much you talk about them, they won't change."

Nawakwi said it was sad that the people's genuine frustrations were being taken for insults, and some were being threatened with beatings for advising the President correctly.

"Does this MMD have a new dictionary of insults, because as far as I know if I say that President Banda is incompetent, it's not abuse. That is describing how incapable the President is in delivering the people's needs, like in this particular case the price hike. That simply indicates that somebody's leadership is incompetent," Nawakwi said.

"You don't just get a price hike today, and if you get a price hike in Armsteddam or Rotterdam, immediately that is translated into price hike in kwacha, on Nakonde. It doesn't work like that. Shipments take up to about 90 days to 120 days to come here, so we shouldn't in fact see a price hike immediately. We could see a price hike in four to six months time."

Nawakwi said even Zimbabwe, which was grappling with sanctions had cheaper fuel and never experienced an increment like in the case of Zambia.

"They Zimbabweans have told us that they want 1.5 million tonnes of maize and they are working hard at it, and here we are going to be hungry next year. Here in Nakonde, the fuel is not seen, and the price is K8000 per litre, meaning the poorer you are in this country, the more difficult it is to survive," she said.

Nawakwi said President Banda's activities just went to show the nation and the world that he was incompetent.

"As far as I know, the dictionary doesn't describe the word incompetent as an insult. It simply describes the inability of an individual to do something. If he is a cobbler, he can't shine shoes...if he is a President, he can't preside. That is called incompetence," Nawakwi said.

"In civilised continents, you heard President Obama say that the failings of the homeland security ended up at his desk, that's how civilised people behave. But in Africa the incompetence of a Minister of Energy is his own failing, it is not the President...I mean, what his excellency Chilufya Michael Sata said on the issue of fuel is not different from what her excellency Edith Nawakwi said."

Nawakwi said President Banda and his colleagues had run amok to abuse public resources to unprecedented levels t in the history of Zambia.

"Their performance has no weight but just sheer madness," she said.
Nawakwi revealed that government was in the process of awarding a contract for the collection of government revenue at the border posts to a company that had already shown incompetence.

"They want to put a new system which is like the one in DRC where tracks are x-rayed at the border. Now ask him, 'Mr. President who do you want this contract awarded to?' Let him answer, and let these MMD puppets tell us who their President will award this contract to?" Nawakwi said.

"So these issues will hurt my President forever, it doesn't matter how well he looks, how well he says nachitanji what have I done?"

Nawakwi said President Banda was governing the country in such a mediocre manner because he never suffered for the nation. She said President Banda had no vision for the nation.

"This is nothing but isambo lyamfwa. He never suffered for MMD, he inherited, and therefore he doesn't care where the MMD ends up. That is what we say isambo lyamfwa. He doesn't care whether we die or survive as a country, and these things happen traditionally where you leave an administrator, they don't understand how you built that house, they can even auction it the next day," said Nawakwi.

"Ba Rupiah nimpyani, that is why he doesn't care about his own party. He didn't fight for MMD in 1991, he was on retirement, and for him it is just time, and this is why Zambians are suffering. This will go on until somebody else who understands how to run the country takes over.

"That is why some of us thought he was a bridge, bridge not to freedom and prosperity, but bridge, just to bridge the gap while we have tears on our face. But let Zambians be patient, 2011 is near."

Labels: CORRUPTION, EDITH NAWAKWI, FUEL, OIL, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:00 AM