Maravi

Zambia’s future bleak, observes MUZ chief

Zambia’s future bleak, observes MUZ chief
By Misheck Wangwe
Sun 28 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT

MINEWORKERS Union of Zambia (MUZ) says the country's future looks bleak because the MMD government has continued to discard progressive laws.

In an interview, MUZ president Rayford Mbulu said it was disheartening that the government under President Rupiah Banda had continued to tamper with critical laws that could enhance development and good governance.

Mbulu said it would be ultimate betrayal for President Banda to assent to the revised ACC Act because selfish parliamentarians had made it ineffective by removing the abuse of office clause.

“It is regrettable that government wants to encourage outright theft. The ruling MMD wants to hold on to power by making weird decisions and killing progressive laws. There is no justification why they pushed for the removal of the abuse of office clause,” Mbulu said.

He said it was clear that there was rampant corruption in the country and once the new ACC Act comes into force, many sectors would collapse. Mbulu said it was also clear to the mineworkers union that the government had not prioritised the fight against corruption.

He said it was sad that some trade unionists were supporting the removal of the abuse of office clause from the ACC Act.

“This shows how corrupt we have become as a nation. We need to fight this vice because if we don’t the country would collapse. We have integrity to protect as a people and the abuse of office clause is a deterrent of corruption and should be reinstated in the ACC Act,” Mbulu said.

He said the labour movement was expected to fight archaic laws such as the minimum wage and not the progressive laws.

He said the government’s failure to reintroduce windfall tax for the mining sector was an indication of lack of seriousness and commitment to national development.

Mbulu said the national budget was always in deficit because the government was fighting its own progressive laws such as the windfall tax that could increase revenue to the treasury.

He said it was not possible for mineworkers in the country to trust the government because it lacked seriousness on matters of development and good governance.

Mbulu said the mineworkers union had joined calls for the enactment of the fifty per cent plus one clause for the winning presidential candidate before next year’s elections because it would enhance democracy.

Mbulu said the wishes of the people who spoke through the Mung’omba draft constitution must be respected.

Labels: ACC, MUZ, RAYFORD MBULU

posted by MrK @ 4:45 PM