MMD is taking advantage of the poor - CSPR

MMD is taking advantage of the poor - CSPR
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sun 08 May 2011, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda’s government is taking advantage of the poor in rural areas by promising things they have failed to provide in the last 20 years of MMD’s rule, says Partner Siabutuba.

Siabutuba, who is Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) board chairman, said in an interview that MMD should stop capitalising on the suffering of the majority Zambians which it inflicted on them by making failed and empty promises of development.

Siabutuba said this year called for serious reflection for Zambians on the need to install a proper management that will govern the affairs and resources of the country.

“To a great extent MMD has taken advantage of the poor by going to rural areas and promising things, the same things that they have failed to provide in the 20 years that they have been in power,” Siabutuba said.

He said the government should instead apologise to Zambians for the poverty and suffering that it subjected them to for a long time.

He observed that President Banda was going round to initiate and promise various projects in a bid to woo votes from the poor majority, an act he described as desperate.

“I think that’s an act of desperation. What we need is a proper management in place to govern the affairs of this country,” Siabutuba said.

“We have talked about the need for this government to get serious with the fight against corruption. It has not listened. Zambians continue to be denied of their natural resources. This government has failed to heed the wishes of Zambians on the constitution, the removal of the abuse of office, the acquittal of plunderers and the procurement of mobile hospitals . This government has also failed to re-introduce the windfall tax. All these things have fallen on deaf ears.”

Siabutuba urged Zambians not to just take whatever promises they were given but to judge politicians on their experience.

Last week, chief Chisunka said people in Luapula Province are not seeing the developmental achievements President Banda’s government claims to be delivering.

In an interview, chief Chisunka said people were just hearing about the development but had not seen it. He said there was too much unemployment in places like Mansa.

“When they bring development people should be employed. Right now there is nothing. It is just some private investors who are operating what we may term illegal mines. Let them government put one mining plant here in Luapula. There are many precious metals like Manganese but people are not processing anything because of lack of electricity,” said chief Chisunka.