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Nawakwi cautions Mambilima on UPG

Nawakwi cautions Mambilima on UPG
By Roy Habaalu and Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 22 Aug. 2011, 15:10 CAT

EDITH Nawakwi says justice Irene Mambilima should own up and rise to the occasion over the Universal Print Group (UPG) issue. During a Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post held at the Lusaka Playhouse on Thursday, Nawakwi said should there be violence after elections, ECZ and justice Mambilima would be blamed.

She said the issue of corruption and bribery about UPG, coupled with any delay in announcing results, might result in mayhem. Nawakwi said justice Mambilima should call for a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss and resolve the UPG issue.

She said it was embarrassing that Zambia was the only country where important national matters could not be discussed among its citizens.

“Justice Mambilima is holding the key. She should never think or even think that she can behave the way she behaved in 2008 to pretend that there were boxes in Namushakande which were coming when in fact not,”
Nawakwi said.

“Whoever is responsible (over the UPG issue), and I beg them, we don’t want post-election conflicts. We do not want to find ourselves outside the borders of this country,” she said.

And Nawakwi said her party would focus on decentralising power in order to get rid of corruption in the public sector.

She said centralisation of powers was what had led to high poverty levels and corruption in the public sector.

Nawakwi said decentralisation would see money going to the districts and decisions will be at local level.

“In our manifesto, to move this country forward, we need a strong and vibrant private sector and this is clearly stated in our manifesto,” Nawakwi said.
She said the exclusion of Zambians form the mainstream economy was what had created poverty.

Nawakwi cited Levy Business Park as an example, where 80 per cent of tenants are foreigners.

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, IRENE MAMBILIMA, VOTERIGGING

posted by MrK @ 9:36 PM