Maravi

Masebo cautions PF against repeating MMD's mistakes

Masebo cautions PF against repeating MMD's mistakes
By Mwala Kalaluka
Fri 16 Dec. 2011, 13:59 CAT

SYLVIA Masebo says the PF administration should never repeat the MMD government's folly of shooting down any sensible motion by the opposition in Parliament because that is bad governance.

And works minister Yamfwa Mukanga says Tanzania-Zambia Railways' underperformance can be attributed to failure by the Council of Ministers to regularly meet and direct the board.

Masebo, who is Chongwe PF parliamentarian, made the caution during debate on a private member's motion moved by Solwezi Central MMD parliamentarian, Lucky Mulusa, who urged the government to undertake a Funded Integrated Urban Development Approach in areas with increased socio-economic activities.

Masebo said during the Rupiah Banda administration, even straightforward motions that made sense were shot down.

"We don't want to do what the previous government was doing," said Masebo as Kalabo Central UPND parliamentarian Chinga Miyutu, through a point of order, questioned Masebo's blaming of a government she was part of.

However, National Assembly Speaker Dr Patrick Matibini ruled that Masebo was in order because she was debating policies of the previous government.

Masebo said what Mulusa was urging the PF government to do was "what it was doing already".

"We are here to debate, to exchange views, to educate each other," Masebo said.

"Let us be different from the previous administration, to be more specific, the Banda administration."

Masebo said former Republican vice-president George Kunda, as leader of government business in the House then used to write notes to MMD parliamentarians to shoot down any motion MMD did not want.

Masebo said she recalls that the leader of government business in the House wrote a note to MMD parliamentarians to shoot down a motion on government statistics which she moved together with an MMD minister.

"I hope you will not be that bad where you fail to see the logic of these motions," Masebo told the PF frontbench.

"To get busy for nothing and write a note to say 'shoot it down' when there is nothing to shoot down! I want to remind my colleagues not to repeat the mistakes of the other side who thought they were going to be there forever."

In his motion that was subsequently passed by the House, Mulusa urged the PF government to embrace the proposition in order to ensure that existing public infrastructure and amenities in the targeted settlements are not put under strain.
UPND Choma Central parliamentarian, Cornelius Mweetwa who seconded the motion, said development must be planned, funded and managed.

"It cannot just happen on its own," said Mweetwa.

Wrapping up the debate, local government minister Professor Nkandu Luo said the motion would not be passed in the manner it had been presented.

She said the development approach needed to be extended to rural areas as well.
Prof. Luo said this was part of the PF government's resolve to promote an integral mode of development that catered for the whole country.

And responding to questions from parliamentarians on the status of TAZARA, Mukanga said the government had engaged two consultants and constituted an independent taskforce to look at issues affecting the joint venture company.

Mukanga said the consultants were expected to submit their report in March 2012 whilst the taskforce had already submitted theirs.

"The operating cost has also progressively increased," Mukanga said. "Here the true picture is that net losses have been experienced in the last three years."

He said while the Tanzanian government had been able to halve its statutory obligation arrears to US$16 million from US$36 million, the amount for Zambia still remained the same.

Labels: MMD, PF, POLITICS, SYLVIA MASEBO, YAMFWA MUKANGA

posted by MrK @ 4:15 PM