Maravi

PF government will be inclusive in its operations - Sata

PF government will be inclusive in its operations - Sata
By Ernest Chanda
Wed 21 Dec. 2011, 13:59 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata says the appointment of opposition members of parliament to government portfolios is not meant to deplete the opposition in Parliament. Swearing in four deputy ministers and three permanent secretaries yesterday, Sata said his government would continue to be inclusive in its operations.

"We have to explain to the nation that the move is a deliberate gesture to be inclusive, whether there are people in Mufumbwe who don't like Mr. Masumba. I've been in the campaign for 10 years, and what I've said against others if they had time to repeat what I've said; if Mr. Masumba called me satanist that was the game of the day. He was campaigning against me," he said.

"But now today if he can't win them he has joined us. The balance of the opposition in the House still remains formidable enough to keep government in check. Our government is not and will never be preoccupied with larger numbers in Parliament. This is because we will not take to the House laws or measures that are partisan. Everything we will take to Parliament we will have consensus from the Zambian people. And we will always have the sole purpose of facilitating their interests."

Of the four deputy ministers, three are from the opposition MMD whose National Executive Committee complained on Saturday about its members being poached by PF.

Kanyama PF member of parliament Gerry Chanda was sworn in as Lusaka Province minister while Lumezi MMD parliamentarian Isaac Banda becomes mines deputy minister.

Others are Ikelenge MMD member of parliament Elijah Muchima for lands, his Mufumbwe counterpart Stephen Masumba for local government, and Mwansabombwe PF member of parliament Rodgers Mwewa as Copperbelt deputy minister.

And President Sata demanded discipline from ministers.

He said there was a lot of absenteeism among ministers from parliamentary business.

"I have observed with disquiet and displeasure the low levels of discipline amongst ministers and deputy ministers as regards their presence in Parliament. This is not only a wakeup call but a final one," said President Sata.

"On my part I will only authorise travel outside the country when the House is sitting in very exceptional circumstances. It is also timely and expedient for me to advise the ministers not to make statements in Parliament or outside which have policy content if not approved by Cabinet."

And President Sata swore in three permanent secretaries namely; Mirriam Chinyama for education, Dr Abraham Mwenda for finance and George Zulu for lands.

Meanwhile, President Sata has appealed to the judiciary to ensure that people received justice from the institution.

Speaking after swearing in four High Court judges, President Sata observed that most of the people in custody were innocent.

He said such people were suffering because they were too poor to afford legal representation.

"The current administration of the judiciary would like to take justice to the people but there are constraints. We have a limited number of courts. I was in prison for 40 days. The majority of people in prison are innocent and the majority of them are poor people because they have no legal representation. But you people who are being appointed today you are judges of peace, and as judges of peace you have more power, to try and correct what's going on," President Sata said.

"The last time we had a judge's intervention was when former judge Kabazo Chanda released some people who were abnormally remanded in prison. And I hope that with all the constraints you have, maybe we can see if we can do something."

President Sata swore in Dominic Sichinga, Chalwe Mchenga, Mubanga Kondolo and Nicola Sharp-Phiri as High Court judges.

Labels: GERRY CHANDA, MICHAEL SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:31 PM