Maravi

Sata mocks inexperienced politicians

Sata mocks inexperienced politicians
By Ernest Chanda and Tilyenji Mwanza
Wed 11 July 2012, 14:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has bemoaned the growth of inexperienced political leadership in the country. President Sata said most of the people who wanted to assume national leadership had no record of leadership. He said this after swearing in newly-appointed tourism and arts minister Sylvia Masebo and Chawama member of parliament Edgar Lungu as home affairs minister.

"Zambia at the moment has a problem. The problem we have in Zambia is we have people without any experience; people without any background come from nowhere," he said.

"They steal money from Luanshya, steal money from Lima Bank, steal money from Kagem, steal money from InterContinental, steal money in Canada and they come and say they want to rule you. But all of you who have come today you have been cadres in your fields. You have started from a long way and you have grown up to be where you are."

President Sata said it was important to have some experience before assuming national leadership roles.

Also sworn in were Dr Ronald Msiska as deputy secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Velepi Mtonga as permanent secretary in the Public Service Management Division, and Pamela Chibonga as permanent secretary in charge of budget and economic affairs in the Ministry of Finance.

President Sata also swore in Felix Nkulukusa as permanent secretary in charge of economic management and finance at the Ministry of Finance.

President Sata has also elevated four lawyers to the level of State Counsel; namely Dr John Mulwila, Mukande Mwikisa, Emmanuel Mwansa and Mwila Chitabo.
On the new home affairs minister, Lungu, President Sata urged him to speed up the process of creating offices of district attorneys.

"We have so many potholes in the Ministry of Home Affairs. In the PF manifesto we want to decentralise prosecution by creating District Attorneys. Because 48 years of independence, those with money are properly prosecuted those without money there's no justice. Let's give justice to the people. Don't blame my policemen; because in the absence of the law they'll do what they are supposed to do," he said.

And President Sata urged Masebo to promote the country's tourism industry.
Meanwhile, President Sata's special assistant for press and public relations George Chellah clarified later that the head of state had not dropped any Cabinet minister.

This followed speculation that the President had dropped former home affairs minister Kennedy Sakeni.
"Hon Kennedy Sakeni has moved to information, he's the new information minister; Shamenda retains the labour portfolio, then Lubinda retains the foreign affairs portfolio. So, nobody has been dismissed," said Chellah.

But MMD president Nevers Mumba said he was concerned by what he termed the inconsistencies and populist actions of President Sata's government.
From the previous 18, there are now 20 ministries, three short of the previous MMD government's 23.

Mumba warned that if it were not careful, the PF government would fall into the failures of MMD.

"My argument is on the fact that not too long ago, we had the ministry of foreign affairs and we also had a ministry of tourism. Mr Sata came in a populist manner and said I'm going to reduce ministries, so we can reduce on the expenditure on government. So he combined tourism and foreign affairs as a populist movement to applaud him for the promise he made," Mumba said.

"Now today he has disbanded them again and taken them back to what they were. The question we are asking is, what is going on? Doesn't he know that he is eroding confidence and trust from the Zambian people?

These are our concerns. This government seems to be inconsistent, and continues to be populist. Today they put ministries together to reduce them, tomorrow they expand them again."

Mumba said the government would end up having more ministers and deputy ministers than MMD had.

"We are not fighting them. We are just warning them that the trend they have started is the trend that could make them end up with more ministries than they can afford as a government," said Mumba.

"Whichever the case, whether MMD had more this is how it starts. With a desire to give people jobs that were promised you are going to be forced to create more ministries and this is not the end of it. It's not good for them and it's not good for their reputation and it is not good for Zambians when they feel that the same things they fought in the last government are the same things they continue to perpetuate and do more."

But economic consultant Professor Oliver Saasa said the creation of two new ministries was a wise decision.

He said although there could be cost implications, they might be minimal.
"Tourism is a very strategic economic ministry and if you give it the attention it deserves, it can do better than mines. Inundating one person with two ministries was an oversight, so I'm glad that the head of state has acted. Government should make foreign affairs as an economic conduit for creating foreign investment," said Prof Saasa.

"On labour, I think issues of labour are very complicated. Right now we don't have a labour policy, so it standing as an independent ministry is a good thing."

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 8:13 PM