Mediocrity in our foreign missions
By Editor
Tue 03 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
Request Muntanga, Kalomo UPND member of parliament, says "there should be a fairest minimum standard set for those going into diplomatic service so that the country can get proper representation".
And Jack Mwiimbu, Monze Central UPND member of parliament, says "professionalism in the public service should be promoted".
No one can sensibly argue against what Request and Jack are saying. Without professionalism in the public service, government will not function efficiently, effectively and in an orderly manner.
It cannot be denied that, as Jack observes, "those posted in foreign service also lack credentials. As a result, staffing in foreign missions is mediocre". This needs to be corrected. And this can be corrected if there is a desire to do so.
The practice of sending unqualified relatives, friends and ruling party cadres to diplomatic missions started more than two decades ago. Attempts to make foreign service postings professional failed. People were trained for many months at NIPA with the hope of them going into foreign service. Very few of such NIPA graduates are in our foreign service today. What is needed for them to go into our foreign service doesn't seem to be professional qualifications but personal connections. They should either be relatives or friends of highly placed people in government and the ruling party. This qualification is not an easy one for everyone to get. You can't choose your relatives, you are simply born into a family without choice. And there is a limit to how much access one can have towards certain people to make them one's friends. Even among party cadres, only a few manage to have direct access to the key leadership. In general, there is little merit in the way people are selected for posting to the foreign service.
As a result, people with no abilities or skills to do the jobs required of a foreign service officer are the ones employed as such. It is good for these unemployed citizens, but it is certainly not good for the country and it doesn't serve the common good of all.
Diplomatic missions are very important for a country that wants to move forward, to make progress and improve the lives of its people.
When Zambian diplomats negotiate a treaty, attend a state dinner, or arrange a visa for a traveller to Zambia, they all have the same mission - to represent the interests and policies of Zambia.
An ambassador is the President's highest-ranking representative to a specific nation or international organisation abroad. An effective ambassador has to be a strong leader - a good manager, a resilient negotiator and a respected representative of Zambia. A key role of an ambassador is to coordinate the activities not only of the foreign service officers and staff serving under him, but also representatives of other Zambian institutions in the country.
Therefore, this calls for professional, well-trained diplomats who can effectively and efficiently represent Zambia's interests abroad under the direction of the ambassador. This also calls for foreign service officers who are capable of listening to and observing what is going on in the host country, analyse it and report to the ambassador and Lusaka. This demands the posting to our foreign missions of officers or staff who are able to understand or appreciate in a more sensitive manner the needs of other countries and their people.
Given these responsibilities, those we post to our foreign missions should have the necessary skills needed by these jobs. Some of the officers or staff should be very well versed in economic matters and be able to negotiate new trade laws and deals. We also need officers who are action-oriented "go-to" leaders responsible for all embassy operations from real estate to people, to budget.
This is a political relation requiring good political officers in our embassies who can keep the ambassador up to date on the political events and changes occurring in the country. And these being diplomatic missions in itself calls for officers with skills in public diplomacy to build mutual understanding and support for Zambia's policies by reaching directly to publics in foreign countries working with the media and all manner of people-to-people exchange.
Our embassies also need people who are well trained in consular duties and whose primary job is assisting and protecting Zambian citizens abroad. If you lose your passport, find yourself in trouble with the law, or want to get married to a foreigner overseas, our consular officers should be able to help you. Consular officers also issue visas to non-Zambian citizens who wish to travel, work, study or live in Zambia. This requires some reasonable knowledge of consular duties. If we send people who have no understanding of these issues, we should expect a poor service in this regard.
And due to the high level of interaction between countries in our interconnected world of today, professional diplomatic officers are needed in each country to aid in and allow such interactions to occur.
As we have already stated, our diplomatic missions handle very important issues on behalf of our government and our people. And as such, a lot of attention should be paid to the quality of officers and staff posted to these missions. The embassy is responsible for representing the whole country abroad and handling major diplomatic issues, such as preserving the rights of citizens abroad. The ambassador is the highest official in the embassy and acting as the chief diplomat and spokesperson for our country. This certainly calls for certain qualities that cannot be ignored if good representation is what we are looking for.
We, therefore, need diplomats who are capable of efficiently and effectively representing our country in the host country; protecting the interests of our country and its citizens in the country they are serving in; negotiating with the government of the host country; accurately and intelligently monitoring and reporting on conditions and developments in the commercial, economic, cultural and scientific relations between the host country and our country. These are not easy tasks. They require certain levels of experience and education. And if we really want to do well as a country, we have to change the way we appoint people to diplomatic postings.
We do appreciate the fact that things have been wrong for a long time and a culture of doing things the wrong way has taken root. But this is a revolutionary government out to change many wrong entrenched practices. And as such, this wrong approach to the staffing of our diplomatic missions should be stopped by this government and not perpetrated by it. Therefore, the observations made by Request and Jack deserve very favourable consideration.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Muntanga advises govt to encourage winter maize growing
By Henry Sinyangwe
Tue 16 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
THE inconsistencies in agricultural policies explain a lack of focus on the question of food security for the country, says Kalomo Central member of parliament Request Muntanga.
And Muntanga has advised the government to support the growing of winter maize in view of the projected poor harvest.
He said it was dangerous to have inconsistencies in the agriculture sector which was Zambia's potential area of growth.
Agriculture minister Robert Sichinga recently banned exports of maize and other related products before home affairs Edgar Lungu lifted the ban.
"The inconsistency of today you are banning exports, tomorrow you are lifting shows that someone somewhere does not know what quantities of maize is held in the country at any one time. It tells us that there is no focus to tell us how much as we holding as food reserve," Muntanga said in an interview yesterday.
"There are so many things you have to put in place. Whether the one who lifted the ban on exports has enough information why he did that or whether there is fear from the one who effected the ban that the stocks are low. So the two ministers should reconcile their difference for the sake of the country. There should not be inconstancy from government on the issues of agriculture."
Muntanga said the dilemma showed the lack of focus on ensuring food security.
He said 50 per cent of the crop had failed hence the need to put in place measures to cushion the looming hunger.
"It is something that should be decided having known what harvesting we are going to have this year. In the field, the situation is bad; 50 per cent of the crop has failed, in areas like Sesheke, it is a total loss. You can place Southern Province at 30-60 per cent loss. Those who planted early have got some maize," Muntanga said.
He said importing maize after three years of bumper harvests would dent the image of the current PF government.
"Because of the poor harvest pending, government should support the winter maize. They should support farmers with irrigation facilities to grow the hectarage of what would be the shortfall. If we start importing maize now, having come from excess production and export by the MMD for three years consecutively, it play very badly n the new government. It will show that there is no seriousness to agriculture," said Muntanga.
Labels: MAIZE, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Lubinda relates well with us - UPND
By Allan Mulenga, Mukosha Funga and Roy Habaalu
Sun 16 Dec. 2012, 14:00 CAT
UPND members of parliament will continue enjoying a cordial relationship with Given Lubinda, says party deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa.
In an interview, Mweetwa, who is also Choma Central UPND member of parliament, said there was no way the PF could halt the long standing relationship with their fellow member of parliament.
"In terms of our relationship as members of parliament with Honourable Lubinda, this issue will not change our relationship because, for goodness sake, Given Lubinda and many of us share personal relationship that we cultivated way before even PF came into existence," he said.
"So, there is no way that we are going to stop because honourable Lubinda has been accused of collaborating with us and we start running away from him or he must be running away from us!"
Mweetwa said it was not a secret that Lubinda related well with UPND members of parliament.
"For the people like me, we are very close with Lubinda and it is not a secret. I went as far as telling people in my maiden speech that honourable Lubinda is the one who paid K400,000 nomination fees for me to contest as UPND deputy spokesperson three days after I left university.
So how can I change my personal relationship with him? No, we will not change," said Mweetwa.
And Kalomo Central member of parliament Request Muntanga dismissed as nonsense reports that he has been collaborating with Lubinda in discrediting the government.
Patriotic Front members of parliament have accused foreign affairs minister Lubinda of collaborating with the opposition to discredit the government.
Muntanga said he does not need Lubinda to effectively debate national matters in Parliament.
In an interview from Tanzania, Muntanga said he had nothing to do with Lubinda, whatsoever.
Muntanga said in Parliament he queried why the ZAWA board which was recently dissolved by tourism minister Sylvia Masebo, was constituted.
"The law says that the board will be the one running the day-to-day business on behalf of Zawa and that was the line I was questioning, period! The next time I questioned was the allocation of K1.5 billion to the office of the first lady. Again, it has nothing to do with Lubinda, it was from a newspaper cutting where the first lady said the money she received was for salaries.
I was questioning how come because the people she's working with are already taken care of by State House. Do you think something like that I need to be pumped brains by somebody?" he said. "It's total rubbish, total nonsense. If they are scared of Lubinda for something else that's their problem, it has nothing to do with me."
Muntanga said he raised points of order because he believed in something, not that he was being used by anyone.
The PF has accused Lubinda of treachery and has given him seven days within which to exculpate himself over the allegations that he had been collaborating with opposition members of parliament to discredit the government.
Labels: CORNELIUS MWEETWA, GIVEN LUBINDA, PF, REQUEST MUNTANGA, UPND
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Muntanga accuses PF ministers of 'fighting' over contracts
By Kabanda Chulu
Fri 05 Oct. 2012, 15:00 CAT
KALOMO UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga has accused some PF ministers of 'fighting' to acquire contracts to enrich themselves contrary to President Michael Sata's guidance that service delivery should be a priority.
And Kasenengwa MMD member of parliament Victoria Kalima said the government had failed to fight corruption due to increase in abuses of office such as having ministers being driven in security convoys.
Making contributions to the Presidential address to Parliament on Wednesday, Muntanga compared some government ministers to a person who had been asked to feed a child with porridge but decided to eat it.
"We know you are fighting over contracts to enrich yourselves, the President said deliver first and this is why he has taken over RDA because he fears wrongdoing amongst you, who are failing to carry out zero-tolerance on corruption," Muntanga said.
Then Shiwang'andu PF member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo, who is also home affairs deputy minister, rose on a point of order, asking whether Muntanga was right to suggest that ministers were stealing.
But Speaker Matibini ruled that Muntanga was giving general advice against wrongdoing.
And Muntanga continued, saying there was need to see tangible results through implementation of action-oriented programmes that would enhance livelihoods.
"For example, under MMD we saw agriculture recording some growth to result in maize bumper harvest and we look forward to see President Sata fulfilling his promises of improving mining in Kalomo and building a university in Gwembe," said Muntanga.
Kalima claimed Zambia under the PF government was a patient in intensive care unit.
"People want to see implementation and not rhetoric on establishing 650 health posts and industrial clusters and there is no need to borrow US$ 750 million Eurobond because these funds could have been raised locally through mining windfall tax but advocates of this idea are called lunatics.
But I challenge government to do a study and determine which is beneficial to Zambia between windfall tax and mineral royalties then we shall know who is a lunatic between them and I."
At this point, Speaker Patrick Matibini advised against using words such as 'lunatic' because a member of parliament was honourable and could not be a 'lunatic.'
Kalima continued and further accused the PF government of having failed to 'fit' in the shoes of MMD in fighting corruption and cited various abuses ranging from tenders to procure crude oil, military recruitment, fertiliser support programme tenders and procurement of Zesco transmission poles.
"We didn't hear comments from government, not even from President Sata and yet top government officials are involved," she said.
Then Bahati PF member of parliament Harry Kalaba, who is also minister in the Vice-President's Office, rose on a point of order, whether Kalima was in order to debate without facts.
Speaker Matibini ruled that members of parliament should avoid personalising issues.
"We know you are all in political competition but let us be factual in debates to avoid blanket statements and negative generalisation which is not fair," he said.
Nevertheless, Kalima continued debating and said several abuses of office were happening under PF government.
"We supported re-introduction of the abuse of office clause but it should not be meant for the opposition since the PF will be on this side (opposition) again," said Kalima.
Labels: CORRUPTION, PF, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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No windfall tax, Chikwanda restates
TIME PUBLISHED - Thursday, December 1, 2011, 9:08 am
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda
FINANCE Minister Alexander Chikwanda has reiterated that it would be unwise for the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to reintroduce the windfall tax when metal prices on the international market are unstable and visibly trending downwards.
And Parliament last evening approved the K48 billion allocated in this year’s Budget to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) with Kalomo Member of Parliament (MP) Request Muntanga (UPND) urging the House to increase the K2 billion reserved for by-elections.
Concluding the policy debate on the estimates of expenditure for 2012 in Parliament on Tuesday evening, Mr Chikwanda expressed disappointment that former MMD ministers that abolished the windfall tax were now championing its re-introduction.
He told the House that the PF Government was very responsible, dignified and had the full mandate of the people of Zambia and as such would not play to the gallery and act impulsively just because someone was advocating the re- introduction of windfall tax.
The minister said it was extremely important to understand that the measures he had announced in the 2012 Budget address would ensure that the Government got some revenues while the “cow that produces the milk” was left to survive. “It would, therefore, be unwise for the Government to introduce windfall tax when metal prices are unstable and are now visibly trending downwards.
“It is for this reason that I am disappointed by our colleagues who were in Government yesterday and abolished the windfall tax; but are now calling for its re-introduction. Are they really being genuine, constructive and patriotic?,” he wondered. He said the former MMD leaders were not being objective in their debates on windfall tax and were being unpatriotic because their debates were not bordering on stability of investment, ensuring workers security of tenure and facilitating sustainable mobilisation of resources.
“Mr Speaker, allow me to talk about our extremely limited fiscal space or the resource envelop. Against overwhelming legitimate demands by our people all over the country, aBudget of K27 trillion or US $5.5 billion is just a tiny drop in the ocean.
“In the developed countries, our National Budget cannot even cover the annual expenditures of single big universities. Our economy was left by the previous Government at an exceedingly low ebb. The shanty compounds in which the majority of our citizens in urban habitats live have inadequate necessities such as water, sanitation and electricity,” he stressed.
He told the House that Zambian villages in far flung areas had barely seen any development and were even condemned to perpetual neglect and abandonment with rural poverty at over 77%.
“In the midst of all this, the previous Government maintained a budget that was largely targeting consumption in the public service at the expense of poverty reduction and infrastructure development nationwide. This sums up the immensity of the challenge we face collectively as leaders,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda however, hailed the support the Budget received but regretted that most brilliant ideas could not be embodied in the 2012 estimates. The Government would, however, consider the ideas in subsequent fiscal years.
On concerns raised on PAYE, the minister noted that the figure of about 80,000 which he discussed in his speech related to workers who earn between K12 million and K24 million per year and would, therefore, not be liable to PAYE.
“This figure is also in addition to about 112,000 workers who are already not paying PAYE because they earn K12 million per year or less. This means that if you add 80, 000 employees to the already existing 112, 000 employees who are off the PAYE tax roll, then more than 192, 000 workers who are in formal employment will be off the PAYE tax roll,” he said.
He explained that the balance of 500,000 formal sector employees who are in higher income brackets would also benefit because they would actually not be subjected to PAYE for up to the first K24 million of their total annual earnings.
“The way the tax bands have been realigned will entail more benefit for tax payers. This is true empowerment and more money in the pocket of our citizens.
Mr Speaker, the explanation above has demonstrated how our tax package concessions will yield K1 trillion extra disposable income for all workers that earn taxable incomes,” he noted. The minister noted that he would see how he could address concerns on calls to increase Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Mr Muntanga in supporting the Budget allocation for the ECZ told the House that the K2 billion reserved for possible by-elections was not enough owing to the more than 50 petitions before the courts of law which could result into a mini-general elections if nullifications occurred.
[Times of Zambia]
Labels: MINING, REQUEST MUNTANGA, TAXATION, WINDFALL TAX
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COMMENT - I know a better suggestion - stop bleeding the people of their money and start taxing the mines. Also, if there is a road tax, they should pay most of it, because they are doing most of the damage.
Govt to increase road tax by 50%
By Mutale Kapekele
Sat 20 Nov. 2010, 04:04 CAT
THE road traffic (amendment) bill which seeks to increase road tax by 50 per cent next year has passed second reading in Parliament. Moving the motion on the bill on Thursday, finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane said once the bill became law, the government would increase its domestic revenue for road construction and maintenance.
Dr Musokotwane said the country needed good roads to prosper and it was not enough to rely on donor funds to finance the sector. Currently, light vehicles and heavy-duty trucks are paying K180,000 and K1,499,940 per year respectively. Once the bill passes into law, light vehicles will pay K270,000 while heavy duty trucks will pay K2,249,910.
However, several members of parliament expressed reservations at the increase, which is expected to be implemented on January 1, 2011.
Debating the bill, Lukulu East parliamentarian Batuke Imenda, who chairs the committee on transport, observed that the proposed road tax increase was too high, especially for light vehicle owners as they were not responsible for the wear and tear of the roads.
He said if applied, public service transport fares would increase and burden the already over-charged passengers.
Imenda said his committee interviewed several people on the matter and they recommended that tollgates be introduced to collect tax from heavy trucks as a way of raising revenue for the roads.
Kalomo member of parliament Request Muntanga said it was not fair for the government to allow heavy-duty trucks to pass on Zambian roads for free.
“The heavy-duty trucks from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana are the ones destroying our roads but are paying nothing as they travel to Lumwana mine,” Muntanga said.
“Why don’t we put tollgates on our roads? These trucks are destroying the whole road from Livingstone to Solwezi. We could collect money from these road destroyers by simply applying the law. Why don’t you government want to collect money?”
Muntanga said if Zambians with small vehicles were over-taxed, they would be forced to “go off” the road but would willingly pay if tax were simplified.
And Katuba member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa suggested that the government should introduce road tax that recognised the weight of the vehicle instead of bundling all in the same category.
Shakafuswa also suggested that the government charge the mines tax for the roads as they were responsible for heavy loads that “destroy the roads.”
He said it was unfair to allow ordinary Zambians to subsidise big players such as the mines.
“Why are we so kind to the mines? In countries where they come from, those involved in the mineral extractive industry pay up to 65 per cent in tax and here they want a tax break,” Shakafuswa said. “When are we going to be rich? As a government, we should not feel pity for those mines.
Maybe our generation has no potential to stand up to guys with money and we should leave it for our children.”
And the property transfer tax bill passed second reading in Parliament.
The bill seeks to increase property transfer tax from the current three per cent to five per cent to cover the period from April 2011 to March 2012.
Labels: JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, REQUEST MUNTANGA, ROADS, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, TAXATION
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Intelligence Service
By The Post
Thu 18 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
The peace and tranquility of a nation is a priceless asset that should never be taken for granted. It is important that all of us understand that it is not possible to maintain peace and tranquility in an environment where impunity and lawlessness is what rules the day.
We know of countries on our continent that once were reputed as being bastions of peace and prosperity that have in a very short time been reduced to basket cases of hopeless insecurity and the consequent poverty and social disorder.
It is therefore important that all of us reflect on what is necessary to ensure that we have peace and stability in our country for our time and even for our children.
It is criminal for us to take decisions today that seem to promote transitory tranquility but condemn future generations to insecurity and upheaval.
Whatever one might say about our democracy and its imperfections, it has to be admitted that it has managed to deliver peaceful change of government on at least four occasions.
This, in itself, is an achievement that we need to celebrate but should not, by any means, be satisfied with.
There is much that needs to be done to ensure that this democracy that has managed to deliver peaceful change begins to deliver real change in the lives of our people.
For indeed a democracy that does not deliver what the people need in their day to day lives is a hollow democracy with no real value to the people.
If the people do not see the democracy that periodically changes leaders as a source of meaningful sustenance in their lives, it becomes a curse that could be abused to create an even worse environment for our country.
It is very important for government to realise that their tenure of office is as a result of their duty to the people.
Governments have a duty to deliver services and make it possible for the people to realise their potential in a free environment without fear of molestation or other abuses.
It is important for the people to own the system that produces their government; to feel responsible for the government that happens to run their country.
It needs to be clear that the government are the employees of the people and not the other way round.
A failure to appreciate this and to put in place a system of governance that helps our people to realise this aspiration is a recipe for disaster, if not in our time, then certainly in future.
We therefore have a collective responsibility to ensure that this place that we call our home; our country; this nation works for all our people, not just some.
To realise this, we need to understand that this country does not belong to the ruling party and its cadres.
The national state is a complex organism that encompasses divergent interest groups, including the government, opposition groups, the church and civil society in general.
None of these groups should think or act as though they are more entitled to our country than the others. Each must accommodate the democratic rights of all the other groups to the end that there is harmony, peace and tranquility.
It cannot be denied that those that form government hold higher responsibility to ensure that this system works.
It is treasonable for them to subvert the ability of these groups to work without hindrance.
We say this because it is the senseless hegemony over power that African governments tend to prefer that leads to the insecurity and debilitating conflicts that afflict our continent.
Those that are in government fail to realise that they hold their office but for a short time.
They also fail to understand that there is a difference between government and the nation-state.
This failure or deliberate refusal to accept this important distinction leads governments to abuse their positions and the resources of the nation in furtherance of party political interests which have nothing to do with national interests.
In other words, the state begins to serve the government and not the government serving the state.
There is a breakdown of constitutional order in the sense that those who are elected to serve the interests of the people constituted as a nation-state hijack the state and its machinery to serve their sectional interests.
It is this environment that has bred the unbridled corruption and personalisation of state resources that characterises many a government on the African continent.
Our own country is not spared of this scourge.
It is not uncommon to hear party cadres extolling the apparent limitless power that the President enjoys in slogans such as “boma ni boma”, which simply means the government is the state.
In other words, the president can do whatever he likes. In this type of environment, it does not seem to matter that the president may actually be engaging in acts that are inimical to national interests.
With this kind of limitless power, presidents such as Rupiah Banda can push any agenda, however counter-productive it might be, as long as he wants it.
Unfortunately, for many elected officials, particularly those who are allied to the ruling party, it is enough to be told that the President wants this done for them to support any project.
What we have is not really democracy. It is more akin to legalised lawlessness. How else can we explain the president supporting a law that permits public officers to amass wealth through their government offices without being required to explain?
In such a country, there is no institution that is not subject to the whims and caprices of a president.
This in the long run is what threatens peace and tranquility because there are no institutions left to help the president remain accountable to the people.
In the end, the presidency becomes the only institutions wielding any real power which, unfortunately, cannot be meaningfully checked by anyone.
As a result of this paralysis of other institutions, the nation is opened to a lot of danger.
Other institutions that are supposed to make sure that national interests are protected are emasculated and incapable of acting, except with the direct or tacit authorisation of the president in person.
Any activities that are carried out without conforming to this pattern are regarded as a sign of disloyalty to the president and his hold on power.
And there is nothing that makes an African despot more decisive than a threat on his hold on power.
In such an environment, important institutions such as the intelligence are not permitted to do their work in a professional and independent manner that would enable them give an objective analysis of the goings on.
The experience of many African countries without their intelligence service is a negative one.
This is because they have been used as tools for repression and in the case of Frederick Chiluba, they were used as a vehicle for looting state resources.
An institution that is supposed to be the eyes and ears of the state, operating to protect its interests, is denied the opportunity to work professionally.
Governments and leaders who abuse the intelligence service believe that they are helping themselves to maintain their hold on power.
This might be so but the sad reality is that these activities that they engage in do not serve national interests and in the end, they disappoint the people on whose behalf they should be working and lose the hold on power that they thought they would maintain.
We have no doubt that if our intelligence services were allowed to work professionally, they would be a useful tool in the hands of the government that is desirous of serving national interests.
A good intelligence service would warn the government of the consequences of its decisions and how their actions impact on the country both in the short term and in the long term.
Such expertise is crucial in the decision-making processes that characterise the day to day operations of government.
We doubt that our intelligence system, for instance, are allowed to give incisive analysis of government activities, especially in situations where their professionalism requires them to criticise government.
The government should be well-informed about how the people truly feel about its decisions.
A well-meaning government should value advice on the consequences of its actions.
For instance, how do people feel about their President appearing beholden and captive to Chinese commercial interests?
How do the people react to Rupiah’s irrational defence of Chinese abuse of Zambian employees? These are issues that a well-functioning intelligence should be able to advise the President on.
They need to be able to look into the future and tell the President what the likely consequence of over-concentration of economic activities in the hands of foreigners is likely to be.
Their advice, however, is irrelevant if the people who are supposed to receive do not want it. People like Rupiah have said they are stubborn and will not listen to anybody. Rupiah didn’t need to tell us this, we have all seen for ourselves.
Anyway, whatever they do with the professional advice that they receive from the intelligence, let them learn from the mistakes of Chiluba and not try to abuse the service for their personal gain.
Labels: CORRUPTION, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Shakas warns against embezzling of funds using intelligency
By Florence Bupe
Thu 18 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT
JONAS Shakafuswa has warned government officials against using the Zambia Security Intelligence Services to embezzle public resources.
Contributing to debate on the 2011 budget estimates of expenditure for the Zambia Intelligence Services in the Office of the President in Parliament on Tuesday, Shakafuswa said those in positions of authority should not compromise the professionalism of the intelligence unit by abusing that office.
“We are not against the operations of the intelligence service. What we are against is the tendency by some people in positions of authority who are able to command the unit, abusing their authority to embezzle public funds using the intelligence service officers,” he said.
Shakafuswa, who is Katuba MMD member of parliament, urged the government to uphold the professionalism of the intelligence service in order to allow for independent operations in the interest of national security.
And in debating the policy statement for the Ministry of Defence, UPND Kalomo member of parliament Request Muntanga called for increased funding to the defence forces.
He said the three defence forces, the Zambia National Service, the Zambia Air Force and the Zambia Army were faced with a number of challenges that needed to be addressed to enhance their operations.
“We need to get new planes for the Zambia Air Force. The planes they have are not good enough, that’s why we had a plane crash-landing at the Kasempa airstrip recently. The plane that killed our national (soccer) team was also a ZAF plane,” he observed.
Muntanga suggested that the defence ministry should provide for supplementary estimates of expenditure to make the operations of defence forces more effective.
“There are so many jobs that the defence ministry has to do. There are so many emergencies they have to respond to, but if they don’t have the tools, how do we expect them to carry out their duties effectively?” asked Muntanga.
Labels: CORRUPTION, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Muntanga calls for action on RDA corruption report
By George Zulu
Sun 06 June 2010, 04:00 CAT
KALOMO Central UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga has warned that government’s failure to act on the Auditor General’s report over the misuse of funds by the Road Development Agency RDA has created a picture that Zambians are very corrupt.
In an interview, Muntanga said the picture government was painting to the outside world for failing to punish those abusing donor funds was that Zambians were totally corrupt.
“If we take action, we are showing that there is someone answerable for whatever they are doing. The only problem I get concerned about Zambia is that certain things are revealed and we start having excuses for not taking action or we start supporting this person defending the other that is not what is good, hence the people supporting us will not take us serious. They will even stop funding us, because we are corrupt as a country,” Muntanga said.
He said what was good for the government was to take action on the Auditor General’s report on the RDA revelation because it revealed glaring abuse of donor funds meant for road rehabilitation.
“What is good is that they must take action, the Auditor General has revealed a lot of glaring misapplication and theft of public funds, the report has said this is wrong and the one who is guilty let him be punished straightforward like that. The problem we have is we apply rules to certain people…that is the problem,” he said.
Muntanga said any person who has stolen or misappropriated funds must be arrested and prosecuted, adding that no excuses should be entertained for not acting.
“There should be no excuses at all, theft is theft, no sacred cows in any misapplication of funds. Out of that money we hear stories that no the money was given to this except certain rules were not followed and certain financial regulations were not followed that is not the point; if regulations were not followed and there is theft, arrest them. They have gone on doing things that are out of corruption as we know that sometimes certain dubious contractors are contracted to do useless jobs…those in government must know that that is theft. So the question of misuse is the question of theft and they must be arrested therefore in my own view to just close RDA and wash down the wrongs under the bridge because now money is missing is not the best thing to do,” said Muntanga.
Labels: AUDITOR GENERAL, CORRUPTION, RDA, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Kalomo farmers have not received farming inputs – MP
By Mutale Kapekele
Tue 29 Dec. 2009, 04:00 CAT
KALOMO Central member of parliament Request Muntanga has said farmers in his constituency have not yet received farming inputs for this farming season.
In an interview, Muntanga said none of the 600 bags of fertiliser that were promised to the small-scale farmers in his constituency by the government had been delivered.
“The farming inputs are still marooned in Lusaka and this is 20th December, when are we going to plant?” he asked. “Does the government want the farmers to plant after the rainy season is over? And this is the fertiliser that was promised to the vulnerable. What type of help is this when the inputs are not delivered on time?”
Asked what the UPND was doing to help the affected farmers, Muntanga said his party was not in government and it was difficult to help.
“Some of us are running out-grower schemes but we are not running government so it is difficult to help,” he said. “The government should just get serious and deliver on their promises. I heard the minister of community development saying that next year, they will deliver in June. They should not talk of next year. What about this farming season? What will the people eat?”
And Muntanga wondered why retirees were told to personally take their employment files to Lusaka to get their benefits.
“Why is it that retirees from here (Kalomo) have to personally look for their files and take them to Lusaka to get their benefits?” asked Muntanga. “That is why a lot of files get lost and people end up not getting their money on time. I would like to appeal to the government to work out payment modalities that will allow retirees to get their money within the province.”
Labels: FERTILIZER, FSP, KALOMO, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Govt should find money to buy maize from small-scale farmers – Muntanga
Written by Agness Changala in Lusaka and Peter Sinyangwe in Kawambwa
Thursday, September 17, 2009 12:12:34 AM
PARLIAMENTARY Committee on Agriculture chairperson Request Muntanga has said the government should exercise seriousness and find money to buy maize from small-scale farmers before they are exploited by private buyers. And the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has released an additional K600 million towards the purchase of maize in Kawambwa district.
Reacting to agriculture deputy minister Daniel Kalenga's recent statement that the government had no money to purchase all the maize from small-scale farmers throughout the country in this year's marketing season and that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) had been mandated to borrow money from the banks, Muntanga, who is also United Party for National Development (UPND) Kalomo member of Parliament, said farmers were stranded in his constituency and were lining up to wait for private buyers to buy their maize.
He wondered why the government found it so easy to release money on importing crops than buying the local produce.
“Let the government buy the crop and stock enough because we are likely to get low yield of crops this year,” he said. “If the government can find money to import crops why can't it find money to buy the maize from farmers locally?”
He said some private buyers in Kalomo had offered to buy the maize from the farmers at K40, 000 per 50 kilogramme bag as opposed to the K65, 000 floor price of maize which was earlier announced by FRA.
Muntanga said private buyers demanded to buy a bag of maize at K40, 000 because they knew that farmers were desperate to sell their maize and would not hesitate to sell because they needed money.
He said Kalenga and his ministry should not just release money when they wanted to import crops.
“Kalenga must start thinking of not only to release money for imports but also buy the local crops to ensure enough stocks” he said. “Who are the beneficiaries of those actions?”
And Muntanga said the government must publicize the major changes made after the revision of the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP), now Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP), as most farmers did not know what had happened.
Muntanga said the government must also state the conditions attached to the new revised programme, saying the country risked getting low production of crops.
And Kawambwa district commissioner, Gershom Tanga said the additional funds from the FRA would help with the purchase of more maize from small-scale farmers in the area.
District Agricultural Coordinator (DACO), Henry Mugomba could not be reached for comment but sources from his office confirmed receipt of funds.
The source who preferred not to be named also said the funds had already been used.
And on Thursday, Mugoma said his office was under pressure from farmers because of the delay to pay them for the maize they brought for sale sometime ago.
Mugomba said during the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) meeting that so far, over 32,840 by 50 kilogramme bags of maize had been bought in Kawambwa.
He also said all the fertilisers had been delivered to Kawambwa for the 2009/2010 farming season under the FISP.
Mugomba disclosed that 2,295 by 50 kilogramme bags of Compound D and 2,295 by 50 kilogramme bags of urea fertilisers had already been delivered to the district while seeds were still being awaited for.
Meanwhile, Mugomba said most fishermen in the fishing camps were still using illegal fishing gears, adding there was also resistance in making payments for fishing licences.
Labels: FARMERS, FRA, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Muntanga speaks against regulating NGOs
Written by George Chellah
Friday, August 07, 2009 2:48:02 PM
KALOMO UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga on Wednesday told the House that the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) bill appears to be targeting certain NGOs.
Debating the NGO bill on Wednesday, Muntanga said he did not accept the idea of regulating NGOs.
“This bill appears to be a bill that is targeting certain NGOs. A proper NGO does not need regulation. Yes, the majority of NGOs that are mushrooming are not NGOs,” Muntanga said. “We the same leaders must desist from forming NGOs. That's why you see NGOs come before and after elections. We in government must check ourselves first.”
He urged the government leaders to regulate themselves before embarking on the regulation of others.
“This bill is intended for those organisations that do not want to register and show what they are doing,” said Muntanga.
But works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti said there were NGOs comprising of family members only.
“If NGOs want to keep an eye on us we are also to keep an eye on them. That's the only way we can trust each other. We want NGOs to come forward and tell us how they are going to regulate “It’s also evident that some of our colleagues in these NGOs are quite wealthy. Where is that wealth coming from? Let us all be accountable.”
He said there were also NGOs that emerged seasonally.
“For instance, when we are going for elections Those that are NGOs we want to see them from January to December. In 2008, there was an NGO that came on the scene very malicious NGO, we will not allow that.”
He urged community development minister Michael Kaingu not to be distracted.
“If the law says enforce, it’s the law, you are just a servant of the people. Minister, I would like to encourage you. You are not targeting anybody,” he said.
Mulongoti said members of parliament and government leaders wanted their colleagues in the NGO world to be declaring assets just like they did.
And Matero PF member of parliament Faustina Sinyangwe said NGOs had always preached accountability.
“Now we must see them to be accountable and we must see it that we know the source of their income and we would like to know how much they get because our salaries are in the papers every day,” she said.
She said NGOs should conform to the local norms and culture.
“Since when has parading women naked been a culture in this country? I have seen NGOs parading women at court,” she said.
Sinyangwe said NGOs should be more active in areas where they were going to reduce poverty.
She said NGOs should help in governance and democratic issues.
“These NGOs have turned political. If they want let them go and form political parties. They must have constructive criticism,” she said.
Sinyangwe urged the NGOs to abide by their objectives.
And Luapula PF member of parliament Dr Peter Machungwa said he was glad that the bill had received support.
“They also must accept that they are human and can make mistakes. There are those like in the media for example who think that they are alpha and omega what they say if final,” said Machungwa. “There is nothing to fear and I’m glad that the bill is receiving full support.”
Labels: NGOs, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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PS fails to answer questions on FSP
Written by Ernest Chanda
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:50:34 PM
THE parliamentary committee on agriculture and lands yesterday sent back agriculture permanent secretary Bernard Namachila for failing to answer some questions on the performance of the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP).
Committee chairperson Request Muntanga asked Namachila to reappear before the committee with other stakeholders so that he could give answers to all the questions raised by committee members.
This was after Namachila had earlier on said the FSP had worked well in response to Mwinilunga East UPND member of parliament Stephen Katuka who wanted to know the permanent secretary's personal assessment of the programme.
In response, Namachila said the programme had worked well, but later admitted that it had some administrative flaws.
"Yes, indeed the Fertiliser Support Programme has been very successful. Like I alluded to in my submission, it has helped increase food production in various households. It has also successfully increased the number of small-scale farmers at household level. But it doesn't mean that it has completely succeeded. It has a number of failures that have completely tarnished the image of the programme. It doesn't mean that the programme has failed, but it's just a few issues, one of them administration that have let the programme down," Namachila said.
"The manner in which the programme has been handled has not been very good. People have complained against the procedure used to select beneficiaries, but not the programme itself. If we can improve on the selection of beneficiaries and the method of distributing the inputs, then the whole programmme will be a success."
Namachila's response raised a lot of questions from committee members who wanted to know whether he was admiting that the FSP had failed, as observed by small-scale farmers.
When asked by Lukashya Patriotic Front member of parliament Alfreda Mwamba on why the ministry had left out the Zambia Cooperative Federation in the FSP and why he was arguing that people were not travelling long distances to collect fertiliser, Namachila was at pains to give clear answers.
Namachila said: "For most of the issues pointed out, I may not be able to answer them now, they point to weaknesses. For example, I agree that we have not involved the Zambia Coorperative Federation, but we will need time to consult with other stakeholders."
At this point, Mwamba cautioned Namachila against appearing before the committee with a defensive attitude.
"Don't come here with a defensive position, we won't make progress. For example, you justified the performance of the FSP when the farmers have recommended that it be scrapped off. Let's be realistic because everyone is concerned about the FSP. People who are directly affected by this have complained and the position we are about to take as a comittee is long overdue," Mwamba said.
At this point Namachila promised to consult, saying the ministry did not have the monopoly of wisdom.
Muntanga later asked Namachila to appear again before the committee, together with other stakeholders.
"PS, I'm asking you to come on the 6th of May with other stakeholders, and all of them will come under you since you are the controlling officer. We have told them to submit to you all their concerns and please advise your other PS to give us a detailed report on the status of fish population in the country. We want people from ZCF and others to be here with you so that we sort things once and for all," said Muntanga.
Labels: ALFRED MWAMBA, BERNARD NAMACHILA, FSP, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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OMNIA defends FSP
Written by Ernest Chanda
Sunday, April 26, 2009 2:52:41 PM
OMNIA Fertiliser Zambia has defended the Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP), saying it has worked well so far in the country. And the parliamentary committee on land and agriculture on Friday sent back Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) management to redo their submission.
The committee, which was chaired by Kalomo UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga, was looking at the performance of the FSP.
Appearing before the committee, managing director Bertie Serfontein said the FSP worked better than the proposed voucher system.
"In our view, the FSP has so far worked well, although we know there have been some problems here and there. And we know people are talking of introducing the voucher system, but it would be better to work on the problems encountered in the FSP than start a new process. We are aware of the various problems encountered in the voucher system because we run a fertiliser programme in Malawi as well. And the voucher system has proved to have more problems than the Fertiliser Support Programme," Serfontein said. "I'm simply saying why do you stop a system that is already working and then start something else instead of improving on the already existing system? Starting from the scratch always brings problems. It's like changing your Zambian law from Roman law to English law. You will have to start all over again."
And Muntanga asked NCZ chief executive officer Richard Soko to resubmit a written and detailed survival plan for the company.
"This committee deals with written submissions, and when you talk about figures we want to see them on paper. This will help us argue with government on your behalf so that even if we say give NCZ K150 billion we shall have the figures to refer to. Remember you are competing against organisations which believe that you are only standing there doing nothing. Give us figures that will show how you can defend yourselves from these attacks. Show how you propose to produce fertiliser cheaper than your competitors and come back to us on the 5th of May," said Muntanga.
Labels: FERTILIZER, FSP, NCZ, OMNIA GROUP, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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NCZ management Team fail to explain the viability of their company
Friday, April 24, 2009, 21:53
Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) Managing Director, Richard Soko, and his delegation were on Friday turned away by the Parliamentary committee on Agriculture for failing to respond to queries.
Committee Chairman, Request Muntanga, directed Mr. Soko and his team to go and prepare details sought by the committee.
This was after Mr. Soko’s delegation failed to ascertain the amount of money required to fully recapitalise the fertiliser plant which is currently non-operational.
Mr. Muntanga was also displeased by the delegation’s failure to determine the anticipated production levels and profitability once the plant is fully recapitalised.
The NCZ delegation was consequently directed to re-submit its report on Wednesday next week.
The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Lands is currently receiving submissions from stakeholders on the viability of the Fertiliser Support Program.
It is also looking at the status of the fish population in Zambia.
[ZNBC]
Labels: FSP, NCZ, PARASTATALS, PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, REQUEST MUNTANGA, RICHARD SOKO
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Shakas urges govt to open fertiliser market
Written by Ernest Chanda
Friday, March 20, 2009 2:35:43 AM
KATUBA MMD member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa on Wednesday asked the government to open the fertiliser market to other importers.
And Kalomo UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga bemoaned what he called confusion in the agriculture ministry because of having two ministers.
Debating the estimates of expenditure for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Shakafuswa said it was not good to have the same suppliers of the commodity every year.
"...Every year we spend K500 billion to bring in fertiliser and the commodity comes in late. Why do we use suppliers who bring the commodity late? Please let us check the procurement process. Let us open the fertiliser market by engaging other players on the market. It's not good to have the same two importers of fertiliser whom we know year in year out. Let us save government money by getting the best price," Shakafuswa said. "We have some suppliers who are selling fertiliser cheaply and yet they didn't win the tender. Let us cater for 300,000 peasant farmers and perhaps 200,000 of those who can also feed the nation. We want to see a change in the ministry."
Shakafuswa also wondered where the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) takes its annual allocation from the treasury, which is meant for the purchase of maize.
"Every year the Food Reserve Agency is given K400 billion to purchase maize from farmers, and before that money finishes we give them another the following year. But what have they done to previous money that we gave them? We should look into the dealings of the Food Reserve Agency because if we took K400 billion to CDF [Constituency Development Fund] it would be a lot to improve all our roads in the constituencies," Shakafuswa said.
And Muntanga expressed concern over the confusion in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
"The President promised to create a new ministry, but what we are seeing is an appointment of two ministers to run one ministry. When a parliamentary committee was appointed to propose a ministry, the committee did not propose this confusion but a ministry. We did not propose to have a ministry where one minister runs a department and the other minister runs the entire agriculture ministry. This same ministry has two permanent secretaries and we don't know which permanent secretary to approach when we have problems," Muntanga said.
He accused the MMD government of destroying the cooperative system in the agriculture sector.
"During the UNIP era, agriculture cooperatives were running very well. In fact, cooperatives were engines of development in rural areas. When the MMD came into power they destroyed every good thing that UNIP left because they did not want to have anything to do with UNIP. You [the Executive] destroyed cooperatives because [with] you anything cooperative was UNIP," said Muntanga.
Labels: CDF, COOPERATIVES, FERTILIZER, FRA, JONAS SHAKAFUSWA, REQUEST MUNTANGA, UNIP
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Govt subsidy to millers not sustainable – Weber
Written by Fridah Zinyama and Chibulu in Mazabuka
Monday, February 16, 2009 5:16:17 AM
GOVERNMENT’S decision to subsidise the millers through the supply of cheaper maize is not sustainable for Zambia, Agricultural Consultative Forum (ACF) Food Security advisor professor Michael Weber has observed.
And chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture Request Muntanga has called on government to subsidise production of maize in the country as a long-term measure to resolving mealie-meal shortages as opposed to subsidising consumption.
Commenting on the decision by government, through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to purchase maize from millers and resale it at subsidised prices, Prof Weber in an interview, said there was need for more transparency in the maize crop marketing system if the current mealie-meal shortages were to be permanently eliminated.
Prof Weber said there was tightness in the maize marketing system last year which had led to the current problems being experienced in the country.
“Some of the millers have not been open about the stock of maize which they have in their warehouses and I think this is what has led to the current expensive mealie-meal on the market,” he said. “This has prompted government through the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to subsidise the millers, a scenario which is not sustainable.”
Prof Weber said government’s decision to subsidise the millers was very costly and could not be relied upon to sort out the problems in the maize sector.
“We understand that government has to be concerned about whether there is enough food in the country but this has to be done in a sustainable manner,” said Weber.
And Muntanga said government’s decision to buy maize from millers at a subsidised price would create future problems as millers were always going to expect government to bail them out.
“The only solution to the mealie-meal shortages in the country is for government to ensure that it comes up with proper measures of subsiding production,” he said. “Small-scale farmers should have access to inputs and this will subsequently lead to enough food production and low maize prices in the country.”
Muntanga expressed concern at the rate in which the mealie meal sector was being handled in the country.
“If things continue being run like this, government will be held at ransom, where millers will continue hoarding maize expecting government to subsidise them,” Muntanga said.
Meanwhile, some mealie-meal traders in Mazabuka have inflated prices of the commodity which is now fetching at between K 60,000 and K75,000 at Nakambala market.
A survey conducted at Nakambala, which is Mazabuka’s largest market revealed that a 25 kilogramme bag of National Milling breakfast had been hiked from K45,000 to K70,000 while that of roller meal was being sold at K60,000, from K36,000.
Leading supermarkets had by yesterday completely run out of the commodity, forcing traders on the black markets to inflate prices by almost double the original price.
Traders talked to said the price of the staple food could not be reduced because Zambia, as a free market economy, promotes competition in business.
They also said the price of mealie-meal at the market was cheaper than some named shops in the central business district which were now pegging the price of the commodity at around K75,000 per 25 kilogramme bag.
Labels: FARM SUBSIDIES, FRA, MAIZE, MEALIE-MEAL, MILLERS, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Muntanga advises Dora to apologise, swallow her pride
Written by Margaret Mtonga
Sunday, February 15, 2009 7:56:56 AM
KALOMO UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga has urged communication and transport minister Dora Siliya to swallow her pride and apologise to Zambians for not following tender procedures in awarding a contract to RP Capital Partners of Cayman Islands.
Commenting on the US$2 million contract awarded to RP Capital Partners Limited, Muntanga said it was important for Siliya to accept that she had made a mistake and apologise before the matter worsened.
“The minister should just apologise to the nation before the matter comes to its bad state,” he said. “Why did she not even follow the advice from the Attorney General. These are problems that she has brought on herself and the best thing for her is to apologise.”
Muntanga said it was sad that Siliya had engaged RP Capital Partners of Cayman Island in such a hurry without following the right procedure.
“Why is Siliya so much in a hurry? This shows that the processes are characterised with corruption, therefore, she should apologise for the sake of her to live in peace,” Muntanga said.
And Muntanga said the dissolution of the Zamtel board was done in a premature manner as there was a meeting scheduled before it was dissolved.
Siliya also dissolved the TAZARA and National Airports boards.
“Where is Dora Siliya getting all these powers? She should not take things for granted, she can be smiling today but soon she will start dancing when the law catches up with her,” Muntanga said. “These wrong things that she is doing now of leaving advice will later in future follow her.”
He further said it was prudent for Siliya to do a clean job as that would yield benefits for herself and the country as well.
“Siliya should bear in mind that once the law catches up with her, she will be alone dancing and to defend herself,” said Muntanga. “The President who is supporting her now won’t be there to help her…she will be left alone. If she is big-headed that she cannot come out in the open to apologise to the nation, she should just reverse everything through action then the country will know that she has said sorry and move on with carrying her duties in a right manner.”
Labels: DORA SILIYA, PRIVATISATION, REQUEST MUNTANGA
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Muntanga mocks govt
By Mwala Kalaluka
Sunday February 03, 2008 [03:00]
KALOMO UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga on Wednesday indirectly criticised government by ‘praising’ it over its failure to deliver on development programmes last year. Contributing to the debate on the 2008 Budget, Muntanga kept on ‘praising’ and ‘congratulating’ the government for failing to deliver on its development pledges and projects in 2007.
Muntanga said he wanted to ‘praise’ the government over its shortcomings last year because he had realised that the executive enjoyed being praised even for doing nothing at all. “We had K7 billion to do the Kalomo-Kabanga road last year,” he said.
“But we want to tell you that that road was not rehabilitated and the road is impassable, very good and well done.”
He complained that despite money being allocated by the European Union (EU) towards the rehabilitation of the Bottom Road, the progress of rehabilitation was unimpressive.
Muntanga went on to ‘congratulate’ the government for continuously reminding people of the poor state of the Bottom Road and for talking about it.
He said the government’s unimpressive performance in the delivery of development in certain parts of the country was welcome because it would allow the opposition to use this as an electoral campaign strategy.
“Well done for subjecting us to suffering while others are doing very well,” Muntanga said.
When some parliamentarians from both the opposition and the government side questioned his mode of debate, Muntanga said: “If I do not praise them, they get angry.”
Tourism minister Michael Kaingu asked Lungu to rule whether Muntanga was in order to debate the way he was doing despite being advised by the chair.
But Lungu said since Muntanga had insisted on his style of debate, he would allow him to continue. Muntanga then focused his debate on the tourism sector and said Kaingu should be happy that funding to his ministry had been reduced in the 2008 Budget.
“This government, Mr Speaker, we want to remind them that as they do very well, they must tackle the problems,” said Muntanga.
Mulobezi MMD member of parliament Michael Mabenga stood on a point of order to ask if Muntanga was in order to indirectly attack the government when he should be talking about the good things happening in his constituency.
Lungu, however, said any member of parliament from the ruling party was free to rebut Muntanga’s assertions.
Labels: REQUEST MUNTANGA, UPND
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