By Isaac Zulu
Vice President Mutale Nalumango has responded to questions on whether the UPND is trying to appease China through the award of the contract to a Chinese consortium, arguing that no money will go to the world’s second largest economy during the construction of the Lusaka-Ndola dua carriage way.
And Vice-President Nalumango said the report from the Auditor General will be credible despite the happenings at that office, and also defended the single sourcing of a fertilizer contract to a known local firm.
She was responding to Chitambo member of parliament Chanda Mutale during the Vice President’s Question Time in Parliament, who pointed out that a consortium of construction companies that have been engaged to work on the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way are wholly owned by Chinese parastatal companies, and wanted to know “if this is confirmation that the UPND wants to give money to the Chinese through this project.”
But in her response, the Vice President said that: “No money will go to China. The money that will be spent on this project will remain in the country.”
But Kawambwa member of parliament Nickson Chilangwa said that the Lusaka-Ndola has raised a lot of debate and wondered why the Vice President was defending the undefendable, saying the 2.8 million Zambians that voted for the UPND in the 2021 general elections are not with the UPND administration on this particular project.
“The Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way is a good project, but the financing model is questionable. And because of that, the 2.8 million Zambians that voted for the UPND are no longer with you, they are not with you on this project. Are you aware that you are alone and you are defending the undefendable?” questioned Chilangwa.
In her response, the Vice President said that the UPND government is not alone, stressing that the UPND administration has achieved a lot in the 16 months that they have been in power.
“We are not alone. We are not alone! Are you not surprised that we have reduced the cost of the construction of the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way? Are you not surprised that we have managed to recruit some health workers and teachers? Are you not surprised that we have restored meal allowances for students in public universities? If you want to be political, I will also be political,” Nalumango said.
And leader of opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile wondered if a credible audit report would be generated taking into consideration the happenings at the Auditor General’s office.
“What is happening at the Auditor General’s office is an indication that there’s growing panic in the UPND government. With all the happenings in the Auditor General’s office, are we going to see credible audits and an Auditor General’s report that can be relied upon?” asked Mundubile.
But Vice-President Nalumango said that despite that some people have been removed from the Auditor General’s office, there are still some qualified personnel to carry out credible audits.
She said there should be no panic on account of what is happening there.
“And you are saying there’s panic in government on the ongoing audits. There’s no growing panic in government. And I can assure you that despite what is going on at the Auditor General’s office, the audits and the audit report thereof will be credible,” Nalumango said.
And the Vice President has justified the decision taken by the UPND administration to single source the procurement of fertiliser, saying it has some legal backing.
She was responding to Opposition Whip in Parliament Stephen Kampyongo who said that the UPND administration has assured the nation that it will embrace “a positive segregation in the procurement of fertiliser,” and wanted to know if the government was taking that route and, also sought clarity on the owners of a certain company that has been engaged by government to supply fertiliser.
“The owners of the company you referring to are Zambians, they are local investors. And what I know is that they are manufacturing fertiliser locally and not importing the commodity. If you have information that they are just importing, let us know. That’s what we want in our quest to work with you Parliamentarians,” said Nalumango.
