By Isaac Zulu
PF presidential aspirant Emmanuel Mwamba has urged President Hakainde Hichilema not to compromise Zambia’s national values by embracing gay rights.
And Ambassador Mwamba has charged that President Hichilema is interfering in the operations of oversight institutions, saying this is threatening the rule of law and democracy.
Ambassador Mwamba says leaders of opposition political parties are concerned with about the UPND government’s position on lesbianism, gayism, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) especially that Zambia would be visited by United States of America Vice President Kamala Harris later this month, who he said is an advocate of gay rights.
He said that Zambia is a sovereign and independent state and, as such, Western nations should not dictate the country’s national values.
“As a nation we get financial aid from the United States of America of about half a Billion dollars annually that goes towards health and other social services. And our call to the President and his Cabinet is that don’t compromise our national values. We are a sovereign and independent state and we should not allow Western nations to dictate our national values or impose Western values on Zambians. We know the interests of the US,” Ambassador Mwamba said.
And Ambassador Mwamba has charged that President Hakainde Hichilema is interfering in the operations of oversight institutions, saying this is threatening the rule of law and democracy.
He said that this is why the Head of State has elected to take the Anti-Corruption Commission to his office.
He cited the recent arrest of the Auditor General by the Anti-Corruption Commission, as an example of the UPND administration’s interfere in the operations of oversight institutions.
Ambassador Mwamba stressed that in a Constitutional democracy like Zambia, oversight institutions should be allowed to operate autonomously.
“There are procedures that should be followed when suspending or arresting some officers from the Ministry of Finance and the arrest of the Auditor General. You cannot perpetuate an ilegallity in order to address an ilegallity,” Ambassador Mwamba said. “The President is interfering in the operations of oversight institutions. Our democracy is under threat. The rule of law is under threat. We are a Constitutional democracy and we should allow oversight institutions to operate autonomously.”
Ambassador Mwamba advised Zambians to take interest in governance issues, saying whatever a sitting government does is done on behalf of the general citizenry.
He was speaking during the Radio Phoenix programme “Let the People Talk.”
Ambassador Mwamba also questioned President Hichilema’s decision to establish the Presidential Delivery Unit, arguing that there are already established government structures that are capable of executing that kind of mandate.
“The President has the Secretary to Cabinet, he has Cabinet Ministers, special assistant for project implementation, economic advisor and other special advisors. There are already officers in government who perform the work he wants to be done and they are on government payroll. Does he mean that they have failed to perform? By creating the Presidential Delivery Unit, President Hakainde Hichilema is bypassing already established government structures,” Ambassador Mwamba said.
He also accused the Head of State of interfering in the government procurement processes, which he said will haunt President Hichilema when he leaves office.
“The UPND administration is escalating corruption, especially in the procurement of fertiliser. Government contracts are being awarded and cancelled in a questionable manner. The President is even quoted in some newspapers that “We have cancelled a tender.” The Cabinet handbook does not allow the President or Ministers to participate in the procurement process. What President Hichilema is doing might haunt him when he leaves office,” said Ambassador Mwamba.
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