By Isaac Zulu
Tarring a road leading to President Hakainde Hichilema’s private residence is an abuse of authority, says Raphael Nakachinda.
Infrastructure Minister Charles Milupi recently revealed to Daily Revelation Media that the UPND government has embarked the process of tarring the road to the private residence of President Hakainde Hichilema and that the Ministry has started receiving bids to that effect.
Commenting on the same, Nakachinda, who is Patriot Front member of central committee chairman of information and publicity, said that it is unfortunate that the Head of State has continued to stay at Community House, which has resulted in government spending public resources to install security apparatus and other facilities.
“First of all, we have repeatedly been saying that President Hakainde Hichilema should move to State House where there is the official residence for the Head of State in this country because we feel government is spending huge sums of money on this whole arrangement. But he has not heeded to this call. And now the security wings that are mandated to provide security to him by virtue of his status in society are compelled to use public resources to install security facilities and apparatus that might even be difficult to remove when he leaves office,” Nakachinda explained in an interview. “It would have been okay if it was scheduled in the township roads and all that. But to specifically start tarring the road to President Hakainde Hichilema’s private residence, which is Community House, is an abuse of authority. And I am sure the money being spent on that road was not budgeted for. So they are diverting public resources to that particular exercise.”
Nakachinda pointed out that the official residence of the Head of State at State House is of international standards, saying that the only thing that President Hakainde Hichilema should do is to have it refurbished according to his preference.
“All the Presidents starting from Dr Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Michael Sata, Rupiah Banda, including president Edgar Lungu stayed in the official residence at State House because they did not see anything wrong with that,” Nakachinda said. “And those of us that have been privileged to go to State House know that the official residence of the Head of State is of international standards. So you can’t claim that the standards are so low that you cannot live there. President Hakainde Hichilema’s attitude is only an indication that he is so special that he cannot stay at State House. When he is speaking he says he is a village boy, but he is refusing to move to State House.”
He said that if President Hichilema does not want to move to State House, he should emulate a certain President in South America, who lived at his farm, but did not use public resources during the time he stayed at his private residence.
“That President in South America lived at his own farm, never used public resources or state security at his residence and used to drive himself to the office. If President Hakainde Hichilema can do that, then it’s fine. He can continue staying at Community House,” said Nakachinda.
