The ruling UPND members of Parliament last Thursday avoided discussing the country’s cost of living after they walked out of Parliament.
The walkout was prompted after Lunte member of parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya suggested that Parliament should debate the sky rocketing cost of living, which was causing havoc in the country, sending many into destitution, and others to their early graves on account of hopelessness to live with the situation.
UPND Alliance secretary Kaluba Simuyemba described the walkout as a confirmation that UPND is a “chimbwi” no plan party.
But Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa wondered why walking out of parliament by the UPND members of parliament was a big issue when the previous regime also used to do the same thing.
He said PF MPs had walked out of Parliament many times than UPND when they were in the opposition.
We won’t delve much into who has walked out less or more between the two when they were in the opposition. However, we shall focus on the substantive matter which Kafwaya raised, regardless of whether he has been a bitter person or not, since the PF lost power. It’s actually possible that he could be bitter. But the point he raised about the skyrocketing cost of living in the country is real, and any serious government would wish to engage in proactive debates in trying to find solutions towards the same. After all, weren’t they elected to address the national challenges rather than running away from them?
It is actually irresponsible that instead of using the opportunity in Parliament to address Zambians through their elected representatives in Parliament, those from the ruling party chose cowardice, which does not in any way allay fears that they have the competence to face up to the challenges being faced by Zambians, let alone address them.
Zambians right now need assurances that someone is concerned about the challenges they are going through, and that someone is actively working to address those challenges through practical means. In a country where the biggest bank note has become so valueless that its being replaced by other higher bank notes to live up with the demands of rising inflation, certainly they would want to hear their leaders, both from the ruling and opposition, engaging to try to find solutions to the challenges.
The skyrocketing cost of living is real, and those in government cannot afford to choose who they should listen to or not listen to in terms of finding solutions, because just on account that things are worsening, it should tell them that they do not have the monopoly of wisdom to address the national matters, despite the mandate given to them to govern. They are definitely required to use that mandate wisely by engaging all the voices they can muster in trying to find solutions.
We are reminded of the September 07, 2020 posting by then opposition UPND leader and now Republic President Hakainde Hichilema, when he stated that: “The economic mess the PF have put us in would never occur in a UPND government but if we were in their position, facing the current economic crisis, we would have the whole country debating on resolving the crisis, we would be calling for an economic indaba to get ideas from others on how to resolve this crisis instead of wasting time on none issues. It is lack of seriousness to keep debating trivial issues when the Kwacha has hit K20 (Now over K28) to the dollar in any economy that is largely import dependent.”
We urge those in government to emulate Hichilema’s own words from his September 07, 2020 Facebook posting.
By Daily Revelation Editor
The ruling UPND members of Parliament last Thursday avoided discussing the country’s cost of living after they walked out of Parliament.
The walkout was prompted after Lunte member of parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya suggested that Parliament should debate the sky rocketing cost of living, which was causing havoc in the country, sending many into destitution, and others to their early graves on account of hopelessness to live with the situation.
UPND Alliance secretary Kaluba Simuyemba described the walkout as a confirmation that UPND is a “chimbwi” no plan party.
But Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa wondered why walking out of parliament by the UPND members of parliament was a big issue when the previous regime also used to do the same thing.
He said PF MPs had walked out of Parliament many times than UPND when they were in the opposition.
We won’t delve much into who has walked out less or more between the two when they were in the opposition. However, we shall focus on the substantive matter which Kafwaya raised, regardless of whether he has been a bitter person or not, since the PF lost power. It’s actually possible that he could be bitter. But the point he raised about the skyrocketing cost of living in the country is real, and any serious government would wish to engage in proactive debates in trying to find solutions towards the same. After all, weren’t they elected to address the national challenges rather than running away from them?
It is actually irresponsible that instead of using the opportunity in Parliament to address Zambians through their elected representatives in Parliament, those from the ruling party chose cowardice, which does not in any way allay fears that they have the competence to face up to the challenges being faced by Zambians, let alone address them.
Zambians right now need assurances that someone is concerned about the challenges they are going through, and that someone is actively working to address those challenges through practical means. In a country where the biggest bank note has become so valueless that its being replaced by other higher bank notes to live up with the demands of rising inflation, certainly they would want to hear their leaders, both from the ruling and opposition, engaging to try to find solutions to the challenges.
The skyrocketing cost of living is real, and those in government cannot afford to choose who they should listen to or not listen to in terms of finding solutions, because just on account that things are worsening, it should tell them that they do not have the monopoly of wisdom to address the national matters, despite the mandate given to them to govern. They are definitely required to use that mandate wisely by engaging all the voices they can muster in trying to find solutions.
We are reminded of the September 07, 2020 posting by then opposition UPND leader and now Republic President Hakainde Hichilema, when he stated that: “The economic mess the PF have put us in would never occur in a UPND government but if we were in their position, facing the current economic crisis, we would have the whole country debating on resolving the crisis, we would be calling for an economic indaba to get ideas from others on how to resolve this crisis instead of wasting time on none issues. It is lack of seriousness to keep debating trivial issues when the Kwacha has hit K20 (Now over K28) to the dollar in any economy that is largely import dependent.”
We urge those in government to emulate Hichilema’s own words from his September 07, 2020 Facebook posting.
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