By Mubanga Mubanga
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango says she will not assure that the price of a 25kg bag of mealie-meal will ever cost K50 as promised by President Hakainde Hichilema, saying sometimes in politics they use “trading marks” to express that the price of something will not continue to go up.
And Vice-President Nalumango said the UPND administration never promised “roses without thorns.”
Featuring on Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme this morning, Vice-President Nalumango also said the government should have been more proactive and took the blame over the problems surrounding the staple food, mealie meal, especially that the scenario keeps repeating itself around this period of the year.
Asked by the interviewer, Luchi, if the people were ever going to see the price of mealie meal, which is currently fetching into the K200s in several areas, will ever reduce to K50 as promised by the President. Responding, Vice-President Nalumango said “I wouldn’t assure you of that”, saying the price of fuel which the administration had no control over affects everything in the economy.
She said prices of other commodities like fertilizer were also not in government’s hands.
On the K50 promised for mealie meal, Vice-President Nalumango said in politics like marketing, there was what they called “trade-marks” which they sometimes use to express or send a message that a commodity’s price will not continue to go up.
But when asked by a caller named Gift that it was worrying that she was saying the government could not do anything about the matters despite promising reduced prices for fertilizer, fuel and mealie meal, Vice-President Nalumango said she mentioned even during the run up to the 2021 general elections that things would get more tougher when they took over, as the country was in dire stress at that same particular time.
She said her saying that government could not do anything about the prices of fertilizer and fuel did not entail that they were seated hopelessly and doing nothing about the matter, saying the TAZAMA pipeline will be back into operation which will probably reduce the prices as some of the cost was embedded in transport costs.
Shiwang’andu member of parliament (PF) Stephen Kampyongo called in telling the Vice-President that the administration was warned as earlier as August 2022 that the late delivery of inputs would pose a challenge, but Agriculture minister Mtolo Phiri argued that inputs would be delivered by November 31, 2022.
He also said the administration was warned about the food security on the export of maize, which he said had brought about the ongoing problems with the shortages of mealie meal in some places and the high prices of the same commodity.
But Vice-President Nalumango said it was not as if the exports were allowed without controls, adding that because of pressure from the opposition they managed to deliver the inputs around the country and if well handled, the country still had enough maize to see it to the next season.
Vice-President Nalumango further maintained her position on the urge to diversify to Roller meal if the price of breakfast had become expensive, saying it was the right thing said at a wrong time as there was also a programme encouraging diet diversification in her office, and asked those who were criticizing her for the statement like Harry Kalaba and Chishimba Kambwili to be honest to people if indeed the mealie meal they consumed in their homes was not roller meal.
She said roller meal has been her mealie meal of choice in her home.
On the 10-point plan which the UPND drew to address some pertinent challenges the country was facing if they were elected into office, Vice-President Nalumango said the plan was meant to be actualized in five years, adding that the UPND administration should be judged on the basis of five years.
“We have never promised roses without thorns. But let’s be together,” said Vice-President Nalumango.
