By Staff Writer
Republican Vice-President Inonge Mutukwa Wina has announced her decision not to be considered as a running mate to President Edgar Lungu for this year’s August General Election.
Mrs Wina said age was catching up with her and she felt satisfied with her contribution to the development of Zambia hence the need to pass on the button.
Her Honour the Vice-President said she was grateful to President Lungu for having given her the opportunity to serve the Zambian people as first female vice president and she had already informed the Head of State about her decision.
“It’s now time to pass on the button. I have reached a stage in my political journey where I need to take a different role that will see a new generation of leaders take charge of the affairs of the country especially now that stability has been restored by President Edgar Lungu,” Mrs Wina said. “I recently turned 80 years and as most of you can agree I cannot summon the same energy as I had when I was a young wife to a freedom fighter taking a position in the trenches.”
She said her involvement in the affairs of Zambia dated back to the pre-independence stage and she was privileged to have served the nation in modern times with the support of the Zambian people.
She said she executed her functions including being Leader of Government Business in Parliament with the support from Cabinet and Members of Parliament with ease which was premised on the principles of collective responsibility.
She said the opportunity to serve as the first female vice president was a historical milestone in the recognition of women as partners in leadership at the highest level of government.
“We enacted laws in the National Assembly that were designed to ensuring that the standard of life of our people is uplifted. I must confess that the Vice-President’s Question Time was indeed at times challenging but it provided a suitable opportunity for us as government to be scrutinised by the people through their elected representatives,” she said.
Mrs Wina said in the quest to uplift the lives of people in times of climate induced calamities like droughts and floods including the COVID-19 Pamdemic, she was pleased to note that her team in the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) was on hand to ensure that they minimised the carnage and saved lives.
She said the efforts of the DMMU would not be successful in isolation as that was a concerted effort by the various supporting partners including International Corporating Partners, the Private Sector and many other bodies and individuals who assisted in actualising the goals of the government.
And Mrs Wina has stated that she would continue to support President Lungu to ensure that all government programs were effectively implemented in the election period.
Her Honour the Vice-President has since expressed gratitude to the Zambian people for the privilege and honour afforded to her to serve as Republican Vice-President.
“May God continue to bless the President of the Republica of Zambia as he continues to steer this great country to prosperity,” Mrs Wina said.
