By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) says they have resolved to hold a series of street protests against the appointment of Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane as Minister of Finance by President Hakainde Hichilema.
PeP leader Sean Tembo said that the primary basis of their proposed street protests is that the new Minister of Finance does not posses the requisite credibility and integrity, having been at the centre of various scandals during his tenure as Finance Minister under Former President Rupiah Banda’s administration.
“Tese scandals included the sell of Zamtel which is a national asset, to Lapgreen of Lybia for a song. Other notable scandals include the purchase of non-functional mobile hospitals at an exaggerated cost to the nation of US$53 million,” he said.
Mr Tembo said that his party strongly believes that it is wrong for President Hichilema to put at the centre of his administration people whose hands are soiled.
He said that a Minister of Finance is not only a senior member of cabinet but is liable for all the decisions taken by a cabinet, under the principle of collective responsibility.
“ Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane cannot be divorced from the several scandals that took place under Former President Rupiah Banda’s administration. He was an active participant in these scandals that deprived the nation of millions of Dollars in taxpayers money. If Dr Musokotwane did not agree to these scandals, he would have resigned his position as Rupiah Banda’s Finance Minister, but he did not. He stayed on until Zambians got fed up with the corruption and economic mismanagement that was going on and decided to vote Rupiah Banda out of office together with Dr Musokotwane,” he said.
Mr Tembo said that the Patriots have no doubt that by appointing Dr Musokotwane as Minister of Finance, President Hichilema is taking the country back to the days of corruption and economic mismanagement that we witnessed under Rupiah Banda’s administration.
“As patriotic citizens of this Republic of Zambia, we cannot allow this to happen. Zambians have just graduated from a very corrupt and incompetent PF Government. We do not expect the new UPND Government to give us another dose of corruption and incompetence so quickly. We deserve some reprieve,” he said.
Mr Tembo has since advised President Hichilema to consider constituting his team of Presidential Advisors before proceeding to make any further cabinet or related appointments.
“We further wish to extend an appeal to the various civil society as well as democracy and good governance activists who provided checks and balances during the PF administration to wake up from their slumber and continue to provide checks and balances to the UPND administration immediately. Instead of providing checks and balances, it has become evident to us that these so-called civil society and democracy and good governance activists are now busy clapping for and cheering the UPND government,” he said.
