FDD President Edith Nawakwi has expressed concern at governments upside down priorities.
And Ms. Nawakwi has challenged President Edgar Lungu to explain why Deputy Minister in the Office the Vice President Steven Kampyongo was given the mandate to negotiate for the purchase of Zambia police MI17 helicopters from Russia.
Speaking when she donated assorted food stuffs to Mulela School for Children with disabilities in Kanyama on Saturday, the emotionally charged Ms. Nawakwi wondered why government was borrowing huge sums to spend on non priority areas when a lot of people in the country were suffering.
She observed that government was busy spending colossal sums of the money it is borrowing on what she termed useless things such as surveillance equipments when the money could be spent on improving the country’s social sector.
“This government seems not to know what our priorities as a country are. They went to borrow money so that they can be snooping on citizens. I’m aware that part of the 192 million dollars loan will be used to put up surveillance equipment so that government can be snooping on its citizens.’
‘The social sector has been neglected and its only individuals like Ms. Mulela who are now taking care of people with special needs such as these children. I get very angry when I come to a place like this and all the children need is probably a classroom, good toilets, and a kitchen.’
‘It’s matter of grave concern that the President his Excellence Edgar Lungu and his government would rather spend money on useless things such as surveillance equipment instead of areas of need like taking care of people with disabilities like these children here,” said Ms. Nawakwi.
The opposition leader further wondered how the purchase of “useless” helicopters for the Zambia Police will serve the people of Zambia.
“This government has decided to bring in useless helicopters in the design of MI 17 and are very, very expensive aircrafts [and] we don’t have pilots for those because those are specialised heavy-duty helicopters.’
‘In developed countries those are the ones which are used to lift concrete on sky scrapers where you can’t have these very, very tall cranes. You need pilots who have a minimum of 2, 000 to 3, 000 [flying] hours and we don’t have those pilots at ZAF who are technically qualified to fly those MI 17s.’
‘Those aircrafts are used in places [where] you need to carry 32 armed military personnel who can be dropped here and there or in fact those are aircrafts for countries which have money because to run a MI 17 you need $3 000 per hour and what has baffled me is that this government has gone to Russia and contracted those useless helicopters, five of them for Zambia Police and one wonders where Zambia Police will park them [and] where they will get the pilots since ZAF doesn’t even have pilots and the technicians who are qualified enough to run them.’
“They are bringing them here purportedly for the police under the Russian- Zambian Government debt swap. When I was Minister of Finance we would use the debt swap to provide for social services for children like the ones we have just met. But because these people are bent on pocketing resources, they can go to Russia and collect those aircrafts,” she said.
And the opposition leader said President Edgar Lungu should explain why deputy minister in the office of the Vice President Steven Kampyongo was the one behind the helicopter deal.
“I want the President to explain how Minister Kampyongo took that heavy responsibility to go and bring useless aircrafts into Zambia. What we would need at this point in time for Zambia Police is helicopters which can be used as air ambulances or in fact, helicopters which we can use maybe in the flying squad. The only motivating factor for this government to import such aircrafts MI 17s is nothing but corruption.”
She further said the impending month end meeting between President Lungu and three Turkish investors at State House further exposes the PF government’s corruption.
“Obviously it’s corruption because they didn’t even go to Russia to negotiate because there is an embargo on Russia [instead] they met in Turkey. No wonder we have seen our former President (Rupiah Banda) taking people from Turkey to State House. Now we know the scheme. Apparently they will turn around and say these are for relief aircrafts but is Zambia Police involved in relief?” Nawakwi wondered.
Mulela School for children with disabilities has about 52 children with different disabilities and operates at a care park. Susan Mulela and three other physically challenged friends takes care of the children from 8 in the morning to 16 in the afternoon.
In the picture President Nawakwi dancing with children at Mulela school and President Nawakwi huges Susan Mulela the head teacher of Mulela school for children with disabilities.
Kampongo wants to oversee the procurement of helicopters because there is easy money to be made. He will give his boss Kaminamisa Lungu a cut of the proceeds from the kick backs
Yes let Edgar Lungu explain.. Why do we hear of such things after the fact? Who approves these wasteful government expenditures.Surely the Zambian people should have more say. We are not poor because there is no money we are poor because of poor leadership.My suspicion is Edgar Lungu is more focused on placing machinery in place to win next election.
Ms. Nawakwi
PF BANDITS DESTROYING the country! Time is running out for the visionless PF.
For a drunkard & glutton will shall come to poverty ~Proverbs 24:21.
PF BANDITS your time is catching up, 2016 drunkards & gluttons will be Out of power.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Tell them Mama. I wish Chiluba had chosen you to succeed him. I honestly think you and HH have a real heart for our people. We really need to kick Lungu out at all costs. Zambians I know you are smart. This is not about been tonga or ila or bemba or yellow or green. This is our country, our home that Lungu is destroying day by day. Please tell you relatives, friends anyone you know. Lungu must pack his bags and get ready for court. He cannot be allowed to loot from the country like this.
Ndeloleshafye; waiting for justification, maybe lifting ballot boxes and supporters at the same time.
You will always have poor people around you.even the usa has them in abundance.we understand the poverty levels in Zambia are higher.even if you change govt the poor will always be with you.laziness,over dependency on others and inferior mindsets is the reason for for africa’s poverty.these useless politicians like using the poor and disabled to gain political mileage and it’s a shame.the purchase of military equipment by govt may not be such a bad idea,technological advancement is always good for any country.in face of disaster Zambia should not be found wanting by not possessing any helicopters we need such.don’t make people conclude that this money is going in someone’s pockets.nawakwi has no success story to talk about in her reign as finance minister .which poor people she help
Ba chimbwi no plan.
PF’s upside down priorities is both a bad gift from and a legacy of M.C ,Sata.
Surveillance equipment? Eves-dropping aequipment, i dont why they’d bring equipment that will curtail their freedoms too. Mind you leadership comes and goes. The best form of defence by the party in power is neither the misapplication of the public order act nor surveillance on citizens, but rather, discharging excellent leadership as well as legislating good laws which will take care of all, including themselves when they leave office. Good laws would force even a bad-hearted person to seem good. I dont subscribe to the notion of a ‘good’ person.
Surely the Zambian people should have more say. We are not poor because there is no money we are poor because of poor leadership. Keep speaking for the voiceless mama. The problem is that most people got big eyes for nothing, they can’t see when someone means well for the country. Madam Nawakwi has continued to offer checks and balances for the government but still they have turned a deaf ear to her messages. Zambians let’s open our eyes and emulate this lady’s vision.
Viva Madam Nawakwi
Ifintu ni Lungu ,seleni tubombeka,these PF thugs. 2016 is too far!!
ba Nawakwi what did you do to uplift the well being of Zambians when you were in the MMD cabinet?
She introduced rural electrification as Minister of Energy.
You see, sometimes it would not be wise to accept gifts from politicians. Aspecially those vying for office.They will turn your institution into a political battle field. When two elephants fight it is grass that suffers. Thanks to God Mrs Nawakwi is not an elephant and the elephant in state house is not the fighting type. It is also morally incorrect for Nawakwi to use the Vaseline for 2pin that she was donating to hold the disabled innocent as hostage in her fight with government. In any case living is not about food alone. You can not eat that left over food you are donating if there was no law and order.
What is Hambulo giving this lady? She seems to be getting aggressive politically. Any way checks and balances are needed but they must be well timed. The best she should have done is o make the donations and leave politics for another day.This lady was once in power and proved her arrogance. Zambians really have short memories.
why do these opposition leaders always want to live speculative lives? They always want to speculate about this and that to mislead people! It is shameful. Ms Nawakwi, problem is that whenever you talk it is all about ECL instead of talking about your programs. Up to this time I don’t know FDD’s intentions for the nation.
Ba Nawakwi you bought maize for $8 million which has not been delivered to date under the Carlington Maize deal, kindly advise when it will be delivered rather than talk about things which will be delivered.
If its true that the government has bought these the its very, very sad .
://www.russianhelicopters.aero/en/helicopters/military/mi-817.html
According to Milton Friedman, one of the most influential economist, said: Tell me. Is there some society that you know that doesn’t run on greed? ….What is greed? Of course, none of us are greedy. It’s only the other fellow that’s greedy. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests.” The best example of this is Membe of the Post who thinks that failing to pay tax and borrowed money is not corruption and points at Chiluba and yet Chiluba despite his corruption empowered a lot of people with houses which made some of them middle class. Even Nawakwi was involved in a maize scandal. The degree of selfishness differ. LPM who claimed to be corruption free and yet sold the mines for a song could never have empowered people with houses. Corruption is here to stay.
I should imagine, like everywhere else, (such as UK, USA, France, etc), the package includes the training of officers and men from ZAF in the running and maintenance of these aircraft. And this irrational woman, Nawakwi, ought to know this, surely!
Surely what can be sophisticated about a 40 year old Russian Helicopter?
Lazy Bum Lungu is not buying these helicopter for Stella and her officers as this helicopter is mainly used for troop deployment and personnel transportation by the UN, hence Lungu is selfishly preparing for use of transportation of cadres in the next election & By elections…he saw how useful air transport was to him last time around and will use it to maximum effect.
This again reinforces why Lungu still clings on to that Defence Ministry position it all points down to corruption…if they wanted assist Police they would have procured a light police spec. aircraft for traffic control, ground support, search and rescue, high-speed car pursuits, observation, air patrol and control of large-scale public events
Surely when do u expect the government to procure this equipment? If zambia was to be at war can she protect herself? The zambia air force also needs new n modern equipment nd we are here complaining about these five helicopters, let’s not turn everything into a political Issue
Where in the article does it say these are for ZAF and where on earth does a deputy minister in State House go to procure helicopters for Defence wings…why is Lazy Lungu not appointing a Defence minister?
I was going to support President Lungu, then I saw the Helicopter in question was a decepticon hahahahahahahaha.
Viva President Nawakwi.
You were finance minister and failed,sela tubombeko naifwe
President Edith Z Nawakwi wrote;
We are not here to escort others, the Country is looking for a Political Party that will mother this Country and FDD is that Political Party.
Those that are calling for alliances have never at any single moment told us about their Social and Economic affairs they have for the people of Zambia other than them saying,.. “Tisebenzele pamodzi, mutitandize… tingawine.” . We are not in Politics to share positions… that is not our motivation. We are in Politics to serve the people of Zambia.
Fdd #zambia first