Canisius hails Lungu’s ‘preferential attention’ to women
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu’s preferential attention to women in Zambia is not only unprecedented but it is encouraging, says former UPND vice president for politics Canisius Banda.
Dr Banda said not many countries in the world had reserved any at all land for women alone.
He said the Head of State reaffirmed that 40 percent of all land in Zambia is for females only, and that from the 60 percent women could still access land.
In an interview yesterday, Dr Banda commended President Lungu’s national address to Parliament, saying he had ably addressed important issues.
“Such preferential attention to women in Zambia is not only unprecedented but it is encouraging indeed, women being the vessels upon which the survival of mankind hinges,” he said.
Dr Banda said the President reiterated that political dialogue amongst political parties was vital for mutually beneficial coexistence in Zambia, and that this must eventually become a way of life for citizens.
He said President Lungu prodded citizens to show unwavering patriotism and that not a single Zambian should speak ill of Zambia when abroad.
“We must collectively preserve the unity and peace that we have as losing these would be a harrowing experience indeed. He urged Zambians to learn from the lives of refugees for encouragement,” Dr Banda said.
He said it was encouraging that the President urged the police to bring to book any perpetrators of political violence whether from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) or not.
Dr Banda said it was pleasing to note that, as a consequence of measures put in place by the government, gender-based violence was on the decline in Zambia.
He said it was exciting that the President had issued a directive that electricity must not by-pass those living near the generation sites.
Dr Banda said the Head of State noted a situation where electricity was taken to the Copperbelt from Kariba and yet people in Southern Province near Kariba had no electricity, saying this needed to be relooked at.