DEVELOPMENT WAS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED- OPPOSITION

CLAIMS by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo the PF government deliberately neglected to develop Southern, Western and North-Western provinces are not true because all areas received a fair share, the New Heritage Party has said.

Party vice president Samuel Kasankha warned that coming from a cabinet minister, such official statements did not lie in the fact that the three provinces were UPND strongholds but rather evoked tribal or regional sentiment and provoke feelings of resentment by some ethnic groupings against others.

Mr Kasankha said development was evenly distributed, saying that the named province today boast of new schools, clinics and roads.

also said that the pronouncement was worrying because Mr Nkombo did not avail tangible evidence that there was deliberate favouritism towards some provinces at the expense of the regions perceived and known to be UPND strongholds.

He said in an interview that it was sad that Mr Nkombo could issue such a divisive statement when President Hakainde Hichilema was on record as stating on more than one occasion that he and his government would endeavour to "reunite a country badly divided by the PF regime."

Mr Kasankha said President Hichilema’s efforts of promoting unity must be supported by all Zambians who love peace.

He challenged Mr Nkombo to provide evidence that only Northern and Eastern provinces were favoured with road and other infrastructure developments at the expense of Southern, Western and North-Western provinces when traditional leaders from the said underdeveloped regions commended President Edgar Lungu for the development.

“We do remember a lot of chiefs from these three provinces captured on news bulletins applauding President Lungu "for taking development to all parts of the country, including areas where he was not voted for." Should we believe the traditional rulers were lying?” he asked.

While it is a fact that some people within the PF promoted ethnicity and were clearly biased in their dealings, he said, this may not have been official policy, just as it is fact that within the UPND, certain individuals did behave in a manner that was also offensive to certain ethnic sensitivities.

He said there was need to rebuild Zambia and promote national unity by avoiding blame games that had the potential to launch citizens against each other.

Mr Kasankha urged the government to focus on progress and move on with t programmes that carry the promises they made rather than promoting division across party, region, ethnic or any other such dangerous considerations.