Gender ministry should have been retained, says AVAP

THE Ministry of Gender should have been retained and not scrapped to also accommodate the women and other disadvantaged groupings like the differently-abled and elderly people in society, the Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP), has said.

AVAP Copperbelt Coordinator Poster Jumbe said the organisation believes that retaining the ministry and allowing it to accommodate women and other disadvantaged groups could have helped them to have effective representation in the country.

In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Jumbe said despite being promised by President Hakainde Hichilema during the August 12, 2021 elections that once elected as republican President, he will ensure that differently-abled people would hold various key positions, not much had been done.

He said President Hichilema’s campaign promise of ensuring that the differently-abled people were recognised and given key positions in various sectors of the economy had made them to vote for him because they believed in him.

“As AVAP, we believe in inclusive governance where women and other disadvantaged people should be given an opportunity to serve in key positions. During the campaigns, President Hichilema promised an inclusive government where the differently-abled will be given positions, but not much has been done.

“Not much has been done. Only two differently-abled people have so far been appointed. This is why we are saying that the Ministry of Gender should not have been scrapped, but should have been retained to accommodate the disadvantaged people society,’’ Mr Jumbe said.

And Mr Jumbe has also said the referendum should be brought now as opposed to waiting when the country was heading towards elections because it has more rights for women, differently-abled and others.

Mr Jumbe also advised the new dawn administration and its cadres to desist from being arrogant or sarcastic when reminded about its campaign promises because it did not give a time frame when it would fulfil them.

He said it was not an offence for opposition politicians or indeed ordinary Zambians to remind the ruling party about its campaign promises especially that it had not given a time frame to fulfil them.

Mr Jumbe was reacting to comments by some ruling UPND officials and cadres who accused the Patriotic Front of hallucinating after they reminded the ruling party of its campaign promises which included free education.

He also advised President Hakainde Hichilema to be careful with those singing praises because some of them were mere job seekers seeking his attention.

Mr Jumbe said the same individuals who were singing his praises would have been doing the same had the PF won the elections.