ZAMBIANS ARE SUFFERING, MUSHANGA TELLS NALUMANGO

…says the UPND does not care or listen to the cries of the people about the high cost of living as Vice President Nalumango asks citizens to trust her government

THE UPND government is not living in reality as citizens are suffering because the cost of living is high despite the Kwacha having demonstrated some resilience against the US dollar, Mr Sydney Mushanga, the Patriotic Front Bwacha MP has said.

Mr Mushanga said this in Parliament yesterday when he asked Vice President Mutale Nalumango what measures Government had put in place to bring down the cost of living.

"I fear for the citizens of our country because of the way government handles the welfare of our people. The current government is not living in reality. Citizens are suffering. Prices are not coming down," he said.

But the Vice President said UPND was living in reality and urged Zambians to trust the governing party.

Ms Nalumango said UPND admitted that the cost of living was high. “The biggest intervention is to grow the economy. Let us not be political as not to see what is happening around us. The cost of living is high. We admit,” Ms Nalumango said.

Ms Nalumango said the Kwacha was getting stronger from the international confidence and not performance of the economy.

She called for patience and hard work and urged people to work hard even in the midst of the drought as a miracle could happen.

Ms Nalumango boasted that the concept of "Nalumangonomics" (increasing in order to reduce) was working.

She said UPND took over an administration which had nothing in the coffers.

“Nalumangonomics works ...it was introduced by Ronald Chitotela (PF Pambashe MP). We started from a deep hole. We started from a bad space. We had nothing. The economy was literary collapsed. We had nothing to export with. With our policies and the confidence of the international community, the Kwacha will get stronger," Ms Nalumango claimed.

The Vice President was responding to Mr Misheck Mutelo, the UPND MP for Mitete who reminded her that she had said prices of commodities would first increase before going down and so wanted to know if that was the case of the Kwacha against the dollar.

And Ms Nalumango said Zambians were keenly following the activities of a newly formed political entity called United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) and would not be deceived by those who had transformed themselves into angels of light.

She said this in response to Mr Andrew Tayengwa, the UPND Kabwata legislator who wanted to know her position on UKA.

“We have seen wolves transforming themselves into sheep. They presided over the affairs of this nation and did a lot of bad things. They plundered the nation. What advice are you giving to Zambians over UKA? Mr Tayengwa asked.

Ms Nalumango said had the PF not failed to govern the nation properly, Zambians would not have voted then out.

“Zambians are watching. They are the final arbitrator. People still are able to identify wolves in sheep's clothing. Zambians are not gullible even villagers know what they want. We cannot stop UKA ...it is their democratic right to exist,” she said.

The Vice President also stated that it was unbelievable that someone could think of abolishing free education.

Ms Nalumango said her administration would improve on the quality of education.

She said this in response to Ms Chrizoster Halwindi, UPND Kabwe Central MP who wanted to know what she thought about someone who stated that he would abolish free education.

Meanwhile, Mr Munir Zulu, the Lumezi Independent MP will miss the address of President Hakainde Hichilema to the House on March 7 after Speaker Nelly Mutti slapped him with a seven-day suspension to run from February 27 to March 13, 2024.

Ms Mutti suspended Mr Zulu for donning a chitenge wrapper around his waist.

The Speaker said she had ruled that no traditional attire should be won in the House.