CSOs Protest outside Parliament as Mwanakatwe unveils 2019 budget

Civil society organizations have protested outside parliament demanding answers from government over what they have termed as perpetual mismanagement of public resources.

The protestors whose protest was given the go ahead by the minister of home affairs on appeal after being initially denied permission by the police have demanded for transparency from government in the manner it addresses public affairs.

The placard carrying protestors marched from the Mulungushi International Conference Centre to parliament where they were denied access to parliament grounds.

Meanwhile a quick action by police officers saved the protestors from being attacked by some suspected patriotic front supporters.

The angry supporters emerged from a grey Toyota Spacio motor vehicle and started throwing stones at the protestors.

The stone throwers were later apprehended by alert police officers as they tried to flee the scene.

And speaking to Journalists, Alliance for Community Action (ACA) Executive director Laura Miti says now is the time that people got up and demanded for equality in the manner public resources are allocated.

Ms. Miti alleges that currently, politicians especially government leaders are enriching themselves at the expense of poor Zambians.

And water aid country director Pamela Chisanga has charged that the continued paying of a deaf ear to the demands of the general public will not save government from being scrutinized.

And governance, elections, advocacy and research services executive director McDonald Chipenzi says corruption needs to be addressed first for Zambians to be able to benefit from their own resource.