ECL receive more salutes over SONA

Dr. Chanda says people including opposition and CSO leaders opposing the national address have bad reading culture and as such failed to see sense in what presidential address intended to cure.

By Francis Maingaila
(Lusaka 22-09-19) – Bwana Mukubwa Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Jonas Chanda has taken trouble to clarify the rationale behind president Edgar Lungu State of National Address (SONA) to enable the people that failed t understand it get the meaning.
Meanwhile Dr. Chanda has commended the ruling PF for making submission to the parliamentary select committee sitting to receive commendation from the people and institutions on how they want the constitution refined.
Dr Chanda told journalists at the PF Interactive Forum held at Longacre Lodge on Sunday that probably the people including named opposition political parties and Civil Society Organisation leaders that deliberately failing to interpret the speech which president Lungu gave in parliament have a problem of reading.
“It does not need a rocket scientist to know the reason why some people especially those who call themselves leaders are failing to interpret the presidential speech. For me, these have a poor reading culture.”
He said it is disheartening to see leaders labouring to misdirect the people away from the policy direction president Lungu made during the SONA a fortnight ago.
Dr. Chanda clarified that the speech president Lungu during his national address via parliament was aimed at giving policy guidance and updating the nation on what’s happening in the country since his last address.
During this speech, Dr. Chanda explained, the president gave the nation a progress report on national development as directed by the five pillars of development enshrined in the Seventh national development plan.
He said the issue of climate change which is the centre of criticism from president’s critics came in as a by the way but it was important that he addressed the problem any way.
He said the prime object of  Lungu’s SONA was not only to give hope to the people but also lay bare the policy direction which would inspire national development on the face of diverstating effects of climate change.
He said worldover, the people are protesting against climate and are urging their leaders to come up with policies to addressing the diverstating effects of climate change in their respective countries.
He recalled that world leaders are meeting in Washington for United National general assembly and top on the agenda are the issue of climate change.
He said it’s proper for president Lungu to have taken time to explain the effects of climate because it’s effects has made Zambia to be where it is today.
He said the effects of climate change has not only affected the power generation due to reduced amount of water in lake Kariba but has affected the agriculture sector which had seen massive reduction in food production.
He said in president Lungu’s address, he spoke of policy direction how the government want to diversify away the power generation from hydro to alternative sources of energy including solar.
“This policy was grown after government realised that, it has over depended on hydro power generation and now want to invest in alternative sources of energy.”
He also disclosed that, the government is working towards developing power generation equipment in the northern party of the country which is receiving water from rains.
Further Dr. Chanda explained, the government is also putting together measures to ensure that food is grown in Zambia via irrigation.
In this work of climate change, Dr. Chanda explained, the government is seriously thinking diversifying agriculture away from the maize to other crops that are more resilient draught
He regretted that Zambia for a very long time has over depended on maize which did not have nutritional benefits to people.
He said the coming of maize in Zambia forced the people to abandon the crops which have nutritional benefits.
And now today, politicians not only  politicise the maize at the expense of development but use the crop to divide the country according to the region where it is grown.
Furthermore, Dr. Chanda disclosed the PF governement has done more than any other government in Zambia in the area of road onstruction.
He said the road which the government has prioritised are very important and are strategic in the quest to revolutionise the development. 
On the economic front, Dr. Observed, road can help to bring development close to the people in ad far as they promote regional and international trade.
He also commended the government for putting much emphasis which he said has the capacity not only to bring development but also to initiate job creation.
He said the PF government is the first government Zambia has ever had since independence to come up with industrial policy.
He asssures the people that president Lungu will continue to invest in in health, education and job creation.
To cement the importance of education, Dr. Chanda suggested that the government president Lungu has developed a duo education system including academic and career pathway because he want the people to harness the entrepreneur spirit which will propel national development.
He said the combination of these elements makes up the human resources which is vital for national development.
Besides discussing the economic advancement of the country, Dr. Chanda explained, president Lungu to time to appeal to the people of Zambia to support the constitution making process.
Dr. Chanda advised the individuals and inatitutuins to emulate the ruling PF that made submissions to the parliamentary select committee sitting to review to receiving commendation on how people want the constitution amended.
Other than progressive clauses in Bill 10, Dr. Chanda said the ruling PF explained to the selected committee why it was not comfortable to have them included in the constitution.
He indicated that, the PF was against the agianst the inclusion of the clause that provides for the deputy minister in the constitution because it would add more pressure on the already strained national budget.
He also thanked the ruling party for rejecting the clause in Bill 10 that will provide for the coalition government saying this would contradict the will of the people that want the president to elected by a popular majority.
He said any government born from marriage of inconsistencies was bound to fail because it has not blessig from tur people.
He said it would the PF would not want to allow a clause that will give way to elections each time parties in the coalition failed to agree.
He also expressed happiness that the ruling PF want the chief justice to be the overall head of the judiciary.
He said the want to have the concourt remain as it is now but to be operating under the supreme court.
He also disclosed that the PF wants the chiefs to provide over the presidential petitions brought before the concourt.
In the view of Dr. Chanda, the PF see no sense whatsoever to leave matters involving the highest office of the land being presided over by the junior judicial officers that report to the chief justice.