It Is Petty To Criticise Presidential Trips, Says Alfred Ndhlovu

Alfred Ndhlovu has described as unschooled and naive talks that President Edgar Lungu is abusing taxpayers’ money in his continued international trips.

Ndhlovu who is former Transport and Communication Deputy Minister said there is nothing wrong with President  Lungu  taking international trips when duty calls.

Axed Patriotic Front(PF) founding member Chishimba Kambwili has directed his knives on President Lungu whom he said is abusing the tax payers’ money by taking costly international trips with a huge entourage.

Kambwili wondered why the President does not delegate his ministers to represent him on certain assignment.

Kambwili said he served as Foreign Affairs Minister and during that period late Michael Sata was not as excited as his successor  President Lungu is now in terms of globetrotting.

But Ndhlovu who is former Deputy Minister in the Frederick Chiluba regime said it is unfair to criticize the President for attending international events.

He said certain trips require the President’s presence.

Ndhlovu said if the President travel, the country benefit a lot because some investors  want to deal with him directly.

“Presidential trips are inevitable. You can’t criticize the President for making international trips because that is part of his work. He cannot always delegate his ministers to represent him because of the nature of certain meetings,” he said.

While in Swaziland recently, President Lungu was pictured with private citizens like Valden Findlay, raising questions on why such people were in the Presidential entourage.

Ndhlovu said it becomes a problem if the President travels with a huge entourage.

“It becomes problematic if the President travel with a huge entourage because tax payers’ money is not spared. If what they are saying that 40 people including private followed the President to Swaziland is true then that is very sad. It is tantamount to economic sabotage,” Ndhlovu noted.