Lungu rebukes South PF leaders for asking him to fire minister

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has rebukes Southern Province PF executive committee members for thinking they can director him on who to hire and fire. And President Lungu says the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) contributions to Zambia have grown from US$248 million to US$424 million from IDA17 to IDA18 respectively. Meanwhile, provincial minister Edify Hamukale informed the Head of State that Gweembe, Kazungula, and Sinazongwe are at risk of being hit with hunger in January and February.

The PF, recently, faced internal wrangles with the provincial committee chaired by Lawrence Evans calling for Hamukale to be fired while another faction in the ruling party has nicknamed three officials namely Evans, former Livingstone district commissioner Omar Munsanje and provincial youth chairman Obby Mweemba as the Mailon brothers, who were destabilising the PF.

Addressing PF cadres on arrival at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport yesterday, President Lungu, in reference to the PF provincial leadership, which has been calling for the dismissal of Hamukale, said party officials must learn to keep to their lane.

“Let me be clear about this one; let us use our power properly, let us keep to our lanes, let us keep to our lines of duty. I am saying so because you think that you are the ones who employed us, you can direct [me on] who [to] hire and fire. That is not the way it goes,” President Lungu said as PF cadres burst into jubilation.

He began his address, in Tonga, to the cadres by saying that power belongs to the people. President Lungu then added that currently, the people welding that power were PF members until 2021.

“The power to hire and fire is reposed in the President of the Republic of Zambia, for civil servants,” he said.

President Lungu said the power to hire and fire party officials was reposed in the party president. He said he had reports of who was destabilising the party as well as the government. President Lungu appealed to PF cadres to continue working if they wanted him to give them jobs instead of destabilising the ruling party.

“If you work, I will know that you are working…I will know who is a spoiler. So when the time comes for me to have people to appoint from Southern Province, I will do it,” he said.

President Lungu advised the PF cadres to desist from holding dark corner meetings adding that even in football it was the coach who selects who plays. And opening the World Bank IDA midterm review meeting at Avani Hotel, President Lungu said Zambia had 21 projects worth US$1.2 billion benefiting girls and women and also in irrigation.

Earlier at the airport, Hamukale said he did not have the numbers of people at risk of starvation in the three districts. He told President Lungu that the province was however, peaceful. He added that the Kazungula bridge, under construction, was 68 per cent complete. On the sale Zesco, ZNBC and ZAFFICO, President Lungu said none had been sold.

“Zambia has not sold nor mortgaged any of her assets to any lenders be they bilateral, multilateral or commercial partners,” he said.

“Listing on the open market is highly recommended by both the World Bank and the IMF and we intend to transform our State Owned Enterprises into more viable entities through that route. I am here as President to tell you to please ignore such rumours and seek credible information from government.”