NKOMBO CONFIRMS MASS BY-ELECTIONS AFTER COUNCILLORS GOT TEACHER JOBS

I CAN confirm firmly that a number of by-elections are coming as a result of councillors from both the PF and ourselves who have got jobs as teachers, says Gary Nkombo.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said insinuations from some MPs that one can be a teacher and an area councillor at the same time is confirmation that the country had cases in the previous regime where a teacher was a district chairman for a political party.

He however, said the new dawn administration is a government of laws.

Nkombo said this on Friday during the Suspension of Standing Orders 27 and 115 of the National Assembly of Zambia to enable the House to sit until all business on the Order Paper has been concluded on each sitting day.

“Madam Speaker, I heard one of the colleagues say it is time for them to go and explain that there is no money that has been allocated and used under the CDF. Very surprising. But also I am a believer in the fact that depending on where you are standing, you see the world differently. And if what you are seeing is not reality, Madam Speaker, there is an English description which is called an illusion,” he said. “And if you are living in an illusion, it is time to face reality. The reality of the matter Madam Speaker is that, as I speak to you now, as the Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development, I can confirm firmly that a number of by-elections are coming as a result of councillors from both the PF and ourselves who have got jobs as teachers. Isn’t that an encouragement to members of the society? Madam Speaker, someone says they can do both. It is clear that under the old regime, we had cases where a teacher was a district chairman for a political party.”

Nkombo stressed that anyone who takes a partisan position must not be in the civil service.

“We are, excuse me, we are a government that observes laws. And anybody who takes a partisan position must not be in the civil service. That is what order is all about. As we go, the sabbatical is very short. It’s about a month or so and I am urging all members to come out of the illusion. Those who are in the illusion, to go and just put a signature on the government programmes that are a life changing experience for our people,” he said. “I heard finally the issue about how we must explain the issue of the increasing prices of fuel. Again it is an illusion because this is happening in the whole world. We had, Madam Speaker, the President of Italy who sat right there where you are and he confirmed that even in Italy the prices of fuel are escalating.”

At this point, Shiwang’andu PF member of parliament Stephen Kampyongo rose on a point of order to question if Nkombo was in order to attempt interpreting the Constitution regarding the councillors in question.

“The honourable minister has decided to start touching on matters that boarder on the Constitution. When he starts talking about teachers who have been recruited, and are already elected councillors and he is intimating to the nation that we are going to have mass by-elections, he takes a different twist. Madam Speaker, these are constitutional matters and it’s not for him to interpret how the Constitution is crafted as far as those office bearers are concerned,” said Kampyongo. “Further, when we said members should be made to visit the constituency, we were not saying increases of fuel, which he is now trying to twist saying we said we are going to explain for people to know what is happening. Is the honourable minister in order to turn this motion into controversy and start interpreting the Constitution as far as the councillors are concerned and mislead the nation that we are going into mass by-elections?”

Nkombo, after the Speaker reserved the ruling, “apologised for saying the truth”.

He told MPs from the opposition that it does not take away anything to go and explain government policy to the people.

“And my encouragement to colleagues in the opposition is to go and tell the constituency the truth. Because we are now going to basically, we are products of an election. As the councillors got the jobs in the civil service, they resigned. And if they resigned, what else do you expect? But I apologise for telling the truth,” he said.

Regarding Constituency Development Fund, Nkombo said some constituencies during the previous regime would spend two years without receiving the K1.6 million.

He however, boasted that the UPND government has disbursed K6.3 million to every constituency.

Nkombo reiterated that the disbursement of the funds would be quarterly.

“This is what I meant when I said the truth has no disguise. Please just take your head out of the sand like an ostrich and tell the people the truth that this government is working. Go home, that is my final appeal. Don’t sit here in the city honourable members of parliament. Go home, no one will harm you there,” said Nkombo. “Go and have freedom in your constituency. Don’t hide in the fact that there is public order Act. This is a different government which is promoting the freedom of association, freedom of expression.” This is contained in a report published by The Mast.