…as government says Vice-President Mutale Nalumango is not leaving
By NATION REPORTER
A CRITICAL shortage of mealie meal has hit Kalabo District in Western Province with almost all the shops and outlets having run out of the staple food after trucks delivering the commodity were reportedly impounded, Parliament heard yestarday.
And Parliament heard yesterday that Vice-President Mutale Nalumango has no intentions of ever resigning from the UPND government contrary to social media gossip that Zambia’s second in command was about to resign and had since left Government House.
Rising on a matter of urgent public importance, Kalabo Central Member of Parliament Chinga Miyutu, who has been a UPND legislator since 2011, said there was a critical shortage of mealie-meal in Kalabo and that government had not moved to address the crisis.
Mr Miyutu told Parliament yesterday that the cause of the shortage of mealie meal was due to the new rule of traders to apply for permits making it difficult for them to access mealie-meal.
He complained that there were no shops in Kalabo which were currently selling mealie meal and that people had been left with no option but to travel to other towns in search of the staple food.
“There is currently no shop selling mealie-meal in the entire town. When I followed up the matter, both the Minister of Agriculture (Mtolo Phiri) and the Permanent Secretary (Green Mbozi) were not available to attend to me,” Mr Miyutu complained.
He said he was however referred to a Mr Zulu, who informed him that the trucks supplying the staple food had been impounded on suspicion of smuggling.
“Civil servants and rules are there to serve people, yet the opposite is happening. There is no smuggling of mealie-meal in Kalabo. What we sell to Angola are cattle, chickens, goats and ducks. We are suffering because of these rules,” Mr Miyutu said.
The Speaker said issues of hunger were important and asked Mr Jack Mwiimbu.
Mr Mwiimbu who was the acting Leader of Government business to respond assured Mr Miyutu that appropriate measures would be taken and the trucks were going to be released.
And Mr Mwiimbu has told Parliament that Vice-President Nalumango was not resigning from government and that social media speculations were fake and malicious.
Mr Mwiimbu told the House that reports on social media that Ms Nalumango was not working because she had gone on indefinite leave were fake and malicious.
Mr Mwiimbu who is Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security said Ms Nalumango was the current acting President of Zambia and that was why she was not present in Parliament yesterday.
He told the House that President Hakainde Hichilema had travelled abroad to brocker peace between Russia and Ukraine and that Ms Nalumango could not be in Parliament because she had assumed the role of Acting President.
He said President Hichilema was amongst the six eminent leaders in Africa to brocker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“As Zambians we are so proud of that decision that President Hakainde Hichilema is part of the six eminent African leaders,” Mr Mwiimbu said before he outlined next week’s business in the House.
Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament (PF) Stephen Kampyongo commended Mr Mwiimbu for clarifying the matter because it had been five consecutive Fridays since she last appeared in the Parliament resulting in speculation.
But the Speaker, Ms Nelly Mutti advised Mr Kampyongo to avoid puting petrol on fire without explaining what fire had been ignited.
Later, Minister of Lands Elijah Muchima said Ms Nalumango had no plans whatsoever to resign.
Mr Muchima said this shortly before he rendered a ministerial statement on the new land titling system.
“Madam Speaker, before I render my statement, her honour the Vice-President called me this morning and told me to tell this House that she has no intentions to resign and she will never resign. She also passed regards to MPs,” Mr Muchima said.
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