By SILUMESI MALUMO
UTTERANCES by South Africa’s Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on Zambia’s economy are being handled through diplomatic channels, says Vice President Inonge Wina.
Ms Inonge said Government would always use appropriate channels in resolving any grievances because it respected the relationship with South Africa.
Mr Mboweni recently said South Africa would not be like Zambia, whose economy was failing.
The statement by Mr Mboweni irked Zambia’s Bank of Zambia Governor Christopher Mvunga. Mr Mvunga expressed concern over the negative statement issued by the South African Finance Minister about the Zambian economy.
But Ms Wina yesterday told Parliament that Zambia would always handle issues with other countries with respect and in line with diplomatic etiquette.
“Mr Speaker, the statement attributed to the Minister of Finance in South Africa is being handled through diplomatic channels. Government considers the relationship between Zambia and South Africa as very important.
She was responding to Independent Chimwemwe MP, Elias Mwila, who asked about the negative statement by Mr Mboweni on Zambia’s economy.
Meanwhile Ms Wina said it was important to mobilise resources to go back to persons who were not captured in the mobile national registration cards issuance.
She said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was looking into the matter and once the funds were made available, the officers would go back to the areas which were left out.
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