Tue, 16 Jan 2018 10:13:10 +0000
By CHITE MTONGA
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) should not deny that they are inciting vendors to revolt against Government when the party has continuously issued irresponsible statements.
Reacting to UPND vice president, Geoffrey Mwamba’s remarks that the PF government had duped vendors, New Congress Party president, Peter Chanda said the UPND had shamelessly continued to issue careless remarks only aimed at inciting protests.
Mr Chanda told the Daily Nation that Mr Mwamba was aware that the government had decided to ban street vending to safeguard the health of Zambians yet he had gone ahead to provoke vendors that govt had lied to them.
He said it was now certain that the utterances by the UPND vice president were only aimed at taking advantage of a desperate situation to influence people’s emotions to react negatively against Government.
Mr Chanda described Mr Mwamba’s action as playing dirty politics that could only result in violence as was observed in last week’s riots in Kanyama compound.
He said the UPND was determined to shoot down all earnest efforts made by Government to fight cholera so as to create imaginary tension in the country.
“Most well-meaning Zambians are aware of the health risks which are attached to having vendors on the streets, especially after the outbreak of cholera, so it is quite surprising that the UPND are politicising the earnest efforts the government is making to get rid of the disease.
“But these levels of frustration in the UPND are very alarming,” Mr Chanda said.
He said Mr Mwamba did not exhibit any morality in his remarks and it was an unacceptable practice in modern politics.
Mr Chanda said Mr Mwamba should make objective contributions that could assist Government in fighting cholera as it was a matter that affected everyone in the country, especially leaders.
He said the PF government did not lie to street vendors that it would provide trading places before they were removed from the streets, but drastic measures had to be undertaken to ensure that cholera was contained in the country.
Mr Chanda said President Lungu had been magnanimous to street vendors and therefore if there was no outbreak of cholera the traders would have remained on the streets.
He urged the government to find convenient trading places for the vendors to continue trading, saying he himself was at some point a vendor and knew the hardships attached to street vending.
