THE continued delay by President Hakainde Hichilema to move into State House is causing unnecessary daily expenditure, New Heritage Party leader Chisala Kateka has said.
Ms Kateka said the country was losing taxpayers’ money through his trekking from the private residence in Lusaka’s New Kasama area to State House twice a day with the normal presidential detail of escort.
In an interview, Ms Kateka urged Mr Hichilema to move into the official Presidential House, Nkwazi, to cut on unnecessary daily expenditure.
“Our position on the need for President Hichilema to move into State House has not changed. Moving from his private house to State House in the morning and at lunch is a Security cost and inconvenience to the public. We are concerned because it is not only the motorcade but also the police officers that are lined up every time he is passing. The police officers should be somewhere doing other works,” Ms Kateka said.
She wondered what had caused the delay for the President to move in State House almost six months after being declared Head of State.
“If there is any other reason why the President is not moving in State House, let them tell us. But the reason they gave doesn’t hold water. It doesn’t take long to renovate a house,” she said.
Vice President Mutale Nalumango recently explained that President Hichilema would move into State house as soon as Nkwazi House was renovated to the standard that is befitting.
Ms Nalumango, however said there were no resources to rehabilitate the house in State House.
This was after Shiwangàndu Member of Parliament Stephen Kampyongo asked her when the President would move into his official house in State House.
Mr Kampyongo said the people of Zambia were concerned to see the President commuting from his private home to State House everyday which was not only inconveniencing but a risk to his life.
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