By NATION REPORTER
IT is unacceptable for Thabo Kawana, a senior civil servant in the UPND government to start mocking and ridiculing Zambians by opulently displaying expensive motor vehicles in a country where there is a lot of hunger and poverty,” Heartson Mabeta has said.
Mr Mabeta, the UPND Kankoyo Member of Parliament says Mr Kawana’s behaviour of showing off his fortune to the majority poor citizens should not be accepted and tolerated because it was causing a lot of anguish among Zambians, especially those who supported and voted for the ruling party.
Mr Kawana is the Ministry of Information and Media director and spokesperson.
Efforts to get a comment from Mr Kawana failed as his mobiles phone went unanswered. A text message sent to him, asking him on whether he got a loan for his purchase was not responded by press time.
Mr Mabeta said in an interview that the conduct of Mr Kawana did not sit well with the UPND general members and that the governing party should never support such kind of mockery to Zambians who had given the ruling party the mandate to govern.
He said while those in government including Members of Parliament were enjoying privileges which came with the offices they were holding on behalf of Zambians, it was important for such public servants to avoid rubbing mockery in the face of Zambians through arrogant opulence.
Mr Mabeta said it was morally not correct for Mr Kawana to start rubbing mockery in the face of Zambians by attempting to tell them that things were alright when most were wallowing in poverty and hunger.
Mr Kawana has angered the UPND general membership by displaying a 2022 top-of-the-range P-Series GWM motor vehicle which he acquired as a gift for his wife, who are questioning the motive of his show-off in a country where hunger and poverty are on the increase.
“I think we all have different entitlements and privileges which come with the positions we hold in government. I also have my own privileges as an MP but the issue of how the people feel in the manner I enjoy my privileges matter. Morally it is not right for a senior civil servant like Mr Kawana to start rubbing mockery in the face of Zambians. We cannot be saying things are allright, that we are managing the economy when most Zambians are wallowing in poverty and hunger. Admittedly, there is a lot of hunger and poverty in our country,” Mr Mabeta said.
He said civil servants like Mr Kawana should always exhibit restraint in their public behaviour but should ensure they sympathised with the people whose suffering was what was making leaders enjoy their privileges.
He advised that civil servants should always endeavour to serve the people so that the governed should not have the perception that leaders were benefitting from their vote while they remained consigned to perpetual suffering. Mr Mabeta said Zambians had invested in the UPND through their vote and should therefore not be mocked or abused by those who had the privilege to hold government positions.
