Cabinet Ministers complain?

By NATION REPORTER

THREE Cabinet Ministers have allegedly complained that President Hakainde Hichilema is micromanaging the governance of the country and is not consulting his Ministers or other appointees when making government decisions, Harry Kalaba has disclosed.

But on Sunday, at a joint media briefing, Minister of Information and Media Chushi Kasanda dispelled assertions that President Hichilema was not consultative in making his decisions.

Ms Kasanda said President Hichilema was the most consultative leader and that he was working closely with all Cabinet Ministers in making decisions on how best to manage and govern the country.

Mr Kalaba is however claiming that the said three Cabinet Ministers have also complained that President Hichilema has been treating Ministers as second-class citizens by disregarding their views and advice.

Mr Kalaba, the president of the Citizens First Party has revealed that three Cabinet Ministers have confided in him, complaining that President Hichilema was governing the country as if he was running a personal private business.

Mr Kalaba says following numerous assertions that President Hichilema was not a consultative leader, the head of State is reported to have directed that his Cabinet Ministers should start defending him over the reports that he was working alone.

He said the last two joint press briefings by Cabinet Ministers was as a result of President Hichilema dictating that he should be defended from the negative attacks about his work culture.

He claimed that the three Ministers who have been speaking to him have not been happy that President Hichilema was running the country as if he was managing his private business.

Mr Kalaba asserted that the Cabinet Ministers have told him that the head of State was listening more to his business partners and that he would only ask his Cabinet Ministers to endorse the decisions made between the head of State ad his business colleagues.

He stated that even after the Sunday joint press briefing at which the Cabinet Ministers claimed that President Hichilema was not working alone but in consultation with his Ministers, the three Cabinet Minister were insisting that was said was not true as the President was working alone.

“Three Cabinet Ministers whom I will not reveal their names have confided in me…in fact they have been talking to us as the Citizens First that President Hichilema works alone. They have told me in confidence that President Hichilema does not consult his Cabinet Ministers when making decisions on how the country should be managed.”

“In fact the three Ministers say that the head of State does not consult Ministers when appointing District Commissioners…he does not consult when making appointments in the Foreign Service. How do I know this inside information? It is because the Ministers have been talking to us. Despite the two press briefing at which the Minsters have been defending the President, the three Cabinet Ministers are insisting that the head of State works alone,” Mr Kalaba said.

Mr Kalaba claims that the Cabinet Ministers have complained that President Hichilema had been treating them as if they were second-class citizens who did not deserve the respect befitting their status.

He claimed that the head of State was listening more to his business partners than his Cabinet Ministers.

He asserted that decisions made between President Hichilema and his business partners were only brought before Cabinet for endorsement.