By NATION REPORTER
NOW that they have power, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango and the UPND leadership have started mocking Zambians over the high prices of mealie meal after promising that they would reduce the cost of the staple food to as low as K50 during their capmaigns, Brian Mundubile has said.
Mr Mundubile, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament is troubled by Ms Nalumango’s rebuking of Zambians who cannot afford to buy breakfast mealie meal to resort to roller meal which according to the Vice-President was cheaper.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix on Friday, Ms Nalumango insisted that roller mealie meal should be the best option for Zambians who cannot afford to buy breakfast mealie meal.
But Mr. Mundubile who is also Patriotic Front (PF) presidential candidate said Zambians needed practical solutions towards reducing the high cost of living, particularly mealie meal as opposed to mocking citizens who were bearing the brunt of the harsh economic environment that has been created by the UPND government.
Mr. Mundubile said the PF had practical solutions as it sourced money and installed milling plants across the country in order to reduce the cost of mealie meal so that Zambians, most of whom were poor could afford.
“If I may take you back, during the PF when Government promised to reduce the cost of mealie meal they went ahead and acquired 2000 solar powered milling plants and a number of industrial milling plants were installed in Provinces such as Southern and Muchinga,” Mr Mundubile said.
Mr. Mundubile said the cost of Green Eagles mealie meal is lower in Southern Province because of the industrial milling plant installed by the PF administration which is being run by the Zambia National Service (ZNS) in Monze.
“This was a practical solution and we have seen the milling plants working in most parts of the country. If you go to Southern Province in districts such as Monze, Choma, Sinanzongwe among others, the price of mealie meal (Green Eagles by ZNS) may not be the same as is obtaining in other parts of the country,” Mr Mundubile said.
The Mporokoso lawmaker said Government recently commissioned another plant in Mongu where it was expected that the price of mealie meal in that area would be low.
“The UPND told Zambians that under their leadership, things would be better, cheaper and easier…and Zambians voted for them. What is expected is against the promise that they made of reducing the cost of mealie meal, we should hear practical solutions. What I have highlighted are solutions that were brought about by the PF,” he said.
