The Disability Movement has upheld President Mwanawasa’s retention of Ben Kapita as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives.
Disability Activists Elijah Ngwale who is blind, Lango Sinkamba and Felix Mutale who are physically disabled, say, President Mwanawasa’s retention of Ben Kapita as Minister, is a fulfillment of United Nations Conversions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Recently, Mr. Kapita was diagnosed with cancer of the spine and became disabled, thereby using a wheelchair for his mobility.
Subsequently, President Mwanawasa retained Kapita as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives and appointed Ms. Saifwanda as Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives to work hand in hand with Ben Kapita.
The trio observed that what is required is to reorient and adapt Ben Kapita in order for him to be as effective as he was before he became disabled.
The trio has condemned politicians and the general public who are calling for the resignation of Kapita on grounds of his disability, describing such persons as practicing discrimination against persons with disabilities.
The trio has called upon disabled people’s organizations to give President Mwanawasa support as he formulates and implements programmes and policies of persons with disabilities in Zambia and the SADC region.
They said as President Mwanawasa is Chairman of SADC, he is also responsible for programmes and policies of persons with disabilities in the region.
Do these know what actually is involved to retain kapita. Much as we sympathise with him we should also think of the economy to maintain two ministers which will be too costly. For those advocating for the idea below is a breakdown of what kapita will still be entitled to-
– Usual monthly pay and allowances thus fuel and the like.
– home servants allowances
-fuel for the two vehicles allocated to him and any other benefits other ministers are enjoying, but the question is do we have the capacity as a country struggling with problems to do all that? The other thing is if LPM wants him let him be sent into a foreign mission where he can rest and have all the facilities such as scooter.
I will respect the opinion of the trio. If I may ask them: In the same ministry, was’t the retirement of Sikatana on grounds of ill health by Mwanawasa an act of discrimination against the ‘sick’? I personally do not subscribe to the manner in which the national resources will be spent unnecessarily when peasant farmers have not been paid for their last season’s crop. This is a scandal and will remain as such. For luck of better words, this is tantamount to having ghost workers on a payroll. God Help Us.
You guys be positive on your comments
so we now have two cabinet members who are sick LPM and Ben. I wonder how many more will follow
Ladies and gentlemen, we should for once start being level headed in our analysis of matters as they confront us, appointing two ministers for one ministry is shear madness especially for an economy like ours that seems to perpetually reside in the doldrums. At a time when medicine in hospitals and allother basics are lacking, why should Levy appoint two ministers for one ministry? Is Kapita the first or last to be disabled for him to deserve such generousity? Why did Levy not show the same courtesy to Sikatana? Levy is just plain stupid and it hurts his gutless stupidity is at our expence!
Let those Disability Activists keep quite afterrole they dont contribute anything to the Treasury, so they dont know how it feels for your hard earned money to be plundered in day light by the pipo in authority.
In law there is something called precedence, one thing Levy cannot guarantee is the health of his ministers and Government workers in General. There is something called retired on medical grounds, the list is long of people who have been retired on medical grounds, Sikatana being one of them, so what is so different with ba Ben, it pays to be a cadre campigning for the president.
Anonymous you can also become diabled today through an accident etc. Although, I think the reason given by Mwanawasa does not make sense given what he did to Sikatana, who was a very effective minister.
#4 more sick cabinet minsters are shikapwasha and kunda
actually they have put up a new office for the the new minster. with 2 secretaries and the amenities that go with the ofice. she has refused to use ben’s office. im sure very soon she will request for new furniture.i tell you its absurd here!!
Kapita was not a disabled person before being hired by LPM. He became disabled following an illness. It does not mean that LPM is okay by keeping a person unable to get his work done due to a disability. LMP is keeping the guy because they come from the same province. Wako ni wako at the expense of the nation’s struggle to become a better country! He is a sick nepotist.
# 9 Saifwanda too! Wonder why she is being absurd!!!
Let mwanawasa take his Ben Kapita to his Teka farm since he want to sastain his living cost, instead of giving the whole Zambia unneccessary expences on Ben’s family.
Ben is not disabled, hes ill and not able to perform duties, what the hell are those people talking about? How long has Ben been their member? They should wait for Mwanawasa to appoint a disabled person then ‘hail praise’ him. They know very well that they are not as recognised as in the KK era. Someone must have given them a tip!
i should think that this is a temporal thing,if Ben picks up things will be back.A ministry is so sensitive to wait for an ailing minister.
What about the D/minister, what is his/her duties? why cant he/she sit-in while the minister is sick?
15, look at #10, and see how much a supposed temporal measure is costing a tax payer. Ma rubbish yeka yeka!
ubulema tabaseka tomorrow it will be you or your child, husband, wife or even your parents what would you think???????
we are all the same before GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
let him/her do the work if he wont manage he/she would have say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.dont take things in political way look at his disability.
It is funny how we people feel that something can never happen to us. we always think that things affect other people and not us. Some of you have gone to town making funny of “who else is ill in the cabinet” I know! i can quess your thoughts, you are all able bodied strong people and nothing can go wrong. These people you are talking about once felt , walked and may have even thought like you. All I am saying is that whatever your opinion might be and how strongly you might feel about it, REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE FLESH AND ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG. Have some respect for people going through hardships, tomorrow might be your day to go through the same. Remember, what goes round comes round.
Long live,Levy!