MMD president Nevers Mumba says it is immoral for members of Parliament (MPs) to demand a pay rise when the majority of Zambians are languishing in poverty.
Dr Mumba said MPs, who are national leaders, should strive to improve the living standards of the majority before advocating better conditions of service.
“My advice to MPs is that unless we improve and better the lives of the majority of Zambians, it is immoral to demand for a pay rise,” Dr Mumba said.
He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that although MPs, like every worker in Zambia, deserve a pay rise due to the high cost of living, there is need to protect the interests of the majority citizens.
Dr Mumba was responding to calls by some MPs, including those of the MMD, for better perks to ensure that they do not become destitute.
He, however, said it is wrong for some sections of society to create an impression that it is only opposition MPs who debated a pay hike as the report of the parliamentary reforms and modernisation committee was unanimously adopted by the House.
Dr Mumba also implored Government to consider lifting the wage-freeze due to the prevailing high cost of living.
“Government should consider revising that decision [wage-freeze] because the cost of living has gone up. The cost of travel, fuel and food has escalated too,” Dr Mumba said.
And United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema said the party will soon state its position on the MPs’ demands for a pay rise.
Mr Hichilema said in a separate interview yesterday that the UPND will make it clear on the matter on what needs to be done.
Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi said it will be unfortunate if President Sata authorises a pay rise for MPs.
Mr Milupi said a hike in the pay for MPs will have an impact on the economy.
“In 2011, we had a similar situation where MPs voted for a pay rise but the then President Rupiah Banda did not authorise and that is how it was shot down,” Mr Milupi said.
He said it is wrong for MPs to demand for a pay rise when the majority of Zambians are suffering and unemployment still remains a challenge.
On Friday, the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions condemned the demand by some MPs to have their salaries increased saying it was wrong.
I agree with, you Nevers, it’s like one trying to squeeze milk out of the already starving cows. What is even worse is that, Sata himself states that most of his MPs are useless, I wonder the basis for the demand.
On the issue of getting milk from the starving cows, ZRA has started taxing workers canteen meals @ 100% (Practice Note 1/2014, page 34, Par. 17.2 Section 44(l) of the Income Tax Act) whilst MP are enjoying even consumer tax exemptions on luxuries.
Well done MP’s. Do you do really represent people of Zambia?
After Sata ,i think Mumba must take over,he is starting to make a lot of sense.2016 is for Mumba.
True, the problem is that the guy who is supposed to authorise/decline had his salary increased three times and then imposed a wage freeze to lock everybody out. So all this noise about wage freeze is idle, bar chatter.
The PF ruling Party is taking the people of Zambia for a rough joy-ride. Look at their political records:
(1) They removed subsidies which cushioned the poor in terms of farming inputs and travel costs;
(2) The PF Govt froze salaries for Civil Servants:
(3) They demonstrated the lack human nature by dismissing the Nurses who were merely asking for a basic living wage;
(4)They embarked on protecting financial plunders who fraudulently obtained K14 Million from the Development Bank of Zambia;
(5)They are using Tax Payers money to float their sick President to most expensive Hospitals abroad.
(7) Govt which is supposed to provide Grants to run Colleges is now grabbing the little that Colleges are earning to improve the quality of education.
THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL FOR VOTERS.
he is only saying this because he is in opposition, didn’t they do the same? every party in power in Zambia aims at making its members rich.
@Hey-Please don’t be pessimtic all the time.God loves this nation,and it’s possible He(God) can give us a genuine Leadership change.So let not the past leadership always haunt you.Who knows maybe Dr Mumba can be that Leader-the man after God’s own Heart
What is that thick book James Muhabi Lungu carries around?. Is it a bible or law book?
I hope when these MPs will start campaigning by being truthful and saying that ‘please vote for me and my family for more money in my pocket’ rather than saying that ‘I want to work for the Zambian people’.
Fellow Zambians only a few people have taken time to comment on a very important subject as this! It shows that we are also part of the problem, we need to take the bull by the horn and say NO! ENOUGH of rampant abuse of office by MPs whatever party they belong to. Do they not have a sense of morality? They have already or will shortly be receiving the mid term gratuity, most of them are never even available to their constituents as they prefer to live in gated communities in that overpriced slum city called Lusaka. God bless Nevers despite his other shortcomings for raising this issue, our beloved President Sata also made mention that our MPs are lacking in many ways and it is not right for them to even consider a salary increment. God bless Zambia and save us from such people.
why is HH (Haleisa Haleya) dragging his feet on a matter which is very simple? Haleisa Haleya must come out in the open and support/criticise the pending salary increment for MPs even if he has to contradict his UPND members of parliament’s position.
@Ndjovu-Surely HH,wants to meet the entire UPND Leadership to comment on such a simple issue.And the same HH,wants to be president.Surely running a nation has more complex issues than just commenting on this issue.Running a nation is not for the under 5,but tested Leadership.This is a simple sign for the unfit person to be President.Zambians,pliz no more fatal National Leadership Experiments.
but mulifipuba zoona Halenya Halenya
These are lazy mps whose debates lead us no where. By now we would have had a working president if they were worth any salt
Workers in Zambia sometimes do not get paid; sometimes up to 3 months, i.e. Times Newspaper employees recently. Miners having their salaries deducted for ‘fabled’ back taxes by Vedanta, a company that under sales our copper to its mates, then re-selling it at higher prices for their benefit. MPs must ‘sacrifice’ as the people who put them in power do. The basis of the pay increase is illogical and reveals greedy minds at work. PAY US MORE SO THAT WE ARE NOT IN POVERTY she argued for when we are no longer MPs. Please….! So you are doing alright now then? Well your citizens are not.
I am eagerly waiting for a comment from UPND president Mr Hakainde Hichilema. Please we want to hear your views regarding this important issue and do not keep quiet the way you did regarding the two issues on comments attributted to the KCM Vendata boss who was alleged to have mocked Zambians on the sell of the mine and the now forgotten ZAMBEEF saga of selling meat products containing harmful embalming substances to unsuspecting Zambians.
Het “lucy chanda bweupe”, know that the Zambeef saga was fabricated by Mmembe who hoped to kill Zambeef so as to sell a few goats to the beef market. The substance Mmembe attributed to being used for preserving meat is called FORMALIN.
Facts are: when an animal dies or is killed, (1) the body enzymes set in to decompose the body; and (2) bacteria also set in to decompose the body (whole process is called rotting). Formalin is used to preserve the body by denaturing proteins which include enzymes and bacterial proteins. This prevents the decomposition of the body.
Since the action of Formalin destroys all forms of proteins, Formaiin is thus poisonous to humans. Mmembe went for this substance used to preserve dead bodies to effectively scare uniformed Zambians. ENJOY YOUR BEEF.