Friday, March 29, 2024

Ministers flying in first class is immoral

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Provincial Ministers on board Emirates flight to attend a series of workshops on development
Provincial Ministers on board Emirates flight to attend a series of workshops on development

I note with sadness and concern the continued extravagant lifestyles our government officials continue living. The government used tax payers’ money to fly the ministers who left for the Beijing workshop yesterday 13th November 2016 in first class.

It is regrettable that the same government that has openly told the nation that we have no money can be abusing the national treasury in such careless fashion. Both the president and the minister of finance announced that the government was going to come up with measures aimed at reducing the cost of running government, but what we are seeing instead is the exact opposite. The government is showing lack of seriousness in running a cost effective government. A single first class ticket to Beijing costs a minimum of 10,000 USD (ZMK 100,000). This figure multiply by ten (10) ministers mounts to ZMK 1,000,000 less other allowances, accommodation etc. It is therefore, unthinkable that an economy that is surviving on debt can be such wasteful in spending. Unless the minister of finance can tell us that they lie when they say the country has no money, such behaviour is hypocritical to say the least.

It shows selfishness on the part of government to continue living extravagantly when the citizens are being advised to tighten our belts. The government must not continue squeezing the citizens through taxes when they are enjoying. This is a cruel way of dealing with human life.

To lead us with dignity they must lead by example. The government must show seriousness in dealing with the challenges our country is faced with. It must not be business as usual.

Our leaders must ask themselves questions, do they love us enough in order to serve us better? Are they humble and do they listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path in running government?’ If they don’t ask themselves these questions we will continue seeing the same mediocrity.

With proper governance, life will improve for all.

By David Kapoma

62 COMMENTS

  1. Such things do not surprise us any more. They have become ‘normal’. Austerity measures my foot! There’s no money for civil servants to implement government programmes in the districts out there but there’s always money to sponsor trips abroad.

  2. Actually this trip is funded 100% by the Chinese government. Its there money and reasons why they choose to spend extravagantly on our provincial ministers in anyone’s guess. Anyhow, going forward it is important that for all GRZ funded trips we limit them to economy class for all government employees with the exception of the President and His vice. But even then the entourage should be limited and not the exaggerations we see with a 50 man strong group.

    • Why would the Chinese government pay for our so called ministers holiday to their country,what are they getting in return.Problem is PF love handouts,these characters shall never know how to work for there lives.Freeloaders.Kaponyas still believe this quality of leaders can bring development my foot the guys are discovering adult toys they never imaged in their life times they could access how can they remain normal,no wonder they debate with insults.

    • Dan the Chinese will pay for you because they want to to give you loans for development. This is the way it will happen: they give you loans, the Chinese companies (especially ones that are partly state-owned) will get the contracts and the money will go back to the Chinese gov’t with interest. The locals will only get at best a 20% sub contract where the Chinese company knows that it will not make much profit.
      Tell me now why they wouldn’t buy you air tickets. Do you think they have anything to lose?

    • @Kamana,
      I hear you but I think you are missing the plot. The point is this:- This manner of spending is not in keeping with tightening the belts the Govt is calling for. The fact that the Chinese are using their public funds recklessly to fund this workshop does not make it right for Zambia to join in the recklessness. It is morally wrong and contradictory. Period.

    • @Brabus, thats my point exactly. The Chinese have nothing to lose but like you have stated, we are willing participants in the recklessness. It’s the Zambian tax payer who will feel the pinch when paying back those loans. Whether long term or short term, debt is debt and it has to be repaid.

    • The point of bussiness class is that after a long flight the traveller will be more rested and able to cope with jet lag better. They are also aloud to board and disembark before other passengers saving valuable time at the both ends. People that often travel large distances across the globe will appreciate this far better. This also means that said minister can get up and do their job quicker and better rested or in this case do their workshop more easily. Think of it this way, would you like your trade minister to throw a deal just because hes to tired to keep his head to together during the three days he’s visiting Bejing? First or Bussiness class as such is the norm for this kind of itenary wordwide and I wouldn’t consider this to be extravagant at all. Extravagant would be to…

    • Extravagant would be to charter a very expensive jet solely for the ministers or even worse for one minister. By the way Bussiness class Lusaka to Beijng cost around $5000 for a return. First Class around $6700 (Emirates.com)

  3. We criticize when there’s a point to just for the mere sake. It’s common knowledge in the public domain, even as stated here on LT in other news bulletins, that the Chinese have funded the whole lot of this trip. Unless you are trying to prove that you are uninformed when jotting such write-ups, otherwise it’s just a manifestation of tenaciously bitter arrogance masqueraded in the form of begnin ignorance.

    • The Chinese are paying their daily allowances too?

      RUBBISH! This is just a way for these thieves to squeeze more of OUR TAX MONEY out of the national budget!

    • @critico,
      It is hypocritical and pretentious to call for tightening belt one hand, and yet accept without blinking ‘gifts’ in form of Air tickets which are clearly over the top cost-wise, as explained above. If anything, this constitutes accepting a bribe.

  4. The trip is fully paid for by the Chinese ba mambala…….its like a scholarship program now in Zambia because its ministers we start talking rubbish, when some of you, your relatives are studying in china on Chinese scharlaships, your chiefs are invited to china on Holiday, as im writing this about five chiefs including Nkomeshya are in china for Nine days…. don’t talk without information misleading others and yourself in the process

    • Show us the evidence that the trip is fully funded. The Chines are not all that dumb to spend money on paying high fares for ministers. It is not possible that the Chinese advised or bought air tickets for that class. This is pure extravagance on the part of government. Everyone wants to enjoy and tha’s why even the corruption fight is mere rhetoric. Edgar himself is embroiled in corruption. How do you expect such a goon to expose corrupt elements? He is obviously scared that he will also be exposed. So please PF praise singers, stop being unreasonable. We know what is going on. The extravagance has continued at the expense of the tax payer. One day the Zambians will get very angry and rise to claim their rights. You will not handle them even with your brutal and criminal police force

    • @Kalizya,
      “The trip is fully paid for by the Chinese ba mambala…”???

      This manner of spending is not in keeping with tightening the belts the Govt is calling for. The fact that the Chinese are using public funds recklessly to fund this workshop does not make it right for Zambia to join in the recklessness, as explained in above article. Period. Now, which part of this statement don’t you understand? You clearly have very questionable morals to call those opposed “ba mambala”.

    • We have plenty loafers who don’t draw tax money for salaries who the Chinese could have taken to view china.The only reason the Chinese have taken these bums like school kids on a tour is to facilitate their corruption.How does our government expect the Chinese to respect them if they are always willing to live work for which they voted to go for Chinese games.This is clearly evidence of lack of leadership all are doing as it pleases them.

  5. Magufuli Tanzanian president took his wife a public hospital,manje aba ba fee-colour bamuno.they become leaders through mwai wa chimbwi na galu.

    • The mindset of government people is very strange, they fail to see where it matters the very most. They always think money is plucked from trees, this is shameful and they are old enough to see that this is wrong!

  6. There is no coordination between our leaders’ brains and their actions hence, flip-flaps. They talk about one thing yet they do the opposite; we are doomed under PF govt.

  7. The problem is not PF,UPND or any other party. The problem is the mindset of people in leadership. One would have thought that the MP’s would have sorted out the contentious issues in the constitution first and cut their salaries and allowances second.

  8. This will be the most insulted government in Zambian history,MARK-ANDI yanu Ba chimbwi no plans. JAMESON yeka yeka mu mutu. pilato akaimba ati mugwileni. A fo-ol who dislike criticism. Chi-colour iwe.lelo chakwela ndeke chayenda for nothing.

  9. Zambians voted for P.F, despite numerous warnings that are now coming to pass.
    P.F, JUST ENJOY THE BEST, & BE VERY COMFORTABLE. ZAMBIAN PEOPLE GAVE YOU THE MANDATE, & PERMISSION TO FREELOAD, & BE HAPPY.
    KABILI NI VA BOMA!!

  10. There is no such a thing as free lunch. Do not kid yourself that the Chinese will dish out money and train random people for free. They have over a billion people and they are looking for ways to sustain their economy and to create jobs for their people and of course to maximize their returns. The easiest of all targets for resource extraction is ‘Africa’ full of gullible individuals. IMHO, we will start see development only when our government representatives and people start feeling a sense of shame about the way we do things and the way we just conduct ourselves. In their and our current state of mind we can’t have a constructive conversation about the way this country is being managed. We are currently totally operating at different ‘frequencies’ with a big guard band…

  11. These are the issues that make Mr D Trump talk so much about Africans in particular ( Political Leaders or not). How on earth can these people be asking for a first class flights when their on countries are basically on their knees because of poverty? ii is iniquitous on the part of the so called leaders and have no moral conscience at all. All Trump’s views on Africans are very very true.

  12. These are the issues that make Mr D Trump talk so much about Africans in particular ( Political Leaders or not). How on earth can these people be asking for a first class flights when their on countries are basically on their knees because of poverty? ii is iniquitous on the part of the so called leaders and have no moral conscience at all. All Trump’s views on Africans are very very true.

    • Infact most of these kaponyas are untrainable ,why appoint a person to be a minister who is not qualified.This is very costly to the country.

  13. @heptor forfivin
    If all were leaders then who was to be led??? we vote so that they lead us.imagine a driver telling his passangers to fasten the seatbelts but he him self is not, wat could that mean,we are not saying tht they should use bus or train as belinda puted it,those are childish manners madam,you better stay without contributing.
    What we are saying is that they should as well adjust on there programs by cutting off some expenses.if they were using first class let them use second classs after all its you and i to be pinched on taxe and the rest at the end of the day……..

    • @JayJay,
      You are offside. This is not in keeping with tightening the belts the Govt is calling for. The fact that the Chinese are using public funds recklessly to fund this workshop does not make it right right for Zambia to join in the recklessness.

  14. Good parents always lead by example,forcing your children to eat kapenta nomusalu weka weka ati bola naikosa,but you ar busy eating ?is that fair seriously. Take a look at the tanzanian president,he’s busy making his country corruption free,believe me if some of our leaders could join his government today
    They can go to jail straight away including the master him self.

  15. Ba David Kapoma,
    Well spoken. Actually, this is indirect bribe by Chinese. It may not be legally wrong, but it is most certainly morally wrong.

  16. @BRABUS
    I 100percent support you my brother, our copper is in trouble with these free air tickets, chiefs free visits.kaya mwandini..

  17. Me I see nothing wrong what can u do if yo friend invite yu to his house and he prepares u chicken then I refuse just because u left beans home

  18. Comment: The last writer is right, believe me Tanzania is heading in a good direction unlike Zed, but what can we toothless Zeds do about the HIV Monster Virus & its Offsprings? Infact we invited them to feed on our human flesh because we never considered using condoms.
    I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE THE GUTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT AM TRYING TO SAY!

  19. Yes the Chinese have paid for the trip but do you know how much they will pay for lodging and accommodation? Its called, (‘BTTS) or Bring Them to Spend.
    They pay and leave money more than triple the Chinese spent on airlifting them

  20. The Chinese Govt invites our ministers and pays them to travel in Business class and most likely pays their allowances, and the Chinese negotiators sit with our Ministers across the table to negotiate development projects etc. Our Ministers will have no moral strength to negotiate on equal footing. It is “institutional” bribery. Please ask the Chinese investors to come to Zambia and negotiate without them spending money on you or alternatively pay your way to China. Lead us by example in ethics, integrity and hard work.

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