MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) have described First Lady Esther Lungu as a hardworking ‘mother’ of the nation, whose altruistic works are helping to uplift the welfare of vulnerable people and that her office, needs concerted support.
The lawmakers are impressed that, Ms Lungu has not only continued to lobby for empowerment schemes for underprivileged persons, but was representing Zambia well during international meetings of the First Ladies.
Patriotic Front (PF) Chilubi MP Rosaria Fundanga said the First Ladies of the ‘1990s’ were mostly confined to home, but with changing global trends, First Ladies are now being co-opted to engage themselves in charitable and other national works.
She told Parliament on Friday the Office of the First Lady has become an important ‘institution’ owing to the influence in wooing economic development through interactions with stakeholders.
The MP, who was commenting on budgetary allocation of about K1.5 million of 2017 Budget for the First Lady’s office under Cabinet Office’s budget debate, said Ms Lungu was a key factor in lobbying for women empowerment.
“I strongly support the budget allocation for the office of the First Lady, because Ms Lungu is working hard and lobbies for women empowerment. She carries the flag of Zambia whenever she goes for international summits and she doesn’t only represent herself, but our great nation as well.
“Let’s look at what she brings for Zambia and Ms Lungu is not the last First Lady of Zambia,” she said.
The MP, who sent the House into laughter when she said, ‘behind every successful man there was a women’ hailed Cabinet Office for the First Lady’s budget, saying Ms Lungu’s ‘sweat’ to fight for improved welfare of all Zambians was starting to record positive results.
She cited Ms Lungu’s efforts in the fight against cervical cancer and outreach community projects with support from stakeholders, as key areas to promote quality health for women.
Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo observed that Ms Lungu could not only be confined to the ‘kitchen’ at the expense of her desire to partner in fostering national development.
He took a swipe at politicians that shun national events citing the Day of Prayers, and that President Edgar Lungu was committed to working with citizens, but would not force anybody.
United Party for National Development Ikele’nge MP Elijah Muchima, who said, he was proud of Felix Mutati as Finance Minister, called for transparency in implementation of the Budget.
In winding up the debate for Cabinet Office budget, Vice-President Inonge Wina said the office of the First Lady plays an important role in the national development discourse.
Will she be audited as well? If she misuses the funds will she be jailed? Is she enjoying immunity like the husband?
Exactly. Who will be monitoring her work and how she will be using that money. Is there any legal instrument supporting that budget allocation.
To be fair, she warrants her position and her works is tangible visible for all to see.
I think K1.5m is actually not enough. Her budget needs increasing for me.
She is the voice for most women and besides she single handedly champions the charities and is at the forefront of the voiceless.
I am happy with her and would prefer her monies are increased. It is a tireless position.
She has my sympathy.
I would love to be the FIRST lady.That would be awesome
Thanks
BB2014
Mushota – quite some nice appreciation there. I like what you have written – except everything becomes suspicious when you say “I would love to be the FIRST lady. That would be awesome”!! That would be awesome, of course!!!!!
Sad indeed, how can Kapyongo insult bana Lungu palyaapelele? Who told him that Ba Dalitso has always been in kitchen?
What is the country going to loose if she just seat at state house cooking for her husband, NOTHING, so that money is just a waste, The problem with Africa is we copy and paste what the developed word does esp. if it will benefit a few individuals but we do not want to copy their developmental goes which benefit the ordinary citizens.
First lady is an institution not the individual.
Today it is Esther Lungu, tomorrow it can be mulyokela’s wife.
The institution remains, so the thought of attaching people to the law of onstitutional funding is retrogression reasoning.
I’ve just discovered one of my TDK cassettes on which I recorded my Shalamar and Kashif music. Nice start to the day! Have fun everyone…
Rubbish all that is for her shopping what empowerment??
No amount of money will disprove the fact that this is one ugly woman. But give her the money because to sleep with an equally ugly man like drunken Lungu is a crime in itself.
Can she just get employed by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare? I think state house is a misplaced venue for her works. She can do well as Director of Social Welfare
This is just an unnecessary waste of money! And why does Lungu look “pululuuu, mane inge Kankuni mutu ya pila hande mwa muluti”. Mwendi ni yena kela cha kota, seli lukungwe.
What is the role pf the first lady“
What is the role of the first lady“
Is there money to waste kanshi? …Plus Ministry of gender !
Let her just use some of the 230 million that Lungu has already stolen from the Nation!
Is she really so greedy that this is not enough?
Zambia is really an ANIMAL FARM now. Pigs feeding on public resources beyond what it is even possible for them to eat!
Is “first lady office” constitutional in Zambia that it can get a budgetary allocation????
my question also; is it constitutional, my sentiments are that the first lady should not involve herself in these political things because she loses respect; like it or not she used her so called charity to gain milage in campaigns for her husband; I think first ladies should remain demure and dignified and have a small charity participation and rather be called up to officiate at charity funtions;
That’s what I am wondering
It is not constitutional and so what the law makers (if at all they are since they are going against the constitution)are doing especially the PF is to “rape” the constitution. This is a serious offence but hey it is in Zambia under PF and it goes. This whole thing of stealing money through the “office of the first Lady” was introduced by PF under Alex Chikwanda and Dr. Kaseba was the first one to have a hand on this money. UPND and MMD members of parliament proposed that before approving the allocation let the “office of the first lady” be made constitutional office by law and all structures be put in place for transparency and accoutability sake. Unfortunately PF could not listen and they went ahead. The fist lady, admittedly plays some kind of charity work, but that does not…
its her time, let her work for the less privileged and keep the little change for her up keep. No big deal.
Little change for her to keep you say…its this mindset that is taking us NOWHERE!!
Decision shouldn’t be based on Mrs Lungu but on the office of the first Lady.
The adoption of the first lady’s office into formal work must be in the constitution and not just in the budget.
Monies on first Ladies’ run-abouts have always been spent since the days of Mrs Chiluba?.
Who draws their duties and to whom are they accountable?
Will this budget be properly controlled and audited and criminal charges laid upon misuse?
we didnt vote for fisrt lady and so she musnt get a vote in the budget. this explains why the president hoodwinked people in the salary cut only to hand over the money to his wife. this president is clever really
When you voted for the President you didn’t know that he was married? Did you cast a vote for VP? Just advocate for accountability and appropriate utilization of the funds.
à@ One Zambia: Didn’t you see what was written on the ballot paper;it was Lungu/Inonge.That means we voted for the VP,in the case of the VP been appoint,she would still under the budget because her office is a public office.There is no such a thing as the office of the first lady and it’s not the role of the government to sponsor private charity works.
Common Sense – First, it was the choice of Lungu to nominate his running mate – you had no input in that. You elected a President who chose his own preference as running mate. You voted for the President. If the First Lady’s Office is not a public office, why didn’t opposition MPs raise this issue before participating in the debate for approval of expenditure?
When did our national budget include expenses for something called First Lady? We never voted her into office nor is she mentioned in the constitution. She is not part of cabinet portfolios. She must raise her own money if she is in love with the ‘job’ she cant be using taxpayers money without our consent. K1.5 million budget doesn’t fall from heaven
I agree with you, almost gave you a thumbs up before I saw your name
“MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) have described First Lady Esther Lungu as a hardworking ‘mother’ of the nation….”
Which MPs? You mean PF MPs…anybody can be hardworking if they are given free unaudited money. This woman has her own Trust on top of that.
Do these MPs understand what austerity means are? Why do we reduce their allowances…they are happy to ask us to tighten our belts whilst the loosen theirs.
*… austerity measures are?
Our MPs do first things first, Institutionalize the Office of the First Lady!!!! Until then all allocations will be illegal and fertile ground for prosecution
How can you institutionalize the Office Of the First Lady? She is only there by virtual of being married to the President….do you need a budget to fund-raise for good causes.
Moreover she is also backed by the blank cheques from the corrupt Presidential Slush Fund.
How ridiculous… Really the amount of stnpidity in this thing we call Zambia never ceases to amaze me. Why can’t they give that money to charity who are trained and dedicated to fighting for the rights of women and not stealing from the public coffers by allocating money to this non-constitutional so called ‘first lady’s office’? This country will remain underdeveloped and stagnant for a long time with this kind of ridiculousness.
Moreover who appointed her “mother of the nation”…a mother does not sponge off her children’s lunch money. We have seen this before with Mpundu Trust where loans and donations were laundered through them…they call themselves Charities yet they are constructing luxury apartments.
this first lady who is supposedly supposed to be fighting for women made no comment against the stripping of a fellow woman on labour or youth day, she made no comment condemning the shooting of a woman so which women exactly is she being given colosual sums of money for? the first lady should keep out of the political arena for the nation to respect her; the money being given to her should go for medicines in our hospitals and clinics and helping out genuine orphanges; she should raise her own money for us to give her total respect not the tax payers money; plus when she accompanies mobile clinics she gets hefty allowances so where is the charity there?
May I ask this Ladies and Gentlemen: What of the previous 1st Ladies why have they abandoned there dreams for what they had started. Does it mean these are short lived dreams. Where is Hope Foundation and others? How many sawing machines, hummer meals have been given out in provinces to women by the last 5 / 1st ladies. Can some one do the SONTA.
They are no more because their life line which is taxpayers money has been unplugged, and the donors that were pumping in cheques were only doing it to get contracts…a genuine Charity has genuine donors and subscribers. The recently exposed Panama scandal …a lot of these crooks had Charity Trusts for one reason only to launder money; who is going to ask you where you received a $100,000 if the donor wants to be anonymous and uses Off shore accounts.
KIKIKIKI MENTOR. YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER FIRST LADIES THEY HOLD ONTO THEIR MONIES THAT THEY RECEIVED FOR THEIR SO CALLED CHARITIES. IT SHOULD BE STOPPED AS IT IS SHAMEFUL FOR FIRST LADIES TO BE RECEIVING MONEY THAT IS ALL A BOGUS.
In Zambia things will keep going backwards because if something is completely stup!d, unnecessary that’s what will get a vote of over-whelming confidence. Why should tax money be spent on a first lady’s whims? Lungu confessed he doesn’t have what it takes to run the economy, besides he is an untrustworthy and dishonest person, hypocrite, tyrant, a drunkard who would rather drink and dance than lift a finger to steer the economy, but that’s who the crowds screamed for to be their leader! Then people are shocked the economy has taken off galloping backwards!
We need first lady to have a budget to sort out racist greeks who call Zambians by the colour as Mavros. This is real guys
What a heck? It is only two weeks ago PF was loudly praising the reduction in Edgar Lungu’s salary, now he is actually not giving away half his salary to the treasury but rather to his other hand plus extra!! This is totally unethical.
imwe stop these things called Father or Mother of the nation. have you ever heard of such things in the civilised developed countries. There is simply nothing like Father or Mother to the nation. That innovation is wrong. One is a president and father of his biological children, full stop. For school kids, please don’t listen to such things, your teachers will advise further
That position is supposed to be ceremonial but in this country of ours it has been institutionalized such that now they are budgeting for it.The First ladies should also be subjected to audits after they leave office because some of the money that they ‘dish out’ is from the poor tax payers. The so called donors who give some food and other items to the office of the First lady are just for show as we know what they want in return: CONTRACTS and other BUSINESSES from government.
This is easy money handed to a man who has a record of stealing from his client .They are making him rich .
WITH ALL RESPECT DUE, WHAT THE FIRST LADY DOES IS CHARITABLE WORK WHICH IN MY OPINION SHOULD BE FUNDED BY WELL WISHERS & NOT DIRECT TAX PAYERS’ MONEY
She’s simply a hard working lady. She cannot afford to do all that work from her shallow pocket. Keep on doing what you are doing and I humbly request that you involve the willing past first ladies. Together you can make a difference.
Shallow pocket?
When her husband has stolen 23 MILLION DOLLARS of Taxpayers money?
Please be serious!
Charity is not getting money from government and pretend to give it away. What nonsense is this? Chiluba had slash fund from state house which he used to bribe churches and other stupid organisations without any accountability. Lungu’s wife must raise her own money and not get any funding from government.
Betty Kaunda had non of this nonsense of ‘charity blacadabra’, where is the Hope Foundation, MMCI, Kaseba’s ‘banafimbusa kantemba’ whatever charity she ran, ?? They have all gone into oblivion because they depended on the tax payer! Let her works be built and anchored on her own funds, she has international welwishers who can sympathize with her ‘hard work’ and donate to her causes rather than strain this our dying economy..anyway, whether we comment our not it makes no difference..PF is deaf, it’s living on cloud nine not on this planet earth..thanks.
The problem is during campaign time she uses the same government funds to campaign for PF
Comment: plz live her alone talk same thing good she work hard than any one else
Justification of not having Ministries such Community Development and Gender something…waste of money! She should not be included in the budget….why can’t she fundraise for her causes?
The office of First Lady is critical in supporting the Head of Stare . The office is also plays a role in the public eye. However, I wish to point out that the activities of First Ladies awhich in most cases are a duplication of what the appointed Ministers do. For example community work should be championed by the Ministry of Community Development, health issues are well managed under the Ministry of Health. Furthermore they are budgeted for. I want to argue that if a First Lady wants to get involved in such activities which are under other Minustries let them fund their own budgets instead of draining Government resources. When are we going to learn to provide services instead of looting. In future we should elect leaders who have their own resources or with ability to raise funds to…
I wonder whether the office of First Lady is subjected to audit. The First Lady should raise her own funds for her activities. I think she will be more respected that way. Let’s have a culture of being self made not government made. Madam Esther go for it with your own resources. I know you can do it.
Pocket mane bane.
This is unconstitutional. The wife of the president is not constitutionally mandated to be payed by tax payers.
Def. “Lobby” to try to persuade a politician, the government, or an official group that a particular thing should or should not happen, or that a law should be changed.
Effectively what have these women AKA “First Ladies”actually done.
1. I can accurately say all Maternity wards in all Govt. hospitals and clinics are so ill supplied. Not even urgent needs. Most of them just K20 000. of needed supplies would keep them just above water. Now imagine what K1.5 million would do?
2. With these investors (Shoprite, Game, FQM, Greek shops, Protea just to mention a few )and their low life kind of management that the bring with them, you have an idea what our women have to go through to be employed, promoted or to stay employed. What has this so called first ladies done and can be…
Mama continue to do what you are doing but do not neglect you sweet babe: Edgar!
It would be no surprise that a Neew Ministry could be in the making and I suppose it will be called The Ministry of First Ladies. Bravo Zambia!!!!! Why can’t we spend sleepless hours on how to improve CHINGOLA-SOLWEZI RD napapata.