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President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has expressed disappointment in the manner opposition members of Parliament continue to isolate themselves from working with government in delivering development to their constituencies.
Speaking during a meeting with their royal highnesses Chiefteness Choongo, Chief Choona, Chief Mwanza and a representative of Chief Ufwenuka in Monze district this morning, the Republican President announced that it was the intention of government to make Southern Province the number one agricultural production centre again.
He said it was shameful that politics have become responsible for the poor standing of the region.
“We have to reclaim our position in Southern Province as the number one agricultural production centre and that is why I told the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) president Mr Jarvis Zimba that we are going to launch the planting season from Monze.
“Southern Province has gone down and yes, some of the reasons have to do with climate change. But I am also not ashamed to say another reason that has affected Southern Province is politics because your member of Parliament here. Hon Jack Mwiimbu is a personal friend of mine and I was hoping he would take advantage of the fact that I have a personal friend in State House, come, knock and get any help or assistance for this Constituency.
“I was hoping he would probably be here to explain some of the challenges you are facing as he is the face between the people and government. I doubt if Hon Mwiimbu can even pick my Phone call now,” President Lungu said.
The Head of State expressed concern at how the opposition members of Parliament had decided to keep themselves in unending campaign mode from one election to the other at the expense of engaging the various government Ministries.
“Jack Mwiimbu, the Honourable member of Parliament for Monze central has never been to Hon Dora Siliya’s office and yet she is the minister of agriculture. He has never been to Hon Katambo’s office, he is Minister for Fisheries and Livestock so which government are we looking up to? This government is sincere about the development of this country.
“So, as long as we continue keeping ourselves in campaign mode from one election to the other, we can not develop this country. Time for campaign is long gone. It’s time to work. By now, Hon Mwiimbu should have met the Minister of Agriculture to request the transfer of the Monze Agriculture Institute,” He said.
The Republican President further stated that in order to address the developmental challenges across the various constituencies, members of Parliament needed to talk with each other instead of permanently being against each other.
“Right now, Hon Siliya will be going back to Parliament. They will be there talking against each other instead of talking with each other; talk to each other. Hon Jack Mwiimbu can meet the Minister for Housing and Infrastructure Hon Ronald Chitotela to address the Namwala road. He would meet Hon Mutati for financing but that is not the case.
“But we are busy fighting each other to death whilst our people in Southern Province are waiting for development and opportunities. This can only happen when we are able to talk with each other and address the challenges our people face.”
President Lungu was in Monze to launch the 2017/2018 planting season. He was accompanied by His Spokesperson Mr Amos Chanda, the Minister for Agriculture Hon Dora Siliya, Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Hon Michael Katambo, Presidential Affairs Minister Hon Freedom Sikazwe and other government officials.
Are the Opposition MPs isolating themselves or PF is isolating them?
🙂
This is the most uniting language or AN ATTEMPT TO, that I have ever head from ECL, well done.
The only issue though, don’t blame the opposition MPs only, the issues that ECL has mentioned, he has contributed to himself, he has been in campaign mode since day one. So to just condemn others sound a bit of hypocrisy. Which raises some doubts whether he really meant what he said or was just trying to please the Southern Province chiefs. I will give him a benefit of doubt for now, but well done.
I thought lungu was in Zimbabwe or Kenya partying!!!,,,,,,, lungu, lungu the guy can’t hold anything,,, except alcoholic drinks,,,just look at those disappointing hands
Dont shift PF s failures on to the opposition If you dont pay farmers enough for their produce on time the result is lower productivity.
Farmers in Southern province have lost hope under the PF. Thy work hard but their reward is stolen by PF thugs including Lungu who gets their maize and export it to make huge money while giving our poor farmers nothing.
@Ndobo, awe boyi… This is the Edgar we miss, dancing and laughing.
Good job sawing expired seeds. Now he should go and castrate a bull at HH farm.
These are wasted years my friend!!
Chipuba ichi has the MP stopped the ministry of Agric to deliver its mandate in the Area? Humbly Dumbly has become too corrupt that he believes for things to happen people have to knock on his door and they should be his friends…
It’s the petition which makes opposition seek blood!
Okay, so government can only deliver inputs to farmers if their MP goes to knock at state house doors.
U=Umutende
P=Pa chalo
N=Ni pamala
D=Don’t play.
So what development is in provinces with PF MPs? I guess Eastern Province has now developed to the standards of South Africa ka???kikikikiki
It’s your Pf mps doing this. Coz what logic did they use to vote against paying benefits to the retirees? That’s just one example your jamersoness!
President Edgar Lungu should just wait for his time to answer treason charges for violation of constitution in 2016
The president is very right because I can see the same in the above comments.
People are busy politiking at the expense of the ordinary people.
All parties agree that agriculture is the key to alleviating poverty BUT no party is making it a cornerstone of their campaign.
The UPND don’t even have an alternative policy apart from sweeping statements in their outdated manifesto.
This is the way we should have been talking your excellence. You and Honorable Mwiimbu are friends and indeed friends must talk especially when it comes to uplifting livelihoods of the majority. Your excellence do not sit on the high horse pick a phone and call Honorable Mwiimbu and have a chat. I really like your approach and I wish this would have started along time ago. Please also move away from the campaign mode you are always in (‘….there will be chaos if I do not stand in 2021’). Well done
Your excellence upnd are like a square circle, they can never roll, theirs is just to complain and complain all the way to 2026!
He went there to attack the opposition MPs this is nonsense PF has just failed the farmers
Tongas have a dna of bitterness and no change expected from them.i have associates of Tonga original when it comes to social life they want to share themselves
PF is a government of Complainers. Nkandu Luo complains about UNZA increasing fees without her knowledge, Sumaili complains about Nigerian Pastor’s, PF and Government Spokespersons complain about HH going outside the country. This is a symptom of poor leadership.
The president knows well that there’s an issue of his recognition in Zambian Politics. He knows the reasons why UPND are behaving that way. But who has the instruments of power? You have all the power in your hands to effect change in a country. Instead of complaining, say something positive. You are the Father of the nation. Once they see you reaching out to them, they’ll respond. At the case is, both the Government and UPND MPs are acting like children.
Well said mate!
Do we really need the head of state to launch a planting season? Please educate me?
Yabby – This man is a President with a mindset of Councillor like his daughter!!
Been wondering too
Opposition MPs, are they not an endangered species in PF politics? Or has PF changed?
Lungu receives flowers from Tembo, received by Zimba. You have taken tribalism ku Southern province? You are just receiving each other or one another on tribal lines?
So, a child born from a mother who is a Hatembo and the father is a Tembo and it was the turn for the name to come from the father’s side can be rejected by your tribal thinking because then she will be Thandiwe Tembo in Southern Province?
Where is your farm Lungu? Do you know what it cost to produce a bag of maize? This is teasing. He has put farmers to be slaves who harvest nothing.
Lungu has a farm ku chez ntemba,,that I know for sure
Ba Sena – he does not need to be a farmer.
Indeed he does not need to be a farmer after having stolen so much….
I don’t understand this man’s thinking, after letting down the farmers with the high cost of inputs (fertilisers) and the low prices of their produce, who on earth can waste their time listening to this type of garbage. Did he realise that by stealing other parties votes will creat this kind of animosity. You have divided my country along tribal line, I hope that one day your sins will catch up with you. Less lessons from you Mr, you are the worst teacher of my lifetime.
If the opposition upnd will not recognize the president, development shall stall in their areas. All the time will be squandered in the courts at the expense of the constituants. But still the constituants will vote for the upnd again in 2021, even for Mwimbu. And they will blame Lungu for their backwardness!! It’s a bad situation the opposition have put themselves in. And no one is to blame but themselves and their tribalism…
This bum has absolutely zero leadership skills whatsoever for being a HEAD OF STATE.
Kikikikikikiki….. you can only laugh at the u.p.nDonkis.
That is how Presidents work, you Donkis. But no matter what ECL does how can you understand given that you are Donkis? And that your under5 has never been and will never be President of Zambia.
Kikikikikikikikikikikikikikikiiiiiii …… awe mwandi inseko shile njipaya kuli ba Donki aba!!
Lungu stole the elections…..by refusing the petition he is guilty….if a suspected rapist refuses a DNA test he is hiding something….
I can’t understand Donkis, their under5 is in breach of the constitution in many respects and the chances of his disqualification in 2021 are very high. But all that the Donkis can think of is ECL, just wait, you will wake up to a rude shock when I petition him in 2021.
It is the same with under5’s dead petition that never was. Instead of you Donkis helping the boy gather evidence to support his, you were busy, like now, praise singing and insulting all over the show!!!!! Are you really serious about under5 becoming the first chuundu president of Zambia?
Iwe ka muchemble stop mustetbating.g over a UPND convention…..why are you so worried about HH as leader of UPND??
CAMEROON , CHAD, CONGO BRAZZAVILLE, EQUATORIAL GUINEA ..etc etc THOSE FOSSILS, GREAT GREAT GRAND FATHERS THEY CALL PRESIDENTS HAVE BEEN IN POWER FOR THAN 35 YEARS….Welcome to Africa..
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, OPPOSITION POLITICAL LEADERS HAVE BEEN IN POWER FOR AVERAGE 20 YEARS —-welcome to Zambia
This shows how irrelevant our opposition parties have become. There is nothing to oppose in what Edgar did or said today. How do they expect to get new votes? What is their agenda for Zambia?
This is the language we expect of a head of state it also is good foundation from someone who is serving his last term of Office we salute you
You are spot on…you can not go in an opposition stronghold and start being critical of representatives of the people as a Head of State. You are supposed to be building bridges and be above constituency type of politics leave it to your Agricultural Minister.
These are the wasted years indeed!!
Failure to understand that whether opposition or ruling, you’re part of government is our undoing. Where you want the ruling party to fail so that you gain some political mileage is the most primitive form of opposition. Make the place better so that when you take over power your job will be simplified. In the end it’s us ordinary citizens who’ll either benefit or suffer. Parents can argue or fight but they must ensure their children are properly provided for.
Hippocriting as usual the devil speaking an angel language all who support this devil will see good governance few years to come it’s only that they are blinded by corruption money wait you devils.
The truth hurts
Who ‘politicks’ from one election to the other? Aren’t you the one who begun the 2021 script before the ink on the ballot papers from last election had dried? Does he have a desk at State house? Does he have to ‘commission’ or flag off every normal day to day occurrence? What do his ministers, district commissioners etc. do? Tomorrow he is off to Zimbabwe for the inauguration – pretending he is everyone’s friend after his tutorials from his buddy Mugabe were cut short.
Am sure Lazy is sleeping in Livingston tonight so he can be the first one in Harare tomorrow morning at the airport!!
Who ‘politicks’ from one election to the other?
Stephen Sakur: “Isn’t time to move on from the elections?”
hakainde: : “We have an active petition in the courts…”
TRY AND KEEP UP WITH REAL INFO NOT THAT CR#P YOU STUFF YOUR HEAD WITH FROM WATCHDOG!!!!
This is the language we need to unite our country and this should be emulated by the most tribalist minion in PF, Davis Mwila! Well done Mr Lungu and please continue with your inclusive efforts.
Only police officers attended flagging of planting season, where were the farmers? I could also see Freedom Sikazwe as a farmer.
Iwe kawala you were not cleanly elected….by refusing the hear the petition those electorate represented by opposition MPs think you stole the elections.. …no amount of conartistry will convince them otherwise…
Spaka chikopo: As the president has put it, nothing new. It’s politicking with no end…petishoni, petishoni, petishoni…badaala same thing, ba spaka same thing, nothing in those heads except petishoni and making loud noise kwati fi kopo…what a shame!!! SPOT ON, MR. PRESIDENT!!!
“….Hon Jack Mwiimbu is a personal friend of mine and I was hoping he would take advantage of the fact that I have a personal friend in State House, come, knock and get any help or assistance for this Constituency…””
Corruption is all lungu knows…..every time he speaks he speaks in tongues of corruption ……how can you have development based on people going to state house to ask for assistance ???
I must say really beautiful pictures here.. I wish President Lungu can be seen in public doing more positive things such as this, and at home, all across the country.
Beautiful flagging off ceremony of the planting season.
Spaka, I thought you had become sensible? So once a Donki always a Donki.
Anyway today is a special day for the triplets of Rhodesia and Nyasaland:
“Emmerson “Lacoste” Mnangagwa, Congratulations on Your 0-th Anniversary as 2-nd President of the Sister Republic of Zimbabwe. I Wish You Success as You Steer the Second Republic of Zimbabwe to Prosperity. There Will be Many Under5s on the Way But Remain Focussed on Your Country”
Do they really care about the people who rigged elections for them! These UPNDinkies have never been good to any one not even themselves when it comes to worshipping His Highness (HH). So Mr. president forget about these MPs they can do anything to please their wamuyaya leader. Their leader is the worst being on this earth when it comes to tribalism.
Its a disaster.
Under5 kuwayawaya fye no kubwatabwata fye. When is his next card renewal exercise for UpnDonkis? I enjoy his statements and his dreams to create a Grace Mutinta! Unattainable dreams of course, NOT in my Zambia!!!!!
These few Zambian politicians lose moral after grabbing power to defame the people who elected them as well tarnish their party’s reputation!
He should have gone by road to experience that Mazabuka stretch. African BIG man talk. Everyone must kneel before him. Too bad, some will never.
So even the kid who takes flowers to ECL has to be of eastern province origin? Is this where we’ve reached in terms of tribalism? If a six year old girl from southern province is picked at random, what’s the probability that she will be from an eastern province tribe? I guess the probability should be about 0.01 (1/100). You know, if I was ECL, I would refuse this sort of arrangement out of courtesy to southerners. I know this sounds like something of very little value but Zambia is currently very divided because of PF’s tribal politics and a president would do well to use every opportunity to show Zambians that he does not condone tribalism.
The reasoning of u.pnDonkis and their under5 continues to surprise everybody including Stephen Sackur of BBC Hard Talk fame. Imagine that they have tons of hippos to remove from their shoulders and yet befire they do that, they are trying to run with ECL.
Girst things first Donkis
1. Remove the chuundu tribal stigma around under5 which was recently reinforced by Mukuni and other tribal ceremonies.
2. Internal democracy, I will not mind even if you just pretended to “re-elect” your under5.
WAKO NI WAKO
IS HE AWARE TO WHAT HAPPENED TO AN OPPOSITION MP IN LWAMPA WHEN HE ATTENDED A GRZ WHERE GOGO INONGE WAS COMMISSIONING MALAITI? PF THAGS ARE ALWAYS ON STANDBY TO POUNCE – YOU HYPOCRITE. YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT 2021 NOW WHO IS IN CAMPAIGN MOOD? – WHAT A HYPOCRITE.
I have never heard of parliamently projects but government projects…..so those in government are responsible for project allocation not members of parliament…….
UPND as a political party and its MPs is a good party the only problem is the person at the helm of its leadership, the so called HH, at the moment the man is highly feared and dreaded by his MPs, it is a taboo to go against his commands and the commands he has given them is to be anti-Lungu and his government, no wonder the area MP, Jack Mwiimbu was not present at this meeting,but this strategy, like the president has alluded to, is actually working against the people of southern province, the province is lagging behind economically. The best these MPs can do is to stand up and challenge the so called HH and stop worshiping him, the earlier they do this the better for them and the party. I rest my case here
@35 Joseph, correct but even if it is Chuundu ni Chuundu, at least they will have made a pretence to democracy.
@Saimbwende:what you have said is the gospel truth about upnd MPs and their god HH!!!
In upnd,nobody can go against HH.he has told them all to be anti-Lungu and anti-Govnt 24/7!!!but will this evil stance remove ECL from state house?big no!!so the losers here are Zambians in 3.5 provinces who voted and vote on tribal lines for HH.other parts of Zambia have experienced massive development since 2011.from Lsk to my mum’s village is tarmac throughout!!a new district is being built at my village,etc,so its all smiles chabe while tongas are staying behind because of ONE MAN HH!!this is not the democracy Zambians cried for in 1989!!!WHAT UPND DOES IS TRIBAL BATTLE AND NOT POLITICS!!
NJIMBU BB 2017!!
I am disappointed with Opposition leaders and the MPs of the Fire causing party as well.
HH Party is a disgrace as well as its online supporters! They behave as though they have never been to school! Tribal wars are in their blood.