United Party for National Development (UPND) National Chairperson Mutale Nalumango has said that the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) must respond to the concerns raised by America Ambassador to Zambia Daniel L. Foote, about status of governance.
During the observance of he 243rd anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, the US Ambassador said that everybody wanted good governance that effectively utilizes resources and improves the lives of families, before going on to say that Zambia’s reputation as a strong democracy in international reporting has slipped, partly driven by divisive politics and a sub-optimal focus on the welfare of the Zambian people.
In a statement released to the media, the UPND National Chairperson said that the issues pointed out by the US Ambassador are of serious nature and hence demand a public response from the ruling party.
Below is the full statement
We wish to express our deepest apprehension that the PF Government has up to now failed to respond to serious concerns raised by His Excellency Daniel L. Foote, the United States of American Ambassador to Zambia regarding the status of governance in this country.
In his public remarks made during the commemoration of the United States of America’s 243rd independence anniversary, Ambassador Foote was candid and sincere in his pronouncements when he unequivocally appealed to the ruling party to address certain issues of concern currently negatively affecting Zambia’s governance system.
The issues pointed out by the Ambassador are of serious nature and hence demand a public response as they were made publicly, not behind closed doors. It is therefore imperative that Government reciprocates by addressing these matters through the same method, so that citizens are well informed on government’s position with regard to the American Diplomat’s sentiments.
The fact that there was a Cabinet Minister who officiated on behalf of the State doesn’t absolve government from stating its position on these serious observations raised by the United States through its representative in this country.
For the record we will refresh the mind of Government on concerns raised by His Excellency Ambassador Foote who went on an interactive tour to all the ten provinces of Zambia.
1. Zambia’s reputation as a strong democracy has slipped because of divisive politics.
2. Zambians are sick of political party cadres and corruption.
3. Zambians want government to focus less on unending campaigning but instead be responsive to the needs of all citizens
4. Zambians want government to be transparent and accountable on debt contracting and acquisition to curtail corruption by ‘politically connected individuals’ (PCI)
5. Citizens want the speedy enactment of the Freedom of Information bill that will make it possible to publish debt and procurement arrangements.
6. Zambians want disclosure of assets of government officials to mitigate corruption and improve trust.
7. Zambians wants government not to use excuse of “fake news” to suppress or persecute individuals and media organizations for expressing dissenting views.
The matters raised by His Excellency Foote is what the UPND has been stating for a long time but our counterparts in government were saying we were bitter and jealous of them.
We doubt whether the American Ambassador has any reason of being bitter and jealous of our friends in government and yet he has expressed the same things we have stated over and over again. We therefore challenge the PF government to respond with a well laid out statement and not a silly tweet coming from Dora Siliya. Zambians have the right to be correctly informed.
Mutale Nalumango
National Chairperson
UPND
How will PF respond when their leader Edgar Lungu stole money from a widow and was consequently disbarred by LAZ? The PF govt a kleptocracy! Plain and simple
PF govt should ask itself how Ambassador Foote has come to know about these thefts and do a bit of soul searching. Sunday Chanda doesn’t distinguish btwn party and government business and often jumps to defence of govt. Do I take his prolonged silence to be a sign that he now knows difference btwn party and government business? And they think they can borrow money anywhere on planet earth with this kind of notriety! Alex Chikwanda’s legacy is a financial black hole in Zambia’s public finances and the chap wants us to listen to his pontification on the economy! Shut up and put up, Alex.
UPND are smart. Important issues, they let the wise women handle them. Here are 7 points Ba Nalumango has summarized.
And lets wait to hear the response from PF’s Spokesperson Issac Mwanza.
Anyone who wears red is never taken seriously anywhere in the world.
This is where it always gets wrong with UPND.
Their leaders have a tendency of using diplomats to do the opposition for them. This woman I thought was intelligence. Now we know why HH has overlooked her to be the running part or vice president.
Madam – Go to the common man in the streets that PF has not responded to what Mr Foote said, they will tell you that – So What?
UPND has failed and failed to connect with the nation. Same mistakes and always expecting different results.
Cont..
In her statement you sense desperation, wanting to rub shoulders with Ambassador Foote
Quote!! “ We wish to express our deepest apprehension that the PF Government has up to now failed to respond to serious concerns raised by His Excellency Daniel L. Foote, the United States of American Ambassador to Zambia regarding the status of governance in this country.”
Madam Nalumango – ask your MP’s in parliament to raise those questions to the Vice President. That’s what she is there for, to represent the government in Parliament Sessions and answer national issues that concern the citizens.
cont…
The nations want an opposition that can push PF and scrutinise accountability to create Balance-of-Politics. However, this lot from UPND is becoming shambolic every single day. This is sad.
UPND – You wonder why PF with a weak leader but humble such as Edgar Lungu still beats you at the ballot Why? Because Edgar connects with the people. And you waste your energy and miss the Egg-Yolk.
++ Lastly HH maybe get Trevor “Maliwanda” Simumba into your top team to shake up things. Your team is too slow & comfortable. That itself is a big bonus to PF. Zambia needs an opposition not a Tale Tell.
1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 #
I vehemently agree with you. The opposition especially from UPND are turnips. It could be that they have fatigue due to tiredness of losing multiple elections. Actually its the whole lot of them.
#Alias Chipimo and his NAREP only turns up in the last 3 months before General Elections. #Edith Nawaki often just has mood swings. #MMD my God, idont even know who is the leader ( Nevers Mumba or Felix Mutati ). As for # Sinkamba, I guess marijuana, Dobo, Mbanje has taken over him. #UNIP is simplly a Ghost Party with Tilyenji Kaunda who lives in Zimbambwe. Mmembe is just barking like a dog.
( Independence Observer )
Maybe you should join UPND and be an Online Opposition Spokesperson. You often do raise strong questions and subject matters.
I worked for UPND Media Team after graduating from Evelyn Horn College doing a Diploma in Journalist. I would not recommend anyone to go and have work experience with them. There’s UPND Media Team And there is a Second Branch which is the Inner Close Circle to HH.
That inner circle team has more power than what collective UPND Party says. They are mostly HH’s relatives and closet friends. If you differ with them, then you are finished.
@ ba Independent Observer, this is not about PF, but a common man on the street and in the villages- probably your brothers and sisters. These are the people most affected by this bad governance and corruption, and not the UPND MPs. They are all comfortable in their lives in Lusaka and enjoying Chicken and Chicks. Think of the villagers in Luapula, where I was last September, with the fewest doctors per population the whole country, the fewest clinics per sq Km where cleaners are manning some clinics because there are no nurses, and where mothers give birth on the flood with not medication and in any case of a complication the mother and child dies. And these are common issues the whole country in both PF and non-PF stronghold provinces. And when people complain they are told there is no…
Where is Dora Siliti the Govt Spokesperson?Surely she should respond to these very serious allegations? Failure to respond will be construed to mean that the allegations made by the American Ambassador are true.
UPND at it again, always riding on negativity. surely people can see how u enjoy riding on negative issues against GRZ. the amberssador can say that but UPND is a big party.what influence do u have on the economy for pipo to see your credibility than to always opposing , no agenda, no vision no checks and balances, no help to your electorate even in your so called strong hold but just wanting to get into state house, it doesn’t work like that.
PF HAS NO OBLIGATION TO RESPOND TO THE AMERICAN AMBASSODOR BUT PF AS AN OBLIGATION TO THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE.THE AMBASSODOR WAS JUST COMMUNICATING WHAT ZAMBIANS TOLD HIM.HE HAS HIS OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS WHICH HE IS ENTITLED TO.WHAT HE RAISED IS NOT A PF PROBLEM.IT IS A PROBLEM TO AFRICANS AS A PEOPLE.WE NEED A VERY GOOD REFLECTION OF OUR SELVES.THESE LEADERS ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR SOCIETY.IF WE THINK A PARTY OR A LEADER IS A PROBLEM THEN WE AS A PEOPLE OUGHT TO SHARE THAT BLAME.WE VOTE FOR LEADERS.WE CREATE THEM.WE PROBABLY ALL CORRUPT.WHAT WE ACCUSE THE LEADER APPLY TO US AS WELL.WE HAVE GOT TO BE PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO BECOME.WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OWN DESTINATION.
@Nsokolo. Exactly my whole point here. UPND as always, trying to ride o what their Anglo America people say. PF does not need to respond to the Ambassador. On what grounds and capacity???PF has an OBLIGATION to respond to the Zambian people period!
Well articulated. Let’s change the way we think. Let’s advise our parents, siblings and our children to engage on matters of interest..
This is not to say when you voice out, then you have no respect! The culture of keeping quiet even when things are bad is what brought us here!
The only difference between PF and UPND is that the former is in government otherwise both of them are guilty of the same transgressions. UPND is even worse because they always campaign for economic sanctions against Zambia each time Hichilema loses elections
Ba UPND – the answers are needed for the Zambian people and not American Ambassador. That’s where you miss it. It has to be driven by Zambians for Zambians. The moment you start aligning yourselves and depending on foreign influence, you start losing credibility for Zambians.
Mutale Nalumango, you address a mere Ambassador as “His Excellence” and dont address the legitimately elected Head of State as His Excellence and you think Zambians are happy with your arrogance?
Please take time to read and hear what Dambisa Moyo says about people like you f00ls. UPND and your sponsored HH will NEVER rule Zambia, this we have declared!
Mr Foote has been to the ten provinces he says. How many people has he spoke to out of the 13million? Are we going to use what Bwana Foote has told us as a yardstick to the status of our nation. Most if not all points raised have basically been heard from the unpatriotic mouths who say things without substantiating. Like one blogger has said it is not mandatory that GRZ responds, however if UPND really needs answers for these points raised for them by Mr Foote, Mama Nalumango can use her MPs to ask the Veep in Parliament who I believe will ably respond. Don’t wait for outsiders with half baked info to come and tell us what is wrong. What is wrong with our eyes? We don’t look at the grassroots. Pull up your socks UPND. PF are not the best but they are the ones we have for now…
Burying our heads in the sand again, are we? All those points are true and the UPND has equally raised them hundreds of times. They are not hiding behind the diplomat. Some people here merely choose to have convenient amnesia. Concentrate on the points raised and who is responsible – not trying to divert everyone’s attention at every turn. That’s one of the reasons Zambia is where it is. Denial. Perhaps some paid people or beneficiaries have been bestowed with that responsibility – to deny, deny, deny.
…and the UPND think that Zambian people are so shallow minded. why should PF respond to this diplomat. this arrogant team called UPND should be answerable to the people of Zambia for not being able to participate in the same GRZ issues they are quick to allude to, like boycotting parliaments discussions, the NDF and other equally important GRZ issues meant to address the well being of the people they so POORLY represent in parliament visa-a-vis their constituencies across the country. its so sad that they think they are so clever than other Zambians who don’t subscribe to this party . #NOT EVEN THE KING IS WISER THAN THE PEOPLE HE LEADS .yes we are all responsible for this in one way or the other but you party leaders in government or opposition have even a greater part to play.Do…
The biggest worry for UPND is the current state of mass defectors by their members who are crossing to join the PF Parties. A phenomenon of “NIZANENA KWA AMALUME” is on HH’s diary. Very soon Bwana HH, the USA-Trumps’s supported baby, will soon report all those defectors to his Uncle President Trump. Ki ki ki ki ki ki.
Madam Nalumango, you are off the mark here! Any Party running the affairs of this country must listen to the concerns raised by citizens. Not the concerns of external entities no matter how powerful or influential those entities maybe. The Zambian people vote to elect a government and therefore that government must be responsive to the concerns of the people. Otherwise the government risks being voted out. But why do governments stopping listen to the people? Simple, those in power soon realise how meek and powerless the people are. So for as long as the people don’t realize that they are the true and only repositories of power, people power, successive governments will neither listen nor respond to their concerns. The governments will only think about self preservation and not about…
Those foreign entities know very well what it takes to develop a country. They actually mean well for our country. Let’s continue to learn from them and not only learn but also implement what we learn from them. Madam Nalumango served under the best President Zambia has ever had and so she knows the things that she and her team did to bring sanity to our nation
Actually, he also mentioned points UPND need to address like unsavoury continuous campaigning, demoralising citizens.
UPND also need to take something away from Ambassador Foote’s speech. Citizens are tired of your brand of politics and that includes your bright red outfits blinding us! Please wear national Chitenge materials ….. preferably NOT in red.
Red is a sign of danger………we simply cannot vote for you.
Trib.als, first clean your mouths before you comment on Ambassadors statements, because you are not clean yourselves.
What’s wrong with trib.al upnd kanshi? Now even women that we thought were intelligent are falling all over the feet of Trib.al Hacks to impress him.
Who told Nalumango that a government will respond to the whims of trib.als? What Ambassador Foote said is good, but it applies to both PF and trib.al upnd. Maybe more to upnd because trib.alism is by far the most potent danger facing Zambia today. Why trib.al upnd chooses to talk about corruption whilst keeping quiet about its trib.al political objectives beats me, but normal in their trib.al party.
Which is why trib.al upnd will remain in opposition forever, by forever I mean its remaining two year lifespan before it…
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Which is why trib.al upnd will remain in opposition forever, by forever I mean its remaining two year lifespan before it is decimated.
Shame Zambians even failing to make sense out of sensible sentiments!!!