Friday, March 29, 2024

Nakachinda’s call for immediate implementation of free education policy condemned

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Opposition Green Party president Peter Sinkamba has described calls by former Water and Sanitation Minister, Raphael Nakachinda, for the immediate implementation of the free education policy as misleading and irresponsible as the budget currently running was for the Patriotic Front (PF) government.

Mr. Sinkamba said the budget left behind by the former ruling party, the PF, does not contain a resource allocation for the free education policy.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe today, Mr. Sinkamba said the United Party for National Development (UPND) government cannot implement the free education policy which they promised during campaigns because the policy was not included in the current budget.

He explained that if government now diverts funds towards implementation of the policy, the action would amount to misapplication of funds which he said is a serious audit transgression.

He said the new government should be given time to settle and come up with their own budget which will start running in January next year.

Mr. Sinkamba said the new government will only be held accountable if it does not implement the free education policy in the next few years.

“What we expect from the UPND government in terms of implementing their promises will start running from January 1, when they start implementing their own budget, then that will be the time to hold them accountable on their campaign promises,” Mr. Sinkamba noted.

And Mr. Sinkamba has urged the UPND government not to discard all developmental projects left by the former government.

He suggested that only those that are not helpful should be discarded noting that getting rid of all projects would be an economic drawback.

Meanwhile, Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) Executive Director, George Hamusunga, expressed disappointment over the sentiments attributed to Mr. Nakachinda.

Mr. Hamusunga said being a former Minister, Mr. Nakachinda should know that his calls are not practical as the current budget does not contain funding for the implementation of the free education policy.

He has since urged parents to ignore the calls on them not to pay school fees.

He however urged government to make a ministerial policy statement immediately Cabinet is formed and inform the nation on how it is going to implement the policy in the short, medium and long term.

Mr. Hamusunga noted that if not well managed, the policy may lead to poor quality of education delivery.

“In 2011, the PF government tried to implement a similar policy after campaigning on the premise of free education and when they won the elections, parents sent children to school without fees and government urged schools not to chase pupils who had not paid and parents were allowed to pay in installments while others never paid,” he explained.

And National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) Executive Director Aron Chansa said Mr. Nakachinda’s calls are unreasonable as implementation of the free education policy right now is unrealistic.

“The current budget was done last year and the free education policy was not included so we need to give the new government time to settle, plan and budget. As much as everyone wants free education, it cannot be done just now and then, we hope no parent will buy the calls by Mr. Nakachinda,” Mr. Chansa said.

Yesterday, Mr. Nakachinda called on parents not to pay schools fees for their children because President Hakainde Hichilema promised to implement the free education policy once voted into power.

40 COMMENTS

  1. Nakachinda is a hypocrite. We didn’t hear him on the subject all those years PF was in power, and now the new government should implement immediately? Give me a break!

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  2. He’s right. That’s what Upnd promised. Listen to their campaigns. You say one week, it’s one week. I we Sinkamba if you expect an appointment, do it in a right way.

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  3. Let’s start blaming the new government for any of their shortcomings during their practical financial year which starts next year. Running government is not like running a kantemba whereby you decide on new items every day or minute. Speed kills.

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  4. well spoken by green party president. nakachinda as a political prostitute who only tasted the mpship and ministerial post for only three months as a nominee never expected pf to lose, he was very optimistic that that he woul be in that undeserved post for atleast five years and amass wealth having abandon the other previous which to him were like like men who dont give anything to coerced women. so nakachinda don’t throw your prostitution frustration and disappointment on hh. Economists respect thorough planning and planning does not a day.. but activities of prostitutes are just situational and only by chance just as he chanced the mpship and ministerial post in the last minute and remained like widow without any helper.

  5. Nakachinda cannot understand these basic things. He has neither value to add to the government nor the opposition. Don’t take him seriously

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  6. Nakachinda does not know that the new government has to clear the mess Nakachinda and his out going friends in government created before we can attain free education, this might take 5 years because the mess is too much

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  7. This quarrelsome Nakachinda who has destabilized MMD all these years will not manage to destabilize UPND. He needs to be quickly put where he belongs, how can UPND immediately implement free education before sorting out the rot, we should even expect free education in UPNDs second term

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  8. Nakachinda is giving us a glimpse of the caliber of leadership we have had the last ten years. The more he speaks the scarier the realization of having been on an unhinged train becomes.

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  9. #6 Gremiko…Yes government doesn’t work like Nakachinda wants to work. But the man said this himself, I listened to his interviews and heard his one week, immidiately implementation promises. So what do you want Nakachinda to say, especially a politician?

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  10. #9 And I don’t why people here are upset with Nakachinda….were we taken for a ride? Like more money in your pocket thing?

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  11. The laissez Faire attitude taken by the UPND in announcing the new Police IG and other constitutional office holders will come to haunt them. These sensitive positions required change on the inauguration day itself or the day after. UPND have had a long time since they won the elections and appears they are struggling to put new people in place. As for this chitimukulu, he is a divider not a unify, and he does not know that opposition is part of government

  12. I want Nakachinda to say nothing. I expect him to lick his wounds quietly, he is not a spokesman for us Zambians.

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  13. Has Nakachinda handed over the MMD vehicles he was keeping. And why is this slowest President we have elected delaying in appointing a new IG. He is frustrating us who voted for him

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  14. Bowman, Kampyongo, Freedom Sikazwe and Nakachinda were our leaders, my foot…. Miracles still happen. This new guy also appears not yet ready to form his team, struggling to announce his team

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  15. No he is not only a hypocrite, he is a fool. He sat in cabinet responsible for water and sanitaion can he point out exactly what he achieved. Lusaka business area looks like a landfill with rubbish everywhere. What a joke of a minister? Now he is demanding that the new government implement every manifesto promise what did his criminal PF government do in 10 years. I am very angry when ignorant people like Nakacinda rant about the new government calling for stupid demands. Where is he from another planet?

  16. Its hard to imagine of such rhetoric retrogressive statements from Nakachinda. This is a sorry attestation of the state of affairs. Indeed, we reap what we sow! I wish basic managerial skills could be a taught subject to leaders we elect.

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  17. Peter is right.
    Nakachinda is right too.
    Or sorry it should like
    Nakachinda is right.
    Peter is right too.
    Mmmmh! Sorry!
    I think the Upndead was wrong. They thought they would run this country like a grown kantemba. A corporate entity owned by the you know who?
    Yes many were duped including the youth. Dollar coming down at inauguration, I didn’t see that. The Kwacha only gained strength when ECL was still president, trash the good will thing. One week free education, who believes this lie and theory? Only the youth, honestly, he lied. Nothing hypocritical.

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  18. Look at Peter Sinkamba now all that bootlicking of PF where has it got you? I hope you got your weed licence from the short turd Steven Kampyongo

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  19. let’s wait for January 2022,if that time comes & Zambians don’t get free education wich HH he promised,then we will easily tell that,promised free education to Zambians by HH was not genuine, but an evil strategy wich cleaned a way for him to plot one.

  20. This is democracy you don’t condemn your opponents judgement and expect yours to be valid no no, Nakacinda is just following up the promises made by the head of state.
    The president was wide awake when he was s promising masses of how capable he was to handle the problems facing Zambians.
    The president made it good to every listener that is as great as he pronounced it, Zambians are a great force not to be belittled by any one including the head of state.
    We head of money in their pockets by the out going government and they managed to give out funds in name of empowerment funds yes they did and people got the funds to start businesses.
    This one also must be followed up to the end .

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  21. mr nsilimbemba, your cunsel in justifying nakachinda’s utterly if he was not one of those in the destructive and corrupt cabinet. binoculars was invented many years ago and as a minister he had one. why didnt he you it to see the wrongs which attributed to their loss of election despite spending billions of kwacha.

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  22. In a democracy you don’t stop people from airing their opinion , in democracy every one has a take in what is trending it is only in dictatorship that you stop some mouths from speaking, I for one would like every one to be accountable to they say, telling lies is equivalent to stealing and brings mediocracy in governance , people need to be principled I even take that , those in opposition right now shouldn’t cross over to ruling government but should stay where they are and work , than always running around taking chances that is being selfish if you have lost just keep with in your lane because that is where belong.

  23. I continue saying MULETEKANYA ! In the first place , there is no Minister of Education. Secondly , the treasury has no money and right now the budget is being prepared, Don’t forge abamwibala balilya nenbuto shonse.
    Why can’t people wait and see the diresction of the new government?

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  24. Free education is a policy. It takes analysis and other preparations to have a good policy in place. Only anarchists wake up on a particular morning and start making declarations

  25. You are not going to kill Nakacinda he is just a Zambian like you , if you won that is good you were a better competitor, now be careful if you drop the guard he will grow his strategy and come back , what he will do is to work on your weakness and drop you down, as for you it is time to consolidate your position rather than stopping your opponent from taking you to account for your words.
    I consider all politicians to be the characters no one is better than the other.
    These days will very interesting days to read newspapers and their business will be booming to say the least.

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  26. Ba UPND, the majority of the people who voted for change are the youths. You promised them jobs and free education and they believed you. You can do all the shadow boxing and sparing with your political opponents, but if you don’t deliver in the shortest possible time, they are prepared to hammer you below the belt. Reminder “next year” is just 4 months away!

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  27. Politicians must be accountable for the campaign rhetoric. I had interaction with young people on the promises and they wee so optimistic on the free education and employment immediately ba puti wins. Now we are hearing that they need time and the fixing is supposed to be done by everyone. During the campaigns it was someone will fix it. For its the used that have been fixed.

  28. For me its the youths that have been fixed and those chaps who will retire at 55 after getting employment at age 45. Wina azalila.

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  29. @Albert, you failed to hold accountable a politician who promised you development in 90 days. Soo what are you talking about?

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  30. Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee Corruption scandals: 48 Houses Social Security Cash Luxury Presidential Jet Ambulances Fire Trucks Mukula Trees Ndola-Lusaka Rd Malawi Maizegate Fuelgate Swaziland landgate Zesco Loans Honeybee

    Nakachinda… can you please stop giving airtime to these nonentity people. Quote someone who was on tbe ballot for presidential elections and get Lungu’s views if he is willing to talk… not these ‘has beens’ insecure attention seeking numskulls!

  31. Only dull people like Nakachinda will be pushing for that in the current state of affairs. Any genuine and honest critic would wait for the cabinet to be unveiled and the budget presented then you can start asking such issues. As it stands there is totally nothing to discuss and point fingers already. If it is ba mwankole bena they should just keep quiet because they have no moral capacity anymore.

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