United Party for National Development (UPND) Kafue Member of Parliament Mirriam Chonya has expressed displeasure regarding Government’s failure to give aid to the bereaved families in an accident which claimed 13 lives at Munali Hills in Chikankata District.
In a statement unveiled to the media, Ms. Chonya noted that she was disappointed that Government could not give any assistance to the bereaved families to meet costs of repatriation of the remains of the deceased to their final resting places.
The Kafue law maker noted with sadness that no matter which angle one wishes to look at the Munali hills horrific road accident was a National tragedy that deserved Government support as the victims that perished were bona fide citizens of this Country.
Ms. Chonya added that UPND is now left wondering that perhaps this accident could not receive the deserved attention like similar ones from other parts of the Country, because most of the dead were residents of Dundumwezi in Southern Province, where the electoral performance of the PF was poor.
“We say so because when such unfortunate tragedies of such magnitude have taken places in other parts of Zambia, we have witnessed Government solidarity by way of aid to bereaved families while in certain instances National mournings have been declared”
“We don’t wish to politicize this tragedy but we note that Mr Edgar Lungu accompaned by the Pronvincial Minister, visited Dundumwezi a week earlier as a gesture of goodwill will and also to inspect agriculture projects. It would have therefore sufficed that an area visited by such a high-powered Government delegation would have received attention especially as a result of so many deaths and injuries that included infants” she said
And Kafue Parliamentarian Mirriam Chonya stated that the Munali Hills pass through the entire Mazabuka route, sadly the road that leads to one of the seven natural wonders of the World and also a UNESCO declared World heritage site, is a Highway to hell.
Ms. Chonya has, however, revealed that numerous calls have been made to successive Governments to work on the road which has become a death trap but to no avail.
“We will not tire in calling for a total overhaul of the Kafue Mazabuka road and even as we continue to call for strengthening of our regulations to avert similar occurrences, let the powers that be, be seen to be responding in equal measure to instances of similar nature without being selective, because the dead are devoid of political affiliations” Ms. Chonya said
Very sad, but did the honorable check with GRZ before rushing to the press. Condolences to the bereaved families.
What an unfortunate thing to happen. People are being killed on these roads needlessly. Zambian will argue about trivial things when matters of gravity have been raised by this honorable lady. Thirteen people perishing in one go is a national tragedy no matter where you come from. Government whether accepted by the opposition or not ought to help in matters of urgency like this one. The nonorable friend goes on to talk about the state of the Kafue – Mazabuka road which is a historical road that forms part of the great route from CAPE TOWN to CAIRO or CAIRO to CAPE TOWN. If Africa were Europe, this route would have been developed and made into a superhighway across the continent. The amount of copper that leaves Zambia using this route is mind boggling yet the road is rickety and not…
Which Govt is she referring to? And who is leading that Govt?. This is were upnd is very childish and s.t.upid. In one instance they do not recognize the Govt (If you don’t recognize the President, you as good as do not recognize Govt) in the other instance, they want govt assistance. USELESS
@ Tatwe. Iam appalled at your lack of remorse for the the dead and those injured in this accident. You dont peddle politics in calamities. You dont refuse to help your brother who has been hit by a calamity on the basis of political affiliation. That is absurd and inhuman. If this is the direction Zambian politics is heading, then we are in very big trouble. I any case the Zambian resources are for all Zambians.
Mwakale, Is it the dead speaking or this no good for nothing up and down ladish. So Tatwe is only responding to the living and not the dead. if anything this woman is the one disrespecting the dead because it is the first time am getting to know she exists. So she is using this tragedy to gain political mileage. you see less lay di indeed.
I know that yes many families are going through tough times but it shouldn’t be a government responsibility to be meeting costs for people in such situations. We tend to leave out the operators responsibilities and place everything on GRZ. Yes sometime back GRZ did help in such cases but that was all a political gymnastic move to garner some votes but unfortunately this has created a precedent were now everyone has to get help from Govt. Unless no ambulance or health personnel were sent to assist again that is not the issue with GRZ but the GRZ workers who’s job to take injured to the hospital and help in this instance. Problem in Zambia I am afraid to say is our roads are not safe plus over speeding. We tend to think malls is development at an expense of our well been. Look at our UTH…
our UTH and other hospitals.
Another problem is the rule of law. If I remember very well during Mwanawasa, there was an accident were we lost high school boarding students going home after a semester. The kids were traveling in a truck which got involved in an accident. GRZ issued a law to stop travel on trucks and lorries but this law is silent today. people can travel on these trucks with impunity. Law is law and unfortunately our men and women in uniform don’t seem to know law either. Laws make USA, Britain, CHINA, RUSSIA, JAPAN great nations. That is our only deficiency in Zambia being ruled by man since independence
Juliet you’re right. Our drivers have lost respect for road etiquette.
Mr Edgar Lungu, Honorable MP who is this Edgar Lungu? I have called you by your title as honorable what about ECL why can’t you call him by his title as President Edgar Changwa Lungu which he deserves. and yet you are crying for help from someone you don’t know or respect. actually is it not the Vice President’s office which looks after such kind of issues? is not the MP’s duty to source help from this office? being UPND MP you wanted them to come to you, if you had gone there you were going to get all the help you wanted rather then complaining afterwards. the government is for all Zambians. you did deliberately so that you can complain later.
As long as happened to southerners pf have nothing to do with it,if our president HH was there he would have taken over all the costs,this is the reason why we say HH is our president not lungu and pf,please free our president HH
is it lungu you want to come help you chonya? hi has nothing to do with that issue.
have you forgotten that you don”t recognize him as president? you have to recognize him fist.
did you ask for help to lungu then hi refused you? you did not ask him for help.
who do you think you are for lungu to come to you? you are just childish and s.t.upid useless UPND.
pf, gove will not free your s.t.upid useless president for UPND HH. why? hi has a crime to carer his name.
This (mp) woman thinks as though she is wise while she is not,she is asking for ‘mr lungu’ to help her dead relatives.silly..
Hon Mirriam Chonya, Mr Edgar Lungu cannot help because he has no resources at his disposal. But President Lungu has resources at his disposal, so whom did you ask, Mr Lungu or President Lungu? Did you even take it as your duty to mobilise the necessary support? This just shows the UPNDonkey in these people, when you are advised that you need to work with the governnent fir development and other matters of national interest this is one of them.
Then another UPNDonkey writes that because the accident happened at Munali hills with Dundumwezi victims. Come on UPNDonkeys stop hallucinating. Do UPNDonkeys only live in siuthern or dundumwezi? Do they only travel between Kafue and dundumwezi? If an accident occurs in Chibombo or Kapiri for example, there will be no UPNDonkey victims? Just shows…
If an accident occurs in Chibombo or Kapiri for example, there will be no UPNDonkey victims? Just shows the ethnic thinking of this donkey party. This is a simple matter, if you want to shate in the national work with the people in charhe, simple, elevtions come every five years so your underfive can have another go. For now you donkeys are punishing innocent communities who elected you in your areas. Sick donkeys yaba!
…This is a simple matter, if you want to share in the distribution of national resources work with the people in charge, simple, elections come every five years so your underfive can have another go, even ten times since he does not seem to grow and will remain underfive indefinitely. For now you donkeys are punishing innocent communities who elected you in your areas. Sick donkeys yaba! Nabo abantu bauku, baya mukusalapo ama Donkey ati MPs!