capacity as vice-chairperson of the Organisation of African First Ladies [OAFLA].
Chief Government Spokesperson, Kennedy Sakeni, has dismissed assertions that First Lady Dr. Christine Kaseba is hijacking the functions of Health Minister, Dr. Joseph Kasonde.
Speaking in a telephone interview with QFm News, Mr. Sakeni says government has not transferred the functions of the Health Minister to the first lady is being suggested in some quarters.
Mr. Sakeni, who is also information and broadcasting Services Minister, says government cannot stop the First lady from championing cervical cancer awareness because she feels she can contribute positively to the fight against the disease.
He adds that there is nothing wrong with the First lady being actively involved in health issues affecting the lives of women as she has shown her full commitment in the fight against cancer.
He adds that Dr Kaseba’s commitment towards the fight against cervical cancer should be commended by all well meaning Zambians because very few people can take up such tasks.
Mr. Sakeni says Dr. Kasonde has never complained that the First Lady has hijacked his duties because he knows that what the first lady is doing is a recommendable job.
But she seem to be all over health matters while the minister of health who should represent govt position is no longer in news! Tandiwe Banda too ended up representing education minister while Vera Chiluba ended up representing community development and social welfare minister. Nothing has changed she is enjoying the slash fund on poor Zambians hard earned taxes.
I just wondered why Maureen didn’t take up legal affairs seeing she is a lawyer instead she followed Vera’s foot steps, and she did Health as well coz the funding is high in that ministry. Tandiwe is a Teacher and she did try in that Area as well and health. Kaseba is a doctor is understands the health needs of women in particular and shes involved in that area. So what is the problem? We people always find something to complain about.
Just being petty and envious, these shiftas, always petty.
For goodness sake she’s a medical doctor surely you don’t want her to be holed up at State house doing nothing just because HH and his mob would have something to talk about. Seriously UPND cadres need to grow up and should not expect every woman to be docile and dull like Mutinta Hichilema.
There’s a hospital and clinics near State House. That is where Dr Kaseba’s expertise is needed. That is where you fight cancers not gallivanting around the world ‘fighting cervical cancer’! For God’s sake we have a substantive Health Minister who reports to parliament. And where does Dr Kaseba fit into all this!
In Zambia we do not need Drs who are ever forever attending functions, what we need are Drs who attend to patients. Infact we could have given her respect as a mother to our country. She needs to leave globe trotting for the Minster.
@Msana Wanzili
Here you are again, being the stooge that politicians need you to be. Cut out the crap about UPND in every comment and I may start to respect your opinions. (Maybe even you)
@nsana z the dullest person. Where z UPND coming in here. Comment to the post nt with u yo empty mind.
Ba Sakeni naimwe AIDS yamipesha,just concentrate on reinfecting each other with your infected 3rd wife bonse you re sick ,men the woman u call wife ask ha how many have died ha exes.
Ci Kaseba is everywhere brainwashing Zambians kwati balabomba sana when hospitals pipo ve no medication ,sleeping on the floor when ci Sata was busy yapping yapping in opposition .Let pipo who re suppose to do the role work,she shouldn’t take all roles as is shes the spokesperson for MoH.
good comment …but you sound angry!!……ati `Ba Sakeni naimwe AIDS yamipesha`
kekekekekekek!
ofcourse it would be foolish for Dr Kasonde to complain about the bosses wife!Dr.Kaseba should emulate Mama Betty Kaunda – mother for all Zambians,instead of helping big Pharmaceutical companies bring their toxic drugs into Zambia. She is also busy gallivanting with that body guard(guardress?) of hers receiving this award and that award and attending medical conferences using tax payers monies.
ADMITTEDLY, ZAMBIA’S FIRST LADY IS THE MOST QUALIFIED AND EDUCATED OF ALL FIRST LADIES WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.
NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT VERA OR MAUREEN TAKING OVER FROM MINISTERS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
PLEASE LET US GIVE CREDIT WHEN AND WHERE IT IS DUE.
MAMA SATA IS IN A CLASS OF HER OWN.
SHE IS REALLY HELPING TATA TO MANAGE OUR COUNTRY WELL.
FREE OF CORRUPTION, THE CORRUPTION WHICH PENETRATED THROUGH THE SO-CALLED COMMUNITY INITIATIVES OUR FIRST LADIES,
WHICH WERE NOTHING BUT CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH CORRUPT AND RICH GUYS MADE THEIR APPOINTMENTS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Sakeni needs to take permanent residence at Chainama Mental hospital.He talks nonsense without full grasp of fact
Ba Sakeni banene mutokwamba nshi? Kulibonesha
Even after shutting ZWD this man will continue visiting the site via facebook and respond.
Not na Bulacky, always jealous when someone seems to excel!
Madam first lady, never mind these goed for nothing losers, they have so much time on their hands because they are losers who have failed even to help their poor family members, while you on the other hand are moving forward in all that you do because you are a hard working woman.
Leave her out of it, should she be following her husband nodding all he says? am sorry i have bad news for you, it will never happen, with or without the support of her husband or the government, she will sow like that eagle why? because that is who she is, a hard working girl, so haters talk, throw mud at her, it will never stick you will never manage to bring her down mwefinkulamwe hands off losers!
The tragedy of life is not the bad guys doing bad things but the good guys who do not do anything about the wrong doing or, worse still, praise the bad guys for the wrong things they do just because they personally benefit from such actions.
Hard work?? Can she compare to those women and children in Kalingalinga and elsewhere breaking those rocks into heaps of laterite for sale to earn a “pamela”‘s worth of income?? What about the nurses and doctors working day and night attanding to endless queues of patients with little resources?? Have you been to Chawama clinic (once nicknamed a hospital by MMD)?? Now that is hard work, not jumping from plane to plane in 1st Class, and from 5 star hotel to another or from one meeting to another to be praised or rewarded. No. That is leisure &…
I meant “That is leasure and travel”.
There is a reason First ladies tone down their professional careers when their husbands ascend to the presidency. Security. If she were to work as an ordinary doctor at UTH, she would be accessible to anyone, and through her accessible to the presidency.
The problem people have is that It appears she travels frivolously furthering her own career at the tax payer’s expense, with no tangible benefit to ordinary people.
Presently I cannot name a cause she is patron of. Lady Diana has left a legacy (AIDS orphans in Africa is one). There is an abundance of issues in Zambia that she could be
championing.
(don’t censor this comment LT!)
The First Lady’s prominent eye on cervical cancer has left equally dangerous cancers like prostate in a lurch. Men are dying from this cancer that has also reached epidemic levels, but because the cervical one is being championed by a very powerful woman, prostate cancer and other cancers are playing the 2nd fiddle.
As to the subject, let Dr. Kasonde himself say its Ok for the 1st Lady to meddle in his portfolio, not Batman Sakeni. He’s not credible anymore.
There could be more to Kaseba’s expeditions around the world than just health issues. Attending of health conferences around the globe is logically the responsibility and duty of the health minister who is also mandated to report to parliament. There must be order! The ‘first lady’ must stop throwing her weight around.
Mr Sakeni must know that no one expected him to say anything to the contrary, he has a job to keep and a belly to fill up.
Her prominence and global gallavanting could be part of the succession plan. I can’t think of anyone Sata would trust fully to handover and the best part is that he won’t have to leave State House with the mini hospital now installed there
@Distant drums.You people don’t be fools.That’s why she is a Dr,sh has to contribute positively to the development of this nation ala! Y do u always want to find faults in evrything people do? That’s why we can’t develop.Because our societies are full of people who do not understand what they talk about.Shame on you.Do you want her to pack her knowledge and seat back and relax when she can do something productive in the nation?
We want to see those cute little hands probing patients at a clinic or hospital near State House….we definitely don’t want her to sit back and relax!
@15, I’m sorry, you clearly missed my point and unfortunately I don’t think that I can put it any clearer.
@distant Drums
Every comment you make shows pure class.
lol …The HEALTH SECTOR is wide and among others include: ministry of health, ministry of community development mother and child health, Co-operating partners(these are indeed several) private hospitals,clinics and “tuntemba clinics” Traditional healers association of Zambia(Dr Vongo n thm)….etc. The disease burden is huge and even if we duplicated the MOH, the efforts would still be inadequate. We actually need more efforts from first lady much as what she is doing is excellent !! The media should just cover Hon Dr J Kasonde and you will be amazed how magnanimous his schedule is. Lets appreciate the first lady’s efforts.
By whatever measure Dr Kaseba is far much more intelligent than HH and his cronies combined.
Small mind.
Indeed the first lady is doing a commendable job and yet others cant understand and see this.People can be educated but still remain uncivillised to understand certain issues in life and around them.
It is true that Dr. Kaseba is exploiting State House facilities to hijack the roles of Minister of Health. Kaseba, as a junior medical doctor, is a mere house wife who must be confined to State House kitchens. If she wants to practice medicine, then let her restrict her services to her ailing husband.
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