United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has urged Republican President Michael Sata to quickly address the challenges in the health sector.

In a letter to the president obtained by QFM News today, Mr. Hichilema notes that the harmonization of salaries is being implemented in a haphazard manner and has demoralized health professionals.

Mr. Hichilema says he carried out an on the ground assessment of the situation at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) where he found that nurses and midwives are still on strike and the pharmacy is still closed.

He has urged President Sata to urgently intervene in the matter by committing to reward the nurses and midwives according his government’s earlier promise.

Mr. Hichilema adds that government officials got their 100 percent increment and are paid on time and it is morally right that government does the same for the nurses and midwives.

However, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde has said politicians should desist from gaining political mileage from such strikes when peoples’ lives were at stake.

He advised Mr Hichilema to move away from the realm of speculation saying Government sets rules on salaries and the salaries were negotiated within those rules.

United Party for National Development Party (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has appealed to Health Minister Joseph Kasonde to find a lasting solution to the strike action by nurses instead of threatening the nurses.

Speaking during his tour of the UTH this morning to assess the situation at the Hospital, Mr. Hichilema appealed to government to pay the nurses the salary they promised them and clean up all the distortions in the new salary arrangements.

Mr. Hichilema said it is the constitutional right of the nurses to express themselves in the manner they have done and that no one should use brutality or charge them.

He said it is unfortunate that the nurses are not in the wards to help patients, but that it is not their fault that this is happening as government has failed to honor its promise them.

Mr Hichilema said when UPND comes to power their approach to doing things will be different stressing that they will increase the salaries of nurses and other public service workers before increasing the salaries of ministers and the president.

He lamented that Zambians are losing lives due to the carelessness of the PF government which he said has no love for the people.

And the striking nurses found at the hospital complained of being harassed by Police when they are only expressing themselves peacefully.

The nurses have also called for the resignation of their union President Tom Yung’ana accusing him of lacking direction.

And Mr. Hichilema appealed to the nurses to be strong and hold on stating that he is going to put pressure on the government to resolve the problem.

[QFM]

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has advised Zambian diplomats against leaking State secrets and put national interest as priority.

Mr Sata said diplomats serving in various missions abroad, should safeguard the country’s interests above personal interests in line with the Oath of Allegiance to the Republican office.

He said this at State House in Lusaka yesterday when he swore-in former Munali Member of Parliament, Mumbi Phiri as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Kenya and Miriam Mulenga as the new Ambassador to Turkey.

“When you go out there representing this country don’t leak information regarding my office. Leak your personal information. Kenya is very complicated, Turkey is new, you have direct access to the Permanent Secretary and my office, if there is anything, you can contact us and you will be assisted,” he said.

And in an interview, Ms Phiri thanked the President for appointing her to serve in the diplomatic mission.

She said she was ready for the challenge and would work for the betterment of relations between Zambia and Kenya.

Ms Phiri said she had vast experience as a politician and would manage to perform according to expectations.

“I don’t miss my political life, that is in the past and that’s why some people fail because you still want to hold to past experiences. I am now a civil servant and I will work for my country to boost trade relations between Zambia and Kenya,” she said.

Patriotic Front Mandevu MP Jean Kapata has written to the party Deputy Secretary General Bridget Atanga to further charge Secretary General Wynter Kabimba for bringing Cabinet and the party into disrepute.

In a letter copied to President Michael Sata and made available to ZNBC news in Lusaka, Ms Kapata has complained that Mr Kabimba’s comments in the media in which he alleged that some cabinet Minister are corrupt are serious.

She says Cabinet is sponsored by the PF. Ms Kapata said that Mr Kabimba’s allegation is not only serious but an offence under the law NOT to report corrupt activities. Ms Kapata has further demanded that Mr Kabimba who is also Justice Minister should exculpate his allegations before the disciplinary committee of the central committee of the PF.

“This is a serious allegation and is an offence under our laws not to report corruption. Mr Kabimba should exculpate his allegations before the disciplinary committee of the Central Committee of the Party,” Ms Kapata said.

[pullquote]This is a serious allegation and is an offence under our laws not to report corruption.[/pullquote]

The letter dated October 7, 2013 is addressed to PF deputy secretary general, Bridget Atanga and copied to President Michael Sata and party national chairperson, Inonge Wina.

She said Mr Kabimba had been quoted in the Post Newspaper to have alleged that some Ministers were corrupt.

“Further to my letter requesting you to ask the central committee to charge Mr Kabimba, the PF Secretary General, I humbly request that he be charged further for bringing the Cabinet and the Party into disrepute.

“Mr Kabimba was reported in the Post Newspaper to have alleged that some Ministers are corrupt. The said Cabinet is sponsored by our party, PF,” she said.

Last month, Ms Kapata wrote another letter demanding that Mr Kabimba be disciplined over his remarks that a clique of tribal elements was pushing him out of the party.