Gender and Child Development minister Ionone Wina has strongly condemned the use of abusive and degrading language on women by political leaders.

Ms. Wina who quoted to a story in the post newspaper dated September 13, 2012, where Mr. Hakainde Hichilema described Ms. Edith Nawakwi as a little girl who has run out of what to cook in the kitchen and goes to look for food at the market.

She said such utterances makes sad reading are based on prejudice adding that such remarks can only come from a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles or identities that are different from his or her own.

Ms. Nawakwi said it is unacceptable for leaders to perpetuate the marginalisation of women by insinuating that women are only meant for the kitchen through exhibiting negative perceptions by alluding to women’s sexuality.

She further described Mr. Hichilemas’ statement as degrading and disrespectful to mother Zambia adding that such utterance only imply that woman are mere possessions o men who are not fit for governance and leadership position in the development of their country.

She said sexuality of women should be treated with respect and the importance that it deserved as reproductive roles of women are cardinal to reproduction and sustenance of the nation and human kind.

Ms. Wina has however urged political leaders to refrain from using abusive language but also exhibit exemplary behaviour at all times towards one another.

And just yesterday Tourism and Arts Minister Silvia Masebo has said the politics of hatred that United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema is playing will not help him to advance his political career.

Ms Masebo said the hate speech riddled with bitterness and inconceivable hatred is not helping Mr Hichilema and that even the people who surround him like his special advisor have nothing to help matters.

“I feel sorry for my brother HH. His hate speech and tribal talk shall never get him into State House, never. With people around him like William Banda as an advisor what do you expect? Disaster!” she said.

She said the UPND president should not use tribe as a yardstick to get into State House as if the Zambian presidency is shared on a rotational basis between tribes adding that Mr Hichilema is actually decampaigning himself with his routine outbursts.

Ms Masebo said there are so many issues an opposition political party leader can raise as a way of providing checks and balances to Government but that personalizing politics to the extent of insulting fellow leaders is unacceptable.

She particularly took great exception to the attacks Mr Hichilema directed at Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi describing it as an act of cowardice aimed intimidating a more seasoned politician than him.

“Edith Nawakwi is a strong politician. The fact that she has not been president of Zambia doesn’t take anything away from her. You can see the bitterness and hatred in Mr Hichilema’s speech. I personally have no regard for men who attack and insult women like that,” she said.

The Tourism and Arts minister said because of not practicing issue-based politics, Mr Hichilema cannot even beat National Restoration Party (NAREP) president Elias Chipimo Jnr despite the latter being relatively new in the political arena.

Mr Hichilema was yesterday quoted as having attacked Ms Nawakwi whom he described as a hired gun while also having a go at former president Dr Kenneth Kaunda as well as Post managing director Fred M’membe.

ZANIS

CHISAMBA member of Parliament Moses Muteteka has paid up K498 million he owed the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
This is according to a statement issued by CEEC acting director general Daniel Sichombo in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Sichomba said Mr Muteteka was granted a loan amounting to K320 million and he was taken to court after failing to comply with the loan facility agreement.

“Mr Muteteka was availed a loan facility by the commission in the sum of K320 million at an interest rate of 12 percent per annum and that the matter ended up in court, as the facility remained unamortised, contrary to the loan contract and the personal guarantees by the directors,” he said.

He said Mr Muteteka has paid the sum owed to the commission in full.

“We wish to clarify, however, that the full sum owed to the commission under the transaction has since been paid,” he said.

According to court records, CEEC had sued Mr Muteteka and Naomi Muteteka as directors of Omega Transport and Maintenance Limited for failing to comply with the loan facility repayment schedule.

The duo had applied for a loan to buy a tractor and accessories, which was approved by CEEC on May 12 this year.

[Zambia Daily mail]

Some members of MISA Zambia have threatened to impeach the National Governing Council (NGC), at this month’s Annual General Meeting if the institution fails to respond to allegations of financial mismanagement at the Secretariat.

Spokesperson for concerned members and former MISA board member Talent Ng’andwe said the members cannot sit idle while issues of financial irregularities keep on recurring year after year at the Institution.

Mr. Ng’andwe said it is disappointing that the leadership of MISA Zambia is running away from explaining the various accusations being raised by some sections of the society including its own membership.

He said it is shocking that MISA Vice Chairperson Mr Nalumino Nalumino is trivializing concerns about accountability and political involvements of some of its senior staff and board members.

Mr. Ng’andwe said MISA Zambia should tell the nation whether or not it is true that the organization has no cases of unretired imprest as alleged, and whether or not they have been obeying the law by complying with statutory requirements including the remitting of returns at Zambia Revenue Authority and registrar of societies.

He said as members of MISA Zambia, they know that MISA Zambia has failed to attract new donors because of these concerns.

Mr. Ng’andwe revealed that MISA Zambia’s recent application for institutional funding from the Zambia Governance Fund was rejected because of such concerns including lack of adherence to systems and persistent serious audit queries.

He said because of this, MISA Zambia is only able to attract project funding of very small amounts adding that it is only Irish Aid who have been lenient with MISA’s mismanagement to this date.

Mr. Ng’andwe added that MISA Zambia must also explain why they have reduced the funding to community radio stations and other media houses when these are the intended beneficiaries of the funds the organization receive from the donors.