A SENIOR UPND MEMBER PAID MPs, MINISTERS TO VOTE FOR BILL 7 – MUNDUBILE

A SENIOR UPND MEMBER PAID MPs, MINISTERS TO VOTE FOR BILL 7 – MUNDUBILE

MPOROKOSO PF MP Brian Mundubile claims that a senior UPND member recently drove to the National Assembly to distribute money to ruling party MPs and ministers to influence their vote in favour of Bill 7.

Mundubile adds that this happened in full view of all the MPs at Parliament.

During a press briefing, Friday, Mundubile claimed that even President Hichilema was facing resistance from his own UPND members of parliament regarding Bill 7.

“I want to tell you that even the members of parliament from the UPND know that there is something wrong with constitutional amendment Bill No. 7. President Hakainde Hichilema is facing resistance from his own MPs. That is the reason why just two days ago there was one senior member of the party who drove into Parliament grounds and started distributing money to UPND members of parliament and ministers. If at all they were very clear, if at all they were sure that Bill 7 contained progressive clauses, if they were sure that Bill 7 was properly processed up to the Bill stage, why are they paying their members? Why are they distributing money in car parks?” he asked.

“This was done in full view of all members of parliament. Money was sent to and was paid to members of parliament of the UPND so that they support Bill 7. It is very shameful indeed. I think the easiest way out for President Hakainde Hichilema would have been to stop this particular process. This would have given you an opportunity to consult further so that going forward, the Bill that will come to Parliament for constitutional amendment is a Bill that is coming from the people. It’s a Bill that contains the aspirations of the Zambian people. So as we stand now the debate or the Bill that is being scrutinised by the committee is the same Bill that was condemned by the Constitutional Court as it were”.

Mundubile insisted that Bill 7 was not a priority and advised the President to focus on paying farmers and addressing the high cost of living, among other pressing issues.

“So we still insist that that is not a priority. We’ve given you a number of priorities that I wish to go through very quickly. President Hakainde Hichilema, abandon the process of Bill 7 and pay the farmers. Abandon the process of Bill 7 and solve the crushing cost of living. Abandon Bill 7 and resolve the challenges on broken promises to do with mealie meal, fertiliser, among others.

Abandon Bill 7 and look at the plight of truck drivers, for instance. We need to come up with a sectoral minimum wage. You can’t come up with a minimum wage that is uniform across the sectors. If you look at, for instance, our brothers and sisters, I’m talking about truck drivers because we had a chance to interact with them in Serenje and they were saying please speak for us. We need to come up with sectoral minimum wages. The transport sector, the mining sector, these are things that are urgent, Mr President, and not Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 7,” said Mundubile.

“So we want to join others that are speaking for marketeers that are going through a number of challenges ranging from their trading places and indeed lack of business, as it were. So there are a lot of things that we can speak to, Mr President, challenges in the markets, challenges with minibus drivers, challenges with truck drivers, non-payment to farmers, and so on. So, you have a lot on your plate to deal with. But you just can’t abandon all this and rush to go and process a Bill that was declared to be unconstitutional. I thought it was very important that as members of parliament, we come to you to assure you that we will continue until Monday to speak to political parties and others so that we can stop the Constitutional Amendment Bill as it comes up for second reading”.

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