Help us fight greed, Nalumango pleads with traditional leaders
By Oliver Chisenga in Livingstone
THE government has told traditional leaders that it needs their guidance and support in programmes it is undertaking using the private sector, particularly in communities.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy call on senior chief Mukuni in Livingstone on Saturday, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango said the government will continue to look to traditional leaders for support.
She noted that Zambia, like other countries, is going through economic challenges hence seeking support from all stakeholders.
“We will continue to look to you, you are our parents. We need your guidance, your support as the government on the programmes we are undertaking using the private sector, particularly in the community; we need your support. If you are not there or alienate yourselves, there will be no places to do the business we need to do because we always want to encourage partnerships with chiefdoms, government, and the private sector,’’ she said. ‘’Zambia, like any other nations of the globe, is going through economic challenges but it is unfortunate that we want to make our situation worse than it is in other countries. Actually, there are colleagues on this globe who are worse off than we are, but that is no reason for us to relax because everybody is going through hardship. We have to continue to work and this thing…what we want to see in our country is develop our own industries in different sectors.”
Vice-President Nalumango said the government wants to see value addition in Zambia, stating that if this was done there would be massive job creation as stated in the Eighth National Development Plan.
She however noted that the creation of jobs and resulting economic growth cannot be realised by the government alone but with the inclusiveness of traditional leaders.
“That is the pillar in the Eighth National Development Plan. It is economic growth with job creation because if our people are working, we are able to withstand the weather of the economy. This is what we need but we won’t do it alone. We need the royal highnesses so that we can encourage inclusiveness. Whether I talk to the youths, the voice is heard differently but when you do, it is also heard differently,’’ Vice-President Nalumango said. ‘’So it is in the disseminating of information and encouraging people on what government is doing to try and alleviate the many challenges that we are going through. Nothing is insurmountable, we will look to God. You need to help us fight the vice of greed because it went so much into us that we were not looking out to our neighbours, we are looking out for self. It is a spirit we must fight together. We are always happy to be here in this palace where I feel welcome.”
Vice-President Nalumango also took time to remind the media of their importance in economic development.
“Do you know how important you are? You are so important because you can choose to build or to destroy. You have it all in your hands. Even if you say ni camera fye (it’s just a camera), even the picture you take tells a story,’’ said Vice-President Nalumango. ‘’So we all have our responsibilities. Thank you for bringing us together, your highness.”
And Mukuni said he was honoured to receive the Vice-President and her entourage.
“We feel greatly honoured when you come, we feel humbled to see you. You are number two in the country and it’s not easy to get the number two twice in a year. It should be once every five years.”-Mast