HIGH COST OF LIVING SADDENS FR. MUKOSA
…as he urges the Head of State to improve the livelihood of Zambians by facilitating access to basic services
Lufwanyama, Saturday, July 1, 2023 ( Smart Eagles Correspondent )
Copperbelt-based Catholic Priest Fr. Andrew Chewe Mukosa has warned that President Hakainde Hichilema risks being the worst Republican President if he does not play his cards well.
Fr. Mukosa of St. Joseph Mission in Lufwanyama District believes Zambia is currently not on the right track regarding the living standards of people compounded by the high cost of living.
He emphasised that President Hichilema’s New Dawn Government needs to do more to improve the livelihood of majority Zambians by facilitating access to basic services such as health, good housing, food and jobs.
Fr. Mukosa stressed the need to uphold human dignity as propagated by the Catholic Church.
The cost of living for a family of five as measured by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) for the month of May 2023 in Lusaka stood at K9, 077.93 whilst the cheapest town, Kasama, clinched a basket worth K4, 800.96.
“I think looking at the way governance issues are moving in Zambia, I think we are not on the right track with the UPND Government. I think we need to do more. First of all, they have completely forgotten about human dignity. Human dignity is about providing basic needs such as health, water, sanitation, good housing for people and food. I think we need to do much more,” Fr. Mukosa said.
Fr. Mukosa further counseled the Government against disparaging divergent views.
“The other part with this government right now is that they are not listening to any criticism and sometimes they are reacting so badly to criticism. When the Catholic or the Catholic Priest starts talking about Government that is a red light, let us wake up and know people’s needs. People are suffering in Zambia today and if President HH doesn’t play his cards well I am sorry he is not going anywhere. He is going to be the worst President. So take my advice, we are not on the right track,” he said.
“Tell them to change because there are so many pointers that we need, we need human dignity, we need people to eat, and we need employment. We don’t need graphs or anything else. That was said already. We do not need anything else, we need people to eat, to have houses, people to have clothes, people to have water. So please pass my message to them,” Fr. Mukosa said.