THIS time around I am certainly sure that I have had enough of politics, says Michael Kaingu.
Kaingu who held various ministerial posts in government says, “If I had a lot of money I could have put my name for President.”
In an interview, Kaingu said politics was the opium for men.
“This time I can say for certain that I have had enough. I served diligently but there are areas where I feel I could have definitely done more with resources available. For example, as minister of higher education, I could have done more. I am an advocate of education transformations. I am not happy with the way our education system is in, I think I should have done more,” he said.
“In the tourism sector, I could have done more. I have always wanted to build something like Paris’ Eiffel Tower in Livingstone to overlook the Victoria Falls. You don’t need to go into a helicopter to have an aerial view of the falls, but you can get into a tower with a restaurant and a bar and view the Victoria Falls. In community development, I could have done more in Social Cash Transfer. For example, I was going to make it conditional. It is not everyone who is old who qualifies. Imagine I am 68 years old, I could have qualified to get the money…I would have borrowed the Brazilian concept which is conditional.”
Kaingu added that in government there’s no best player like in football.
“I feel I could have done a lot and if I had money I would have put my name for President and these things I am talking about would have done but when you save under other people you become a general good. You can’t do better than what your friends are doing, so you work within the team. Unfortunately, in government there is no best player like in football, you should play as a team,” Kaingu said.
Asked what he misses most, Kaingu said he misses interacting with his colleagues in politics.
“I think politics is the opium for men, there are times I feel I should stand up and debate because I feel I could have said much better than what my friends are saying,” said Kaingu.