PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON THE OUTBURSTS OF EDUCATION MINISTER DOUGLAS SIAKALIMA
Lusaka, January 2 – Education Minister Mr. Douglas Siakalima must desist from lowering the decorum of the office he occupies by engaging himself in cheap political propaganda and fanning hate speech that has the potential to hurt the popularity of the UPND Government.
To say the UPND has achieved more in 3 years compared to what President Kaunda did in 27 years, is an insult to the memories of our founding father who fought for regional liberation, built the University Teaching Hospital, the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University, the Kariba Dam, Tazama pipeline and many other key legacy infrastructure projects that have continued to sustain the Zambian economy.
I challenge Mr. Siakalima to point at what the UPND has done apart from placing mines in the hands of their friends, running down the economy and increasing the prices of essential commodities including mealie meal, eggs, cooking oil and fuel.
The teachers and health workers that this government claims to have employed are suffering from the unprecedented high cost of living as their meager salaries cannot buy basic commodities under a terribly managed economy by those who claimed to have superior quality of vision.
Mr. Siakalima as a senior member of the ruling party and a minister for that matter, should also desist from using hate speech against fellow Citizens.
Under no circumstances should he be calling other citizens as monkeys. It’s immoral, insulting, cheap politicking and downright lack of inspirational leadership qualities for someone called minister of education.
It’s even more disturbing and troubling that this is not the first time Mr. Siakalima is engaging himself in hate speech.
When he called those of us from the north as suffering from the poverty of the mind, we gave him the benefit of doubt but it is very clear now that the man must be tamed as a matter of urgency. In fact, in a serious Government, Mr. Siakalima should have lost his job a long time ago.
I urge President Hakainde Hichilema to manage Mr. Siakalima as we will not stand by and watch him continue to insult, bully and humiliate other citizens. Failure to discipline a senior cabinet member who is wantonly using and promoting hate speech will mean he represents the views of his appointing authority.
Harry Kalaba
President
Citizens First