By Ben Mbangu in Choma
MICHAEL Kaingu has asked former and current ministers to tone down on their language and act honourably.
Dr Kaingu, who served in various ministries both in the MMD and PF governments, urged former ministers not to be petty and jealous of those who are currently serving.
“Former ministers please tone down on your language. A minister serving or former carries with him a certain decorum that brings envy and respect from those who wish or ever aspire to be ministers,” he said in a statement. “We had our time, let’s help our colleagues to deliver. After all, as President Hakainde Hichilema keeps saying, they are our workers. If the economy improves we all benefit.”
Dr Kaingu advised former ministers to only offer constructive criticism to a sitting government and not insulting the President or fellow ministers.
“We shouldn’t find pleasure in their failures after all njala (hunger) knows no former minister. Let’s not wreck the stage just because our song is not playing. I don’t also believe that we must all form political parties in order to be heard,” he observed. “Respect and awareness of the consequences of all our actions, words and thoughts is fundamental. Those who speak to only attract attention are quickly forgotten in life.”
Dr Kaingu said the worst period of former ministers insulting a sitting head of state was during Edgar Lungu’s time.
“Former president Lungu was insulted more by his own former ministers than just ordinary citizens. We heard names like Bapompwe, (thief), chakolwa (drunkard)… In my opinion former president Lungu’s loss of the election was partly because of the abusive language of his own former ministers, who later rejoined him,” noted Dr Kaingu. “The trend of insults, bad language and lack of respect for the presidents came with the PF. Ministers after serving in cabinet must be mature and know how difficult the office of the president is and must remember collective responsibility of serving in cabinet. A minister is a creation of the president and should be obedient to the president at all times.”
Dr Kaingu said in leadership if one doesn’t agree with their colleagues, it would be wise to offer advice to them or keep quiet.
“It’s not all policies I agree with the UPND government. For example, as a former minister of community development, I don’t think CDF will achieve the intended objectives going by the manner it is being disbursed. K25.7 million in a constituency if properly administered must create new towns. I also feel the government is focusing too much resources on the social sectors,” he said.
Dr Kaingu said the employment of teachers and medical personnel should have been gradual.
“The figures in question will blow up government pay roll. I also feel the K65 million recovered from Faith Musonda should have gone to university infrastructure than to enroll more students because next year the government must find the same figure to keep the students in the university,” he said. “In the Ministry of Community Development for example, we had a lot of empowerment programmes and to be frank, empowerment programmes for our people have been there since president Kaunda’s years. Each government that came had tried to empower our people but the success rate was very low. Therefore, K25.7 million in the manner it’s being disbursed might fail but let’s wait and see. I say all this to help my colleagues but the game is theirs. I am not in any way defending those with issues with the law, that is for the courts. As former ministers please tone down on your language and be honourable. People within and outside Zambia are listening.”
Dr Kaingu observed that lack of civility in the language used by former ministers had left citizens and the international community wondering what sort of leadership they provided to the people and whether they can still be of use again.
“Yes we can differ but only in ideologies. There shouldn’t be any rivalry. It’s only in this country where a serving minister is addressing a gathering where there is a former minister and he doesn’t acknowledge his presence. It is this poor usage of the language that has made our former ministers not to be considered for UN or AU jobs,” he said. “Former ministers were supposed to be repository of wisdom and good governance. Ministers whether still serving or former must completely refrain from making tribal remarks, instead must help in unifying the nation.”
Dr Kaingu said it was important to understand that presidents use their own judgment to honour just a few men and women to form cabinet.
“The ministers’ role is to assist the President to govern. The President if he wants, can keep any ministry until he finds a person he believes can deliver in that ministry. It is a rarest opportunity to be a minister. The chosen men and women must swear to protect the Constitution and pay allegiance to the President at all times. It goes without saying therefore, that the President bestows honour and respect on those men and women,” he said. “You can see the respect, honour and confidence the President gives the man or woman he appoints to the office of a minister. Therefore, the minister serving or former should demonstrate civility towards the President whether a serving or former. Serving and former presidents and ministers were supposed to be a fraternity, hence the reason former presidents and ministers are accorded the respect of state funerals.”
Dr Kaingu said no matter how annoyed a minister is, must never call a former president or a serving president unprintable names or insults.
“The ministers must remember at all times the allegiance to the President and this allegiance to the President does not end with the office,” said Dr Kaingu. “The late former president Kenneth Kaunda used to fire and replace ministers and members of the central committee at will and every time you heard of a press conference, you would tell that the president was reshuffling his cabinet but we never ever heard fired men and women insulting him because there was respect for the office. During former president Frederick Chiluba’s third term bid, most of his ministers left but we never heard them insulting him as much as we heard from former president Edgar Lungu’s former ministers.”