We have our own cadres who were envying what PF was doing – Nkombo
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
LOCAL government minister Gary Nkombo says he is facing a lot of resistance from his party cadres to leave markets and bus stops but that he is determined.
And Nkombo said the role of restoring complete order and sanity should not be left to him alone but also to his home affairs and transport counterparts Jack Mwiimbu and Frank Tayali respectively.
“I don’t want to blame PF. I am an honest person. I have to be as honest as I can. We have our own cadres who were envying what PF was doing. Levying people in markets, taking it to the secretariat giving leaders and so on and so on. When we got in, there was a pronouncement at the highest level of the President who said ‘there shall be no more caderism’. Hello! It was the President who said that that there would be no caderism,” he said when he featured on Hot FM on Tuesday. “Last week we see these cadres with placards saying ‘Nkombo is misleading the President with (party secretary general Batuke) Imenda. They must come out. I agreed with the President. The whole Cabinet agreed with the President that let us find something else that is more sustainable for our cadres to do rather than harassing people on the streets. The bus stations are infested with cadres, I must confess, especially here in Lusaka .They masquerade. When I go there they run away. The only way they can easily get back at me is just to make a lone protest somewhere in the backyard saying ‘Nkombo out! It will not happen. I will come out when I err, when I make mistakes. And even mistakes are forgivable or when I decide to do things with impunity and not follow the vision of the team.”
Nkombo said the issue of ending caderism completely requires concerted effort.
“The issue of cadres in the markets is just as bad as it is in the bus stations. Why is it that bad? It is because the bus drivers have decided that they are not going to use the designated bus stops. I am sure you noticed that. They stop anywhere, instead of using the stations. The disorder is still there. Unfortunately, this area is not my own. I don’t run a traffic division in my ministry. It is run by the Minister of Home Affairs. I don’t run the road safety department in my ministry. It is run by the Ministry of Transport and so the three of us honourable Mwiimbu, honourable Tayali and myself must put our act together. We are delaying on this matter and I must confess that,” he said. “It should not be a lone fight. Just Nkombo so that when he becomes unpopular he will be unpopular alone.”
Nkombo said he was equal to the task of ensuring order is restored in markets and bus stations with relevant support.
“I am determined to get the things right. People must go back into the designated bus stops. The cadres must leave the market. They should leave the markets. Right now there is confusion because we have not provided for all people who need trading space as a result of partially the gutted City Market which is under quick renovation now. We are going to create nearly 4,500 trading spaces once we are done with renovations and there is Simon Mwewa Lane Market, there is Munyaule Market again another state of art modern building is being constructed by Adura. All those people will be moved and put into the designated places,” said Nkombo. “We face resistance, I must confess. We face resistance even from our own members and the whole idea is that of engagement. One day they will see the importance of this. There was a video that was circulating when I went to Buseko Market. I am sure you may have seen it where I found that the guys had established an office for UPND and I found out they were running a parallel market system. They had their own rules. They were disciplining people but the party has no business disciplinnig people. It is the duty of the council.”