The Socialist Party wishes to convey its condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the late MP for Mwansabombwe, Hon. Rogers Mwewa, as well as to those for the late Lukashya MP, Hon. Mwenya Munkonge.
Their death is a great loss to the affected families and communities. Zambia has also lost two serving legislatures shortly before completing their term of office. This entails more by-elections in the coming months. It is tragic and costly.
The Socialist Party had previously warned about the lukewarm, incompetent and seemingly arrogant manner in which the COVID 19 pandemic was being managed in this country. The Party had specifically pointed to the management of human traffic at the border areas, the need for a more systematic contact tracing system, the enhancing of the health workforce, adequate PPEs for frontline staff and above all an intensive public messaging and a socialised behaviour monitoring. We also pointed to the substantial financial requirements and the strict use and accountability of these resources.
With hindsight today, the management of the pandemic is a national disaster. Many more Zambians will pay with their dear lives. In the midst of a global pandemic, the President of the country is burning a lot of aviation fuel moving from one constituency to another dishing out slush funds to traditional leaders and party cadres. The serving Minister of Health is caught up in a huge corruption scandal and is mobilising sections of the ruling party for political support. From a distant, this would be a typical lousy comedy of failed and greedy tinpot dictatorship. But when thousands of innocent lives are about to be sacrificed, then we have to come back to reality and stop the calamity from destroying our homeland.
Before the onset of COVID 19, the Zambian health system was already pathetic and characterised by low, erratic funding. Accountability has been zero for decades now. With the emergency of COVID 19 plus by all standards the most incompetent and corrupt government since political independence in 1964, the decay is open and painful to watch. The death of 2 legislatures in a single day is about a failed state of the health system and entire political system of the country.
Neo-liberal capitalism anchored on individualism, greed, unbridled competition and consumerism is the ultimate cause of death of the 2 members of parliament. It’s a system that has given rise to a breed of politicians that are self-serving, arrogant and yet find joy in sheer ignorance. May more Zambians will continue dying avoidable deaths over the years to come if capitalism is not stopped and a more humane, socialist order put in a place.
Statement Issued on Behalf of the Politburo by Dr. Cosmas Musumali, General Secretary
