Lungu to forfeit retirement benefits

President Edgar Lungu has proposed to Parliament that former Presidents starting with him forfeit their retirement benefits provided for under the benefits of former presidents Act which include the construction of retirement houses.
President Lungu announced the proposed changes during the official opening of the fifth session of the eleventh National Assembly today.
He says the proposed changes to the law are in pursuit of the virtues of equity and government’s aspirations for a smart Zambia.
President Lungu says he does not think that it is fair and equitable that the State must build a house for a retired President and not for other constitutional office holders.

He says there is need to demonstrate strong commitment to cost serving measures for now and for the future.
President Lungu states that the need for reform of pension packages must be for all constitutional office holders.
And President Lungu has appealed to fellow politicians to conduct issue based politics and reject politics of character assassination and the culture of insults, tribalism and regionalism which he says have crept in the politics of the country.
President Lungu says these vices are unchristian and very un-Zambian.
He says there is need to put a stop to this kind of politics and focus on real issues that affect the greater majority of the Zambian people.