Nawakwi should not question govt’s competence – Kambwili

Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili says it is petty and immature for opposition FDD leader Edith Nawakwi to question Government’s competence, under the leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, in handling national affairs

Reacting to the statement attributed to Ms Nawakwi that President Edgar Lungu lacks the competence to manage the Government, and the economy, in particular, Mr Kambwili says statement should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

In a statement, Mr Kambwili says the PF’s victory in the January 20 Presidential by-election is a demonstration of the confidence the people of Zambia have in the Patriotic Front Government and its policies.

He says So far, Government, under the leadership of President Lungu, is on track and on schedule in the implementation of the development programmes and policies as espoused in the PF manifesto.

Mr Kambwili says these include acceleration of the ongoing Constitution making process, infrastructure development and the Gender Agenda in which, for the first time in the history of the country, the womenfolk have ascended to high positions of responsibility alongside their male counterparts.

He adds that President Lungu’s crusade to rally Zambians together under the motto “One Zambia, One Nation,” has distinguished and endeared him as a skilful and visionary leader.

Mr Kambwili says Government hopes Ms Nawakwi was just politicking, because as a former Cabinet Minister who served in various portfolios, she is aware that the President does not need to be a master of all trades.

He states that it therefore, laughable for Ms Nawakwi to expect President Lungu to be schooled in economics before attending to the fuel crisis.

Mr Kambwili adds that Ms Nawakwi is not an economist although her public posturing suggests she wants to allegedly deceive people that she is an economist.

He says the truth of the matter is that out of the many brilliant economists Zambia has produced since independence, Ms Nawakwi is not one of them.

The Chief Government Spokesperson says the FDD leader is therefore not the right person to be preaching to others what she failed to do when she served in various ministerial portfolios, in particular, finance.