LISTEN TO PEOPLE, MSONI TELLS GOVT

By Kalobwe Bwalya

THE Government should commit to and elevate levels of political engagement in the country by responding to matters that have a bearing on what citizens need, All People’s Congress (APC) party president Nason Msoni has said.

In an interview, Mr. Msoni said the role of the Government was to listen to people’s cries and concerns and devise ways to address the challenges the citizens were complaining about by attending to matters that would improve the well-being of the people in the country.

He said it was unfortunate that the Government had continued threatening people by making statements meant to put fear in people instead of listening to their concerns and solve the current challenges that the nation was facing.

He accused those that surrounded President Hakainde Hichilema of not helping him deliver accordingly as they were allegedly preoccupied with amassing wealth for themselves while the rest of the citizenry was suffering.

“It is disappointing that the Government has continued threatening citizens. They are saying that the opposition are not giving alternatives but that is because they are not given a chance to provide checks and balances to the Government in power. This move is aimed at silencing them because the opposition are there to speak for the people of Zambia and as well as the voiceless,” Mr. Msoni said. 

He claimed that democracy was shrinking slowly because people were scared of airing out their views in fear of being arrested by the law enforcers but when reminded that just last week, the opposition was allowed to hold a rally which was attended by all presidents under the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), Mr. Msoni avoided the question. 

He instead said the people of Zambia expected that their living styles would change after they removed PF in 2021, but now they were living more miserably than before.

He urged the Zambian people to stand up and speak and defend their democratic rights without fear or being intimidated by politicians.

“You cannot impose restrictions on people or the opposition when they feel that there is a need to air their grievances but to listen and do the correct thing by allowing peace and harmony to reign in the country,” he advised.