Vice President Mutale Nalumango says President Hakainde Hichilema has not appointed any political party cadres to hold Constitutional office at the Electoral Commission of Zambia – ECZ.
Mrs Nalumango said that President Hichilema has appointed Zambians who are qualified to hold the positions.
She stated that the President is extremely careful when he makes appointments to key positions in the governance of the country
The Vice President said this in response to Leader of Opposition in Parliament Brian Mundubile who said that the ECZ and the Judicial Complaints Commission are now run by party cadres.
This was during the Vice President’s question time in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile Mrs Nalumango also mentioned that there is maize that will go to the Millers in the country from the Food Reserve Agency – FRA but she is not in a position to state whether or not it will mitigate the price.
Mrs Nalumango added that agriculture is a business and there is enough maize to be exported to neighbouring countries.
She said this in response to Mkaika Member of Parliament Peter Phiri who wanted to know if the government is aware that maize is being exported when the price of mealie meal is high.
And Mrs Nalumango said that she will engage the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure speedy delivery of inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme – FISP.
She was responding to Petauke Member of Parliament Emmanuel Banda who said only ten beneficiaries are able to get their inputs per day in his Constituency.
Meanwhile, Governance Activist Isaac Mwanza is urging members of parliament to give McDonald Chipenzi and Mwangala Zaloumis a chance to preside over the affairs of the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- and prove themselves.
Mr Mwanza said that he will write to parliament and appear before a parliamentary committee to support the ratification of Mr. Chipenzi and Mrs. Zaloumis in spite of the socially divided opinion over their appointment.
President Hichilema on Wednesday this week appointed Lusaka lawyer Mwangala Zaloumis as Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson to be deputized by Ali Simwinga and MacDonald Chipenzi as Commissioner in pursuant to Article 176 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia and in consultation with the Civil Service Commission, the President also appointed Dr. Mubita Kalabo as Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet in charge of Administration.
Additionally, President Hichilema also appointed Lusaka lawyer Mwangala Zaloumis as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and Mr Ali Simwinga as the Deputy Chairperson while Mr MacDonald Chipenzi was appointed as a Commissioner.
The President in exercise of the powers vested in him in Section 16 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 3 of 2012 appointed Mr Tom Trevor Shamakamba as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The President also on recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission pursuant to Article 140 (e) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia appointed Mrs Caroline Zulu Sokoni as the Judge of the High Court for Zambia.
The appointments are subject to ratification by the National Assembly.