Hichilema home, busy working – Hamasaka
By Thandizo Banda
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema should tell Zambians where he is and why he has disappeared from public life in the last two weeks, says governance activist Brebner Changala.
But State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka says Hichilema is home busy working.
In an interview yesterday, Changala said Vice President Mutale Nalumango should not stifle citizens’ questions on activities and whereabouts of the Presidency.
Zambians deserve to know the whereabouts of their President.
“Zambians deserve to know why the President has disappeared from public life. He cannot go silent when the nation needs decisive leadership and direction,” Changala said.
He said running a government was a constitutional mandate and not a favour to citizens.
Article 116 of the Constitution mandated the President to appoint Cabinet ministers to run government departments.
“We seemingly have Parliament without a functional Executive wing, backed by a four-member cabinet. So we need to know why we are running with only four Cabinet members and the whereabouts of the President in the last two weeks,” Changala said.
He warned that without a full Cabinet, most decisions being made remained contestable, citing the recent United States (US)-Zambia deal.
“The issue of a Cabinet quorum should not arise because the President meeting one minister and making decisions will haunt Hichilema in future,” Changala said.
He said the vacuum had left Zambians without answers on when and how the national budget would be presented and implemented without a full Cabinet.
Changala said State House could not continue to issue press statements through aides while the President remained unseen.
But State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka says Hichilema is home busy working.
“His Excellency is home busy working. The problem with you, you get instructions from Emmanuel Mwamba, who asks you to call Hamasaka to confirm,” Hamasaka said in a brief phone interview with The Mast.
The press query from the Mast had sought a response from State House to questions social media users and activist Changala had asked about Hichilema’s absence from the public.
Hamasaka asked the reporter where he thought the head of State was.
When asked how soon the Cabinet will be appointed, Hamasaka said it was not the duty of the media to demand the appointment of the Cabinet.
