Fight Inequality Alliance -FIA- Zambia has urged Members of Parliament -MPs- to forgo their financial resources for two months in the wake of President Hakainde Hichilema’s declaration of a National Disaster and Emergency.

FIA Zambia National Coordinator Mputa Ngalande said tightening the belt by reducing meals per day should not be a preserve of the poor as leaders must equally suspend some privileges.

Mr. Ngalande said the poor people are looking for hope from their leaders following the high mealie meal prices, currency instability and expensive fuel,” he said. 

“Looking at the disaster that we are faced with as a country, compounded by skyrocketing mealie-meal prices, currency instability and expensive fuel, as we talk about tightening our belts and lessen spending, we would like to ask Members of Parliament, as representatives of the people, to forgo one or two months of their allowances in order to channel their resources to the disaster,” he said. 

Mr. Ngalande said FIA Zambia was not happy to hear the Speaker of the National Assembly bemoaning some Members of Parliament that do not attend sessions but get their allowances in full.

“It is high time that we demanded for more accountability as a country. We must ensure that during the time of a disaster, it is not only the poor people that are giving up their privileges by reducing two meals to one, a day. Such sacrifices must equally be bestowed upon our leaders to forgo some of their privileges for a short period of time in order to channel those resources to funding the disaster that Zambia is faced with,” he said.
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