Mweetwa Does Not Have To Apologise To Vice President - GEARS

The Governance Elections Advocacy Research Services Initiative (GEARS) Zambia says that Choma Central MP Cornelius Mweetwa does not owe Vice President Inonge Wina an apology after calling her “shallow and shameful” for linking recent gas attacks to regime change. 

GEARS Zambia’s executive director McDonald Chipenzi said Mr Mweetwa had not breached any law and that in fact it was Mrs Wina who owed an apology to parliament and the nation for not being sincere in her response to questions from the MP. 

Mr Chipenzi added that Mrs Wina’s response to questions posed to her in the National Assembly left much to be desired and did not inspire confidence in her leadership. 

His comments come after Mr Mweetwa reiterated his refusal apologise for his remarks on Diamond TV’s Costa programme back in February. On Friday, speaker Patrick Matibini ordered the Choma Central MP to apologise and was again met with firm opposition. 

Mr Chipenzi’s statement goes on to say that Mr Mweetwa has the right to demand concrete answers from the vice president as to who was involved in the wave of mysterious gas attacks earlier this year.

“If Mweetwa is not satisfied and the Speaker does not intervene, the MP has all every right to describe such responses as “shallow and shameful” a sign that a more upright answer is needed instead of admonition from the Speaker”, Chipenzi said. 

He said GEARS further expects Mrs Wina to apologise to the opposition for falsely accusing them of gassing people and gutting the City market. He called on the speaker of the house to demand a comprehensive response from Mrs Wina, as well as the rest of the executive, to questions raised by MPs on the floor of the house.