postzambia

EDUCATION deputy minister Clement Sinyinda on Saturday publicly embarrassed United Nations resident coordinator Mcleod Nyirongo, UNDP country director Viola Morgan and other UN staff by chasing them from the speedboat, which he claimed was his.

The incident happened during the build-up to the Kuomboka ceremony in the morning at Mongu harbour as Nyirongo and Morgan were heading to Lealui to see off the Litunga.

The eight-seater boat was assigned to Nyirongo and Morgan by Western Province deputy permanent secretary Seth Muleya who assured the duo that everything was well.

But when the UN team led by Nyirongo got on the boat, Sinyinda suddenly appeared and demanded that the crew move out of the boat because it belonged to him.

At this point, Kuomboka ceremony Lusaka organising committee chairman Professor Oliver Saasa tried to explain to Sinyinda about Nyirongo and Morgan’s positions and the need for diplomacy on his part.

In response, Sinyinda said, “I know who they are but I’m just expressing myself. So let them get out of my boat.”

Nyirongo and Morgan, who were accompanied by their spouses, then got out of the boat and had to wait for another speedboat.

And on Friday, Western Province permanent secretary Ikanuke Noyoo appealed to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the hostels board to address the issue of inflated accommodation rates during the period of Kuomboka.

Speaking when Nyirongo paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Noyoo said it was unacceptable for lodges and guesthouses to hike rates during the Kuomboka ceremony.

“The hiking of services is just the question of greedy and poor business skills, the other thing also could be that we don’t have industries,” Noyoo said.

Noyoo said over K1 billion was pumped into the province during the Kuomboka ceremony.
Accommodation rates in Mongu during the Kuomboka ceremony ranges between K800,000 and K3 million for rooms which are normally pegged at K100,000 and K500,000 respectively.

Noyoo also said there was low condom use in the province because people had a casual attitude.
And Nyirongo said his visit to the province was focused on HIV and AIDS because he wanted to check on areas where the government could do better.

Nyirongo said in the last four years, the UN had been supporting District AIDS Coordination Advisors (DACA) and the Provincial AIDS Coordination Advisors (PACA).

“We have been told that one of the drivers of HIV and AIDS is culture and as we go round we shall try and focus on these areas to help the government do better,” said Nyirongo.