Eleven leading Civil Society Organizations have vowed to stage countrywide protests if the Patriotic Front government does not withdraw the removal of the fuel and mealie meal subsidies joining University of Zambia students who today start a class boycott in what is dubbed as Black Friday.
And opposition United Party for National Development says it will hold countrywide demonstrations over the removal of subsidies on fuel and mealie meal.
The CSOs who include the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Operation Young Vote (OYV), Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP), and Young People’s Leadership Association (YALI) said they had given the government a seven day ultimatum to act on their demands
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs Operation Young Vote Executive Director Guess Nyirenda said the government had consistently induced opposition MPs to cross over by promising ministerial jobs.
The CSOs called on Zambians to wear black on Friday to signal their anger.
They said it was their plan to de-campaign opposition MPs who crossed over to the PF without reason.
“We have noticed that there is an upsurge in the number of opposition MPs crossing over to the ruling party costing the country a lot of money. We will ensure that any MP who crosses over without any good reason is de-campaigned,” Nyirenda said.
“We will hold countrywide demonstrations if the government does not reverse the removal of subsidies on mealie meal and fuel.”
There is growing discontent with the Patriotic Front government that has reneged on its promise to create more jobs, lower taxes and put more money in people’s pockets. Unza students have vowed to effect Black Friday with a class boycott starting today.
Meanwhile, UPND deputy spokesperson Kuchunga Simusamba said the theme of the countrywide demonstrations would be no money, no jobs and high
mealie meal prices.
Simusamba said the party had written to Lusaka Police Commissioner Joy Kasosa and had set May 26 as the day for the first round of demonstrations to kick start in Lusaka.
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