Chilubi Member of Parliament Rosaria Fundanga caused apprehension among male Members of Parliament when she said that most of them never moved with their wives in public as they had not invested in them.
Debating on the budget for the Office of the First Lady which falls under cabinet, Fundanga said the country should empower the First Lady as she was a flag carrier for the country whenever she travelled.
Fundanga appeared to have veered into delicate terrain unsettling several male MPs who loudly protested but the fluid speaking lawmaker stood her ground argued that the First Lady was an important office that had taken prominence at international gatherings like the United Nations and African Union.
She wondered how a First Lady could fly the country’s flag if she was denied resources to represent the country.
“Even at household level if you empower your wife she will be of better help to you. Many MPs here are ashamed of moving with their wives here or going out for dinners with them because they have not invested in them,” she said.
Fundanga said there were people who still thought a woman’s place was in the kitchen.
“You can’t have a President with a weak First Lady…they are invited to international conferences and they represent the country at that level,” said the wife to former Bank of Zambia governor Dr Caleb Fundanga.
“The UN has a forum for First Ladies, the AU so we must take this matter seriously. In any case Mrs Lungu is not the last First Lady.”
And Vice President Inonge Wina said that the insinuation that the First Lady’s Office was being funded to provide a second salary for President Edgar Lungu was preposterous.
“The insinuation that the funding of the Office of the First Lady is meant to give President Lungu another salary is preposterous,” she said.
Responding to Mazabuka Central MP Garry Nkombo who said the office needed some form of legal framework to justify its funding Wina said the office was already legal but fell under cabinet.
A K1.5 million budget was approved by parliament under the cabinet office.
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