BUDGET, WHAT BUDGET?
Written by Millennium on October 1, 2019
NCHIMUNYA CHIDAKWA writes
@SunZambian
MARKETEERS of Lusaka’s Kalingalinga Township have left many shocked after they declared ignorance of the 2020 national budget which they said was news to them.
The traders said they were not aware of the national budget because they had not heard anything about it at their market.
In an interview with the Sun, the marketeers admitted ignorance about the national budget being released in parliament last Friday by minister of finance Ng’andu Bwalya.
“Budget, what budget? Sorry but here at the market we are not aware of this budget you are talking about. We have little or no time to listen or watch news, “said Joyce Hamayinda, one of the marketeers.
Ms Hamayinda said her and fellow marketeers had not heard of the budget around their trading area.
They however said in future information should be conveyed to them because they should be involved in events like the budget as traders.
“We have not heard anything about the 2020 budget, but in the previous years we had a chance to hear of the budgets television,
“As women in the market our appeal to government is that it should go round and inform everyone about these budgets, we hardly listen to the news as we spend most of our time in this place focusing on our business,” she said
“Elo bantu bambili muminzii sibanayende kusukulu, so budget muchitundu chimafunika nacheve kuchchosa mucizungu. Paliponse ni chizungu chizungu, benengu sibanayende kusukulu but news yeve bamayivela manje vimabapita”,
(Most people in villages have not gone to school, so you translate this budget for them to understand it. This is necessary not English always , because they may listen to news but they still not understand English)
Another marketeer Mr Innocent Kalaluka said: “I have not heard anything about the budget, people around here do not have the time to watch television or listen to news. It would also be an opportunity to employ youths to go round and inform the public on government events like the budget,” he said
“We as traders we don’t have so much time to listen to the news, they need to find a way to keep us informed, they could find another method to pass the information to all citizens,” Mr Jack Siyunda said.
