Edith Nawakwi Quotes

Zambian women have the same rights as men, and running for political office is not an exception. When I took over as minister of finance people had all sorts of negative questions because I was a woman... I was minister of finance during one of the most difficult phases in the history of our country, but I managed to contain the situation.

The second problem is that they will not get enough products even if you were to refine the remaining 115000 metric tons which is not yet processed. We are bound to have shortages and more price hikes of diesel and patrol because they will be taking out more heavy fuel oil than products. They will have huge stocks of heavy fuel oil. Maybe be out of 115000 metric tons even 50,000 metric tonnes will be heavy fuel oil were are they going to store it because most users have migrated from heavy fuel oil to electric fired boilers.

We have to explore alternative sources of energy like solar and others to enhance access to energy. Alternative sources are much cheaper than electricity.

He doesn’t listen to God. He has power and he will do what he wants.

Keep away from those activities because the beautiful and handsome men are either old age or they are not yet born because if a young man is of your age then they don’t have your aptitude. Boys grow slower than girls, so if you are 13 you are in a different world.

This smacks of the deepest scam were our people have put money in their pockets and left the country to be injured. In another country the Minister of Energy and all involved would have been fired by now that is why am saying that this should be led on the door step of the Minister of Defence (the President). He is aware of what has happened, they are shrouding it in ‘we are investigating’ what is there to investigate? All of us have the reports and we all know what is happening at indeni.

Women make up a huge percentage of the informal sector, particularly in agriculture, which is the world’s largest employer, so their concerns have to be taken into account.

The third problem is that the hydro cracker is not able to take products which are contaminated. It will burn and you will find that Indeni has to shut down every week to prevent the hydro cracker from burning, even the pipes through which they are pumping this contaminated oil will begin to corrode so they have to continuously replace them or clean them. Ideally they should run uninterrupted for 3 months or 6 months if they have done prementenace work.

This is a big task which calls for more innovation. I am hoping the financing gaps will not force Africa to go back on its commitment to give its citizens a better future.

I will criticise when that is due but we need a pool of knowledge to take the country forward. We can all contribute to national development in various ways.

Nothing and no one will stop me now. I believe that Zambia will only be saved by a woman and that Zambia is ready for a woman president. As soon as the men heard I was contesting, they all panicked. I will work and deliver like I delivered when I was minister of finance. The current leadership belongs to the liberation struggle era. We need leadership for the 21st century!

I was minister of finance at a time when Zambia was at its lowest. I remember there was a day when I was required to effect payment for half a million dollars and the government did not have any money. We had to borrow from one of our commercial banks. We were trying to liberalise the economy but we had no income in the country. I was privileged to be one of those who managed to push through the structural adjustment programme.

As I went to file my nomination, as I walked up to the Chief Justice, I asked myself ‘Why am I doing this?’ I was (asking) myself ‘am I equal to the task?’ But when I looked at my supporters and their excitement, it helped me appreciate the trust. I believe Zambia is ready for a woman to be president. Only a woman can bring about real change in this country.

Judge us without prejudice, not based on gender, not on tribe but on whether we can rebuild the nation and provide dignity to our people.

You have a good opportunity of going to a beautiful school that we, the adults, did not have, and I want you to use this opportunity to move the country forward. I want you to move the country to a level that we have never been.