Rainbow Party leader Wynter Kabimba says it is shameless that government is acting like it is a union leader for mobile service providers at the expense of the citizens who voted it into office.

Reacting to the announced 30 Ngwee internet tariff in an interview, Kabimba said it was illogical for government to protect foreigners at the expense of Zambians.

“The question is, this is a government for who? I thought that it would be a government for the people. They were not voted into office by mobile [providers], they were voted into office by the people of Zambia. So if there is anybody that they should protect, if there is anybody whose interest they should have at heart is that of the voters that put them into office. And they can’t start acting like they are union leaders on behalf of mobile providers. That is irresponsibility on the part of government. We don’t expect government to act as a union leader on behalf of investors. They should even be ashamed to make such a statement, but the problem is that this is a government that puts the interest of foreigners [first] before the interest of its own citizens. That is what they are doing in terms of land allocation, that you and I would find it very difficult to acquire a piece of land and a foreigner would find it very easy to acquire the same piece of land,” Kabimba said.

Kabimba said citizens were within their right to cut costs by making internet calls.

“If people are exercising cost saving measures, how can that be a problem for anybody? It means citizens are being prudent about how they use their money and people are degenerating more and more into abject poverty. So they have to be careful with the little money that they have and how they are going to use it in communicating with others. So I don’t think that the principal should be that people should spend money in order to keep others in employment. I think people should spend money so that they can get the value of their money as they spend it. I think the argument that it is threatening jobs is certainly a one sided argument and a selfish one. I think the person who is spending that money must have a choice how they spend the money,” said Kabimba.

“So if I am going to spend my money to communicate with you (interviewer) using a method that is cheaper than speaking on the phone, then I’m a prudent spender. And I think that’s what citizens must be encouraged to be so that as they spend little, then they can save. And if they are able to save, then there will be money in the banks and other financial institutions to lend out to others and also they exercise provident that the day when they don’t have the money, they can go to the bank and get back their savings.”