UNIVERSITY of Zambia development studies lecturer Dr Charity Musamba has asked the government to publicise the expenditure outline for the fig tree recently renovated in Kabwe. Dr Musamba said the country was informed that the expenditure for renovating the fig tree so that it meets the heritage standards of conservation was over K300,000. It was reported earlier this week that the Big Tree National Monument, which appears on the K50 banknote, had received a facelift after undergoing rehabilitation at a cost of K370,000.

Locally known as Mukuyu, the tree is located at Kabwe’s Freedom Way Square and attracts a number of visitors who take shelter under its canopy measuring over 50 metres. The Bank of Zambia in partnership with the National Heritage Conservation Commission funded the rehabilitation of one of the two national monuments in Kabwe. However, the cost of rehabilitation has sparked consternation among members of the public, especially on social media, who argue that there was no economic justification to ‘fund’ a tree when many homes, even in Kabwe itself, were inundated by hunger.

“This is a huge expenditure…people have been asking how can the restoration cost that much? The Bank of Zambia has justified the expenditure. We are not interested in who is justifying the expenditure. Is it possible for the government to publicise the expenditure cost that led to this huge expenditure so that the public is aware of what was involved in financing that exercise in order to allay fears from an ordinary person’s point of view that this big amount cannot be used on a tree,” Dr Musamba said in an interview.

“You cannot understand how such a huge amount can be used just on a tree. Can government release the expenditure outline so that we understand how they arrived at spending so much money? For the Central Bank to even get involved in a district line expenditure, that is not the job of Central Bank.”

She said Zambia was already in a dire financial situation and was coming from a background where it was in a very precarious situation.

“It was just a few days ago that the President was talking about the importance of ensuring we spend public resources prudently. And for us to be clear and assured that we are spending resources prudently and for the right purposes, the public should have access to information. Members of the public are asking, how does the restoration of the fig tree cost all that money? It’s the question people are asking,” said Dr Musamba.