By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

GOVERNMENT intends to institutionalise the medical team in-charge of the President in order to protect the health of the President.
Vice-President Inonge Wina said yesterday in Parliament during the Vice-President’s question time that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government intended to institutionalise the presidential medical team which would speak authoritatively on the President’s health.
Ms Wina said the institutionalised medical team would be set up as soon as possible and Health Minister Joseph Kasonde would soon make a ministerial statement in Parliament on the matter.
She was responding to a question raised by Kamfinsa (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) Moses Chishimba who wanted to know how Government was ensuring the good health of the  President.
“It seems anybody can make a comment and when the Presidency gives updates others will come out and take offence. In order to stop speculation, Government will institutionalise a system responsible for the President’s health,” Ms Wina said.
On reversing the Statutory Instrument (SI) which increased the retirement age to 65 years from 55, Ms Wina said Cabinet would meet to discuss the matter.
This was in line with the promise that President Edgar Lungu made to the people during campaigns towards the January 20, 2015 election.
Ms Wina said Mr Lungu assured Zambians that the SI would be amended and so Cabinet would meet to discuss it because increasing the retirement age was a contentious issue.
She was responding to Milanzi MMD MP Whiteson Banda who asked when Government would reverse the retirement age.
Ms Wina also said Parliamentarians and all citizens would be informed of the Constitution enactment roadmap.
This was after Mazabuka Central United Party for National Development MP Garry Nkombo asked the Vice-President if the contentious issues the Minister of Justice Ngosa Simbyakula had talked about in Parliament previously were going to go to Parliament for enactment.
In response to Nchelenge PF MP Raymond Mpundu’s request to Ms Wina to comment on President Lungu’s commitment to the enactment of a new Constitution, Ms Wina said Zambians had so far observed that Mr Lungu had the good will and the political will to ensure that Zambians got the Constitution they wanted.
The Vice-President said all political leaders should encourage their cadres to be peaceful and work towards a united Zambia.
Ms Wina said it was inappropriate for cadres to carry coffins when demonstrating and for women to walk bare breasted.
Earlier, Namwala UPND MP Moono Lubezhi wondered whether it was appropriate for PF youths to demonstrate in Kasama on Wednesday carrying coffins or during President Lungu’s inauguration to carry a coffin and a dog dressed in a UPND T-shirt.
Meanwhile, Ms Wina said it was unfortunate that youths born way after the Barotseland agreement was signed, were currently in police custody over the matter.
The problem, she said, was politicians that incited youths over the Barotse agreement so as to gain political mileage while young people suffered.
She said the matter was in court and the people could not therefore be released from prison.
This was after Sikongo MMD MP Mundia Ndalamei asked the Vice-President if those imprisoned over the Barotseland agreement would be released.
Deputy minister in the office of the Vice-President Bwalya Chungu later during questions for oral answers said Government was still studying the Barotse inquiry and could therefore not state when the findings would be published.