Africa-Press – Zambia. Patriotic Front – PF Media Director Antonio Mwanza says despite the United Party for National Development – UPND using the inadequacies of the Patriotic Front – PF which gave them rise to power as they used it to lure people into voting for them, they have failed to fix a number of things as promised to the people thus having no moral right to remain in government.
Mr Mwanza explained that the people of Zambia are making comparisons between the current government and the previous government and everywhere one goes, people are complaining of the hardships they are facing such as lack of medicines in hospitals, expensive commodities, high transport fares, lack of jobs, slow businesses and violence, adding that people that are contractors and work in government have not been paid.
“Everywhere you go people are complaining of hardships, stating that things were better under the Patriotic Front, this what gives us the PF hope that the future is bright because when people look at how life was 13 months ago and how it is today, it’s like coming out of a frying pan and going straight into the fire” he mentioned
He noted that today, the UPND is the most unpopular political party as there only strongholds are the Zambia Police, Drug Enforcement Commission – DEC, and the Anti-Corruption Commission – ACC, and they are not popular on the ground which is the reason why in both Kabushi and Kwacha Constituencies the UPND had to use and abuse the Electoral Commission of Zambia – ECZ to make sure that the PF candidates don’t file in nominations because they knew that the two candidates under PF were going to win the By-elections.
Mr Mwanza disclosed that the issues that removed the PF from power were perceptions of corruption, issues of careerism, and not listening to the people but despite all these issues the PF while in power built hospitals and clinics, schools, and universities and roads across the country, and that’s the legacy of PF as it delivered on their promises to the people, adding that the PF improved the working conditions of the people, lowered taxes and civil servants salaries were increased by 100 per cent and reduced the Pay-as-You-Earn under the leadership of the late President Michael Chilufya Sata.
“President Edgar Lungu continued by increasing the tax threshold,” he added
“The PF brought development across the country by building schools, roads, and hospitals and ensuring that there’s electricity in places where there was none, the only problem was on the issues of carderism and perception of corruption which the UPND capitalized on during their campaign,” he noted
“The UPND capitalized on the mistakes of the PF during their campaign by making promises of change to the people such as people buying mealie meal at 50 kwacha when today mealie meal is at 180 kwacha, fuel will be at 12 kwacha but today fuel is at 26 kwacha, no one will be given a prescription at hospitals but today even a cannula is prescribed, the UPND promised cheap transport fares but today transport fares have doubled and food has also become expensive, even the issues of carderism are still being experienced under this government as people are being beaten even just from the Police premises as witnessed in the recent happenings Mwense district where UPND carders attacked people at the Police station last week,” he explained
Mr Mwanza cited that all these are the things which the UPND said they will fix but unfortunately, they have not done it neither have they fixed anything.
He said that President Hakainde Hichilema always used to pride himself as an Economist but today he doesn’t even want to hear about him being an Economist, as he always talks about other issues and cannot address issues of the economy because the economy has collapsed.
“There’s the hypocrisy that is being exhibited by President Hichilema as he has been going around telling people on how he is trying to fight the spirit of ‘tantamount’ and ‘ka something’ but to be honest, he has given tax breaks to the mines and the question is what has he got in exchange, what ‘ka something’ has he got in an exchange with the tax holiday his giving the mines, and how much money are sponsors, supporters and sympathizers of the UPND are taking to Community House, how much money has he made as President from the time he was elected 13 months ago, today, the UPND have cars, materials and money but where is all this coming from, it’s all because of ‘ka something’,” Mr Mwanza questioned
Mr Mwanza has advised President Hichilema to stop using stinginess to demonize those who are able to give, as those that give are used to giving and sharing and should be left alone, those who are stingy should also be left alone with their stinginess.
“The UPND should look into the affairs and wellbeing of their supporters as they are suffering,” Mr Mwanza has urged Mr Mwanza highlighted this when he made an appearance on UNZA Radio Lusaka Star Programme.
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