Africa-Press – Zambia. Patriotic Front Kanchibiya Constituency Parliamentary candidate Sunday Chilufya Chanda has praised President Edgar Lungu for showing leadership and resilience throughout the challenges that the country has faced in the last couple of years.
Citing various happenings that negatively impacted the country in sectors such as the energy sector, the agriculture sector and the health sector, Mr Chanda said President Lungu has without a doubt proved that he is a natural leader, capable of making difficult decisions that protect Zambians.
“In 2015, Zambia experienced an energy crisis, forcing the country to start importing $40million worth of electricity every month in order to keep the country going, to counter this and ensure that it does not happen again, President Lungu decided that the country embarks on various projects to increase the country’s capacity to generate power and diversify The energy sector.” Mr Chanda said.
He said in the farming seasons of 2016 and 2017 Zambia experienced army worms, that damaged fields in most parts of the country, creating a serious food security issue. The President acted with magnanimity and ensured citizens did not die of hunger.
“In 2018 the country experienced floods and drought in various parts but President Lungu ensured relief food was distributed along with other relief especially for people in the Southern part of the country.” Mr. Chanda said.
He added that government was feeding close to 2.4million people as a result of the floods and droughts in different parts of the country. “We also had to borrow to keep Government’s development agenda on course.” Mr Chanda added. Sunday Chanda on Campaign Trail in Kanchibiya Constituency
And Mr. Chanda has said that if President Edgar Lungu had not ensured that adequate and unprecedented investment as seen in the health sector Had not been done, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia would have been catastrophic.
Citing facilities that have been used as COVID-19 centres in Lusaka such as the Levy Mwanawasa hospital, Maina Soko medical Centre and Chilenje level 1 hospital among others, Mr. Chanda said if such facilities had not been in existence coupled with many other interventions made by President Edgar Lungu’s government over the last few years, the country would have recorded more cases and deaths and the pandemic would have most likely collapsed the country’s health system.
“In 2020-2021, the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging economies the world over. It costs approximately K100,000 to treat one COVID-19 patient had PF not investment in health infrastructure, the country would have lost more lives than it has. Imagine Zambia without all these health facilities we are using as COVID-19 Centres, our people would have been dying in multitudes,” Mr. Chanda said.
“Zambia expects to experience a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2021. Who wants to even think about changing the winning team in the midst of the storm such as the fourth wave? That’s a tall order for any new government. Continuity is the way to go”, he remarked.
“President Lungu is a leader who has shown so much emotional intelligence and resilience that has earned him a lot of respect and praise not just from us in the PF but beyond party lines and outside Zambia.” Mr. Chanda added.
