Africa-Press – Zambia. PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila has flaunted the party’s achievement under President Edgar Lungu. Speaking when he addressed a virtual rally in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwila thanked President Lungu for the hard work he put into the national campaign.
“The 2021 election campaign was difficult and different because of the COVID 19 pandemic but the PF has always adhered to COVID 19 health guidelines. It is for that reason that PF was using other ways of reaching out to the Zambian people such as door-to-door campaigns, roadshows, and virtual rallies,” he said.
Mr. Mwila said President Lungu protected jobs after taking over Mopani Copper Mines and Konkola Copper Mines warning that the opposition received bribes to sell KCM again.
“The PF Government through the ZCCM- IH last week set aside 12 Million Kwacha to clear outstanding terminal benefits to over 5000 miners, at Mopani,” the PF Secretary-General said. Mr. Mwila said the PF government also cleared similar amounts of terminal benefits to over 3, 500 miners at KCM.
“The PF Government lifted the debt burden of civil servants by entering into a Debt Swap with financial institutions. PF Government would clear outstanding arrears to civil servants, swap their debts and shift their liabilities to the Public Service Micro Finance Company which charges far lower interest rates,” Mr. Mwila said.
The PF Secretary-General said the PF Government increased the number of public universities from 3 to 7 namely Kapasa Makasa University, Palabana University, Kwame Nkrumah University, Michael Chilufya Sata Medical University, and Levy Mwanawasa Medical University.
“The PF Government has also built new technical and vocational colleges among them Mwense College, Kalabo Trades, Isoka Trades, Sesheke Trades, Lundazi Trades, Mporokoso and rehabilitation of Nkumbi College Lukashya Trades,” he said.
In the health sector, the Secretary-General stated that the PF recorded success in the health sector after building five specialised hospitals. “The PF Government has rolled out infrastructure development such as airports, roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals to all parts of the Country without leaving anyone behind,” he said.
He said the PF Government built three international airports namely Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport and the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
“President Lungu is not segregative. He has taken infrastructure even to areas where he was not voted for. He has built Kazungula Bridge, Sioma Bridge, Mazabuka Road, Livingstone Bus Terminus. Today, Solwezi is done, Mansa- Luwingu, Luangwa – Mwami,” Mr. Mwila said.
He said in 2015, President Lungu found 250 000 beneficiaries but increased the number to one million people and recorded a bumper harvest. “The PF Government has trained and recruited 25 000 health workers during its tenure,” Mr. Mwila said.
And Mr Mwila said that the PF will win elections by a wide margin and there would be no re-run, adding that credible opinions released so far have predicted that President Lungu would win the elections.
“Credible entities by Zambian thought leaders have predicted a clear win for President Lungu. These surveys are from academic institutions that placed President Lungu at 60% win, Zambia Decides 2021 Survey, which placed President Lungu at 56%; research by two international think – tanks that predicted President Lungu would win by 56.8%; Africa Confidential predicted that despite challenges Zambia was facing, President Lungu would win; the Economic Intelligence Unit which was a well respected global business magazine also predicted a clear win,” Mr. Mwila said.
Mr. Mwila said there would be no Government of National Unity. The PF Secretary-General said the opposition realised that it had no numbers to win the August national polls thereby resorting to institutions of governance such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia, Zambia Police Service and the judiciary to discredit the outcome of the elections.
“Zambians must stand up and vote out political parties that promoted violence. Zambia is a Christian Nation and all need to condemn violence. It is unfortunate that the country continued to witness terrible acts of political violence, perpetrated by the UPND. We condemn the killing of two PF members by UPND criminals in Kanyama Constituency in Lusaka,” Mr. Mwila said.
