Africa-Press – Zambia. President Hakainde Hichilema has been annoyed by insinuations from his critics suggesting that he is a puppet of foreign entities. Democratic Party (DP) President Harry Kalaba and Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe are among people that have branded President Hichilema as a stooge of foreigners.
Mr. Kalaba once said that President Hichilema cares more about foreigners and the rich at the expense of majority poor Zambians that voted for him during the 2021 elections. But President Hichilema has described as noise accusations that he loves foreign entities.
Speaking during the 2022 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Tuesday, the Head of State said he was a puppet of Zambians.
“I am asking the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) to finalise in this respect the drug and substance control policy. Please finalise the policy, take into account international instruments which constitute the cornerstone of the international drug control system. Madam resident coordinator from the UN (United Nations) you could assist us, you could help us in that regard. On best practices but also working together on the steps that are required to conclude that piece of law. That will help us now to derive laws from regulations and domestic ethos. We cannot deny that we are a member of the UN,” President Hichilema said.
“I must say what I said yesterday (Monday) when we were swearing in and the UN aid colleagues visited us. The World Bank visited us. Young people separate between noise and substance please. I hear a lot of noise. Separate that noise from substance. I made a request to the DGE Director, a capable woman. I make a request to the UN Resident Coordinator, another capable woman. Tomorrow someone said HH believes in foreign entities. Aikona man. That is noise. That is politicking. The issue is that this is our own UN. We are the founders of the UN. We are members of the UN. It is our UN. That lady (UN representative) there works for us. Isn’t it madam? She is a civil servant. An international civil servant working for our UN based in Zambia,” he said.
President Hichilema said Zambia has a stake in international organisations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, United Nations and Commonwealth.
“So we are not asking a foreigner to assist or work with us. The IMF is not a foreigner, we are shareholders. We pay money. The World Bank is our own World Bank. That is why we want it to work with us. We want them to work with us but tomorrow you will hear the noise’ HH is a stooge of foreigners and imperialists’. I am not a stooge of the IMF. I am only a stooge of you people (Zambians). I love to be your stooge. So let’s distinguish noise and substance. Then we should all say we should not be involved in the African Union because it is a foreign entity. Should we not be involved with the Commonwealth? I am sending a message because young people are afflicted by this scourge that affects everybody including elders feeding young people drugs. So research has been done already on our behalf by the United Nations. So let’s work together. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here (UN envoy Zambia),” he said. President Hichilema further called for concerted efforts in fighting drug abuse.
“As a nation we can’t solve a problem we don’t acknowledge, and so the moving testimonies we heard from the victims of drug abuse really underscored our collective aspiration to fight this vice, which has far such horrible consequences. Illegal drug dealing threatens to disrupt our way of life and the security of this nation. Sadly, those most affected by this vice are our youth, whose future this nation relies upon. That’s why we called upon the Drug Enforcement Commission to finalise the Drug and Substance Control Policy, taking into account the international instruments which constitute the global cornerstone of the International Drug Control System. Illegal drugs can destroy families and tear communities apart. There is no place for drug traffickers in Zambia. We will find you. We will protect our communities, and our children, from the pain of addiction. If you think you are above the rule of law, you are wrong,” he said.
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