Africa-Press – Zambia. United Party for National Development (UPND) Media Director Mark Simuuwe has launched a scathing critique against Zambia’s opposition, stating they lack national vision, credible policies, and a realistic path to governance.
Speaking at a media briefing following recent by-elections, Simuuwe said the opposition’s failure to present a national agenda disqualifies them from leading a modern and progressive state like Zambia.
He highlighted that the UPND’s recent engagement with the Communist Party of China (CPC) has positioned the ruling party to learn from China’s developmental successes and apply similar models at home.
Simuwe explained that the meetings in China were not ceremonial but strategic, aligning with President Hakainde Hichilema’s broader vision of global economic integration and diplomatic expansion.
“Ninety percent of what we discussed with CPC officials had already been agreed upon at the presidential level between President Hichilema and his Chinese counterpart,” he said.
Among the immediate benefits from these bilateral engagements are plans to ease visa restrictions, introduce direct passenger flights between China and Zambia, and strengthen investment in transport and energy sectors.
Simuwe stressed that these milestones are not mere political optics but real outcomes driven by strategic intent and the President’s commitment to national transformation.
“We are also pushing what the President proposed to China direct flights, better transport links, and eased visa restrictions,” he said.
He noted that the CPC’s poverty reduction model offered valuable lessons for Zambia, particularly in its categorisation of vulnerable populations to ensure targeted and effective support.
Domestically, Simuwe reiterated that the UPND inherited an economy in shambles due to fiscal indiscipline under the former Patriotic Front (PF) administration, which left public services in a state of collapse.
He recalled how civil servants went unpaid, retirees languished for years without compensation, and strategic institutions like TAZARA and FRA were left without recapitalisation.
“Farming inputs were delayed, farmers remained unpaid for their maize for two years, and the mining sector lost over 25,000 jobs,” he said.
Simuwe stated that under President Hichilema, Zambia is now on a path to recovery marked by debt dismantling, timely payments to farmers, and consistent disbursement of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects.
He took aim at opposition parties for hiding behind new names like NACP, calling it a desperate attempt to rebrand failed PF ideologies and exploit funeral platforms for political mileage.
In closing, Simuwe described the UPND as the only party grounded in development and backed by the trust of the Zambian people, as reflected in the party’s by-election victories in Roan, Manguza, and Trauma.
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