PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED IF I DIDN’T BECOME PRESIDENT – HH
If the drought came before we came into office, Zambians would have died, President Hakainde Hichilema has said.
Addressing UPND members who assembled at Mulungushi International Conference centre to endorse him as the party’s Presidential candidate for the August 13 general election and also elect members of National Management Committee (NMC), President Hichilema said God can never give someone a load they can’t carry.
“Somebody said to the Vice-President that if that drought had come before we came into office, that’s why God can never give you a load that you can’t carry… He knew that if this drought came before we came into office, Zambians would have died,” the President said in reference to 2023/2024 devastating drought that triggered widespread crop failure and also resulted in debilitating electricity shortages of up to 22 a day.
The President said his methodical approach to solving national crises helped to overcome potential disaster caused by the drought.
“Since nobody died of hunger, it means every household benefitted – isn’t it? So, people were saying awe HH wabufi (HH is a liar), what do you mean wabufi? That was a song being sung in 2021, 2022, 2023; I said to them; ‘wait, we are cooking, and after cooking ‘salt sana,’” he told cheering crowds.
“See how great God is… Good is good all the time and all the time God is good. That is his nature. So, we can only thank God for allowing us to serve the people and God allowed us through the people of Zambia who voted,” he said.
President Hichilema also the government is currently addressing the opaque process which saw 3,000 new trainee police officers booked in for training last Sunday, sparking uproar and anger among Zambians.
“I have heard about the police recruitments, we are addressing that issue right now. That’s our job; that’s why you put us in these offices,” said President Hichilema. “But here is my message; we’re the government that has been recruiting from across the country; the government before us never did that; you never knew when there was recruitment, you just saw people working… nga aba bafuma kwisa (where are they coming from?) Now you’re involved; now you comment on social media – I scan the pulse of this country when I check social media platforms, I check news here and there; I hear complaints and I work on them. I listen to those complaints.”
The President said the last four years had not been enough for UPND to deliver on its campaign promises. He said a lot of strides had been made especially in restoring economic stability and growth and also making a dent on high numbers of unemployed but trained teachers and healthcare providers.
“There is a lot of work to be done because the country was damaged for so many years and we cannot resolve all that damage in four-five years, it takes time. First you correct, now it is achieve more,” he said.