HH slams ‘plunderers’ in opposition rebrand
….vows no hiding place for former leaders trying to flee legal scrutiny
By DAVID KANDUZA
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema declared the Patriotic Front (PF) permanently buried today July 22, 2026, blasting corrupt former officials for trying to hijack a new political party to escape their past.
Inspecting the massive Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway project, President Hichilema warned citizens that the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
He stated that changing a political banner did not change the corrupt nature of the politicians behind it.
President Hichilema argued that jumping into a new political party changes nothing when the ‘body, nature and mind’ of the politicians remained identical.
He specifically targeted two former provincial ministers in the PF administration Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu accusing them of ‘plundering’ national resources before fleeing their dying party.
The President reminded voters that the PF was decisively buried by the Zambian people during the 2021 general election.
The Head of State in some distances walked the tarmac checking construction progress and speaking directly with engineering crews.
Speaking at Landless Corner, Mr Hichilema guaranteed that national development and the free education policy were permanently locked in.
He announced that the next major infrastructure phase would target the vital road network connecting to Mumbwa.
In a direct populist move, the President purchased the entire inventory of every marketer and vendor at Landless Corner.
He then ordered the shocked traders to take the rest of the day off to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s business with fresh capital.
Farmers and traders swarmed the presidential motorcade, turning an infrastructure inspection into a massive show of local economic relief.
Addressing thousands of energised supporters during a high-stakes community engagement tour, the Head of State did not hold back.
He contrasted his administration’s economic prudence and infrastructure milestones directly against the track record of the former ruling regime.
Standing in Chibombo, President Hichilema highlighted a stark contrast in public infrastructure spending, using the landmark
He reminded the crowd that the previous administration had planned to construct the same road network using hyper-inflated figures—costing taxpayers a staggering US$1.8 billion funded entirely through unsustainable debt.
Under his administration’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the Government was building and upgrading the vital 327-kilometre highway corridor for just $650 million.
The President emphasised that by saving well over a billion dollars, his Government proved that Zambia coulf deliver world-class infrastructure without trapping future generations in debt.
He further used this fiscal discipline to promise an impending upgrade of the local Landless Corner.
In Liteta, the President took direct aim at opposition figures attempting to stage a political comeback ahead of the upcoming elections.
He urged local residents to remain vigilant and guard against political deception.
“Don’t be deceived by opposition leaders,” Mr Hichilema urged.
He noted that those criticizing the current Government were the very same individuals who failed to run the country effectively during their 10 years in power.
He implored voters to look at the tangible progress achieved in just a few short years—including the introduction of free education, massive increases to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), and major energy investments like the newly commissioned Chisamba Solar Power Plant
In a deeply emotional segment of his address, President Hichilema reminded Chibombo and Chisamba residents of the dark political atmosphere that gripped Zambia prior to 2021.
He recalled how ordinary citizens were brutally attacked, harassed and beaten in the streets of Lusaka simply for exercising their democratic rights.
He painted a vivid picture of the days when merely donning red UPND regalia made a person a target for ruthless political cadres.
He declared that his administration had successfully dismantled this culture of institutionalised violence and restored law, order and personal freedom to markets, bus stations and public spaces nationwide.
The road inspection and community interaction ended with a strong endorsement from traditional leaders, including Chief Liteta and Chief Chitanda, who praised the New Dawn administration for bringing local development—such as new radio stations, decentralised funding and expanded school infrastructure—directly into their chiefdoms.
President Hichilema’s message to Central Province was a rallying cry for unity and continuity: the dark days of cadre violence and inflated debt are gone and Zambia must keep moving forward.
The President then proceeded to address a rally at the John Chinena community.