Hichilema warns voters against Tonse, urges households to store maize amid rainfall concerns
President Hakainde Hichilema has warned Zambians against voting for the Tonse Alliance, saying they should not turn to him for help if political violence associated with the former Patriotic Front (PF) government returns.
Katuba, 30 July – Speaking during a community engagement in Katuba on Wednesday, President Hichilema accused the Tonse Alliance of representing a return of the PF and warned that voting for its candidates could revive political violence and cadreism in markets and bus stations.
Addressing residents in Tonga, Hichilema said voters should carefully consider the consequences of returning the former ruling party to power.
“Don’t go to Tonse; that is the same PF. If you decide to vote for those, when they start beating you, don’t come to HH and say, ‘HH, help us’. I won’t help you because you don’t listen,” he said.
The President also accused his political opponents of signalling a return to the PF style of governance, claiming this could see cadres and political violence return to public spaces.
He urged voters to back the UPND on August 13 if they did not want what he described as the return of “pangas” and cadres in markets
Hichilema also advised households to preserve some of their maize instead of selling their entire harvest to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), warning that Zambia could experience insufficient rainfall during the coming season.
“When you take your maize to FRA, build barns. This coming year, we may not have sufficient rains, so store some maize in your barns so that children can eat,” he said.
“We don’t want hunger in homes. Hunger destroys families.”
The President also used the engagement to defend his administration’s employment record, claiming that more than one million people had been employed since the UPND took office in 2021.
He cited the recruitment of about 45,000 teachers and 20,000 nurses and other health workers, as well as personnel in the defence forces, among the government’s achievements.
Hichilema further promised reforms to the licensing system for public service vehicle drivers, saying that, if re-elected, his government would extend the licence renewal period to five years.
He said his administration would also expand access to affordable financing for livestock farmers and continue investing in health and skills development infrastructure.
Among the projects highlighted were plans for a district hospital in Shibuyunji, the upgrading of health facilities and the establishment of a fully-fledged skills training college in Mumbwa.
Hichilema also said the government had increased the Social Cash Transfer benefit to K1,000.
The President, meanwhile, urged UPND supporters not to vote for independent candidates, singling out an unnamed candidate in Mwembeshi West whom he accused of ignoring appeals to withdraw from the race.
Hichilema said he had spoken to the candidate three times, including during a discussion involving Chief Shakumbila, but the candidate had subsequently decided to contest as an independent.
“The people of Mwembeshi East, Mwembeshi West, as it has already been said, this is our bedroom. Don’t disappoint me,” he said.
Hichilema pointed to road infrastructure in the area as evidence of his government’s commitment to local development and urged residents to support UPND candidates.
“If an independent is giving you money, get the money but don’t vote for them. Let’s be clever,” he said.
He again linked the Tonse Alliance to the former PF government, accusing former ruling-party cadres of violence and extortion at bus stations and markets.
President Hichilema held community engagements in Shibuyunji, Nangoma, Mumbwa and Katuba as part of his political activities.
Meanwhile, Matero lawmaker Miles Sampa urged voters to support Hichilema, arguing that citizens should assess the credentials and track records of those seeking the presidency.
“Running a country is not a joke, running a country is not like a kantemba job. When someone is looking for a job, you look at their CV to see what they have done,” Sampa said.
He praised Hichilema’s academic and business background and credited him with keeping the UPND united following the death of its former leader, Anderson Mazoka.
Sampa also claimed that cadreism had declined since Hichilema became President.
He criticised some of Hichilema’s opponents over their academic, professional and political records and accused them of failing to maintain unity within the PF following the death of former president Edgar Lungu.
Sampa urged Katuba residents to vote for Hichilema, telling them that his own support for the President was an indication of where he believed the country’s best political prospects lay.
“People of Katuba, we are neighbours in Matero there, you know me. Where I am, that means that’s where good things are for you. Make sure you vote for HH,” Sampa said.
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