By 2026 HH and friends will be only Zambians with money, says Silavwe

By Fanny Kalonda

Golden Party of Zambia leader Jackson Silavwe says by 2026 President Hakainde Hichilema and his friends will be the only Zambians with money while middle class Zambians will be reduced to beggars.

He says President Hichilema’s economics is out of touch with reality on the ground.

“President Hichilema must not disguise personal vendetta’s as economics. By 2026 the President and his friends will be the only Zambians with money and the middle class of Zambia reduced to beggars. The President’s economics is out of touch with reality on the ground. It is strange and elite economics,” Silavwe argued in a statement. “President Hichilema’s economics lack a human face. His economics increases the hardships of our people. He is implementing SAP (structural adjustment programme) reloaded and on steroids. His economics sentences millions of Zambians into a life of perpetual suffering and poverty.”

He wondered why the country was removing excess money when there are seven million people unemployed.

“Removing excess money in an economy where 65 per cent of the citizens live in poverty and below USD $2 per day? Removing excess money in an economy where 97 per cent of local businesses are small and medium? Removing excess money where citizens are mostly economic spectators?” he said. “Removing excess money in an economy where workers contribute more to the national budget than companies? Removing excess money in an economy where big foreign companies externalise their profits? Removing excess money in an economy that has no or less industries? Removing excess money in an economy with the highest cost of living since independence?”

Silavwe also said President Hichilema’s obsession with the former ruling party, the PF, is alarming.

“In responding to the press conference held by the Republican President, we surmise that President Hichilema lives in his own make believe reality far removed from the actual realities facing our people. The President’s obsession with the PF is now alarming. The President cannot continue to make PF a standard of his governance and economic success. The people of Zambia said it all on his behalf when they voted the PF out of power. The President should lead the nation now,” he said. “President Hichilema dodged every question asked by the journalists. He did not effectively answer questions on harmonising his campaign promises, Barotseland, high cost of living, impact of load shedding, China, Mopani [Copper Mines], Kansanshi Mine, KCM and fertiliser distribution etc. In his usual style, the President took the journalists and the nation on a wild goose chase to conceal his true thoughts or the lack of if on those key national matters and raised more questions.”

He accused President Hichilema of only listening to himself.

“In the Presidents ‘make believe reality’ it’s only his thinking that is true and any other reality is not, no matter how it hurts our people. The President only listens to himself and the Cabinet only listens to him. We truly fear for the future of our people,” said Silavwe.