[By Ben Mbangu in Sinazongwe]
SINAZONGWE UPND member of parliament Gift Sialubalo says no one must give up because the clock is fast ticking for the PF government to leave office in 2021.
Donating salt to women in Malima ward over the weekend, Sialubalo said there was no need for any Zambian to lose hope of a better future because the UPND was determined to form government next year.
“God will soon wipe the tears of the oppressed hence no one must give up because the clock is ticking faster for the PF government to leave office in 2021. Let us just remain strong and not to lose hope despite our anger over high levels of corruption and poverty because 2021 is around the corner,” he said.
Sialubalo pointed out that the power to liberate the country from injustice, poverty and poor leadership lay in the hands of the same Zambians who were subjected to a lot of hardships now.
He disclosed that the UPND as a party under the leadership of Hakainde Hichilema was available to those with a dream of living in a better Zambia.
“As citizens we must show concern and worry about the rampant corruption, increased mere political rhetoric at the expense of effective service delivery and, against the shrinking democratic space and not propaganda and tribal divisions being promoted by the PF,” he said.
And Sialubalo urged his constituents to join other oppressed Zambians to teach the PF government a lesson in next year’s general elections for treating them as second class citizens in their own country.
“If it is you people of Sinazongwe, you should never forgive this government for abandoning you and breaking your hearts by failing to honour its promise to work on the Bottom Road and Batoka-Maamba Road. Why should you people of Sinazongwe be punished for exercising your constitutional right of voting for a party of your choice?” he wondered.
Sialubalo disclosed that despite Sinazongwe district’s immense contribution to the country’s economy through strategic economic areas like mining, thermos-electricity generation and fishing, nothing had been done to improve its road infrastructure.
“It is painful to be a Sinazongwe resident because you have to endure the pain of seeing your natural resources being exploited, yet government is not appreciating the area by developing it,” Sialubalo said. “Talk of Bottom Road, it just ended in Gwembe. Batoka-Maamba road is in a deplorable state, yet trucks carrying coal from Maamba pass there on a daily basis. Sinazeze modern market has become a white elephant.”
And Sinazongwe UPND district vice-youth chairperson for administration Costern Sikatyanka said young people in the area were disappointed with the manner in which the PF-led government ignored their appeals for development.
“The Batoka-Maamba road has killed a lot of people through accidents. The people of Sinazongwe have cried for many years to the government to work on the road which is now a death-trap but government is not listening. We don’t know what wrong we have done to this government to be punished in this manner,” said Sikatyanka.
But Road Development Agency corporate affairs and communications director Masuzyo Ndhlovu said the government through the agency had plans to finance the Batoka-Maamba road project once funds were secured from the Treasury.