COST OF LIVING TO KICK OUT UPND IN 2026 – FRANK NG’AMBI
….says hunger will unite the people and compel them to change Government
Ndola, Tuesday, August 22, 2023 ( Smart Eagles )
Patriotic Front (PF) Chairperson for Industries Frank Ng’ambi has said the prevailing high cost of living will force the people of Zambia to vote out the UPND Government in 2026.
Mr. Ng’ambi, the immediate past Chifubu Member of Parliament, said hunger will unite the people and compel them to change Government in 2026.
Commenting on the UPND’s first two years in office, the former lawmaker described the first two years of the UPND regime in office as failure.
He said the people changed Government in 2021 with the hope that the New Dawn Government would improve their welfare.
The cost of living for a family of five as measured by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) for the month of July 2023 in Lusaka, stood at K9, 301.18 in comparison to the recorded figure of K9, 239.45 in June 2023, signifying an increase of K61.73.
The average cost of living across all towns monitored stood at K6, 752.91, reflecting an increase of K236.64 in comparison to June 2023.
“People change governments to better their living standards. Any government that fails to improve the living standards of its people is a failed Government and the people would want that Government replaced. Fundamentally as a member of the community I want to support something that will improve my quality of life. As long as growth and prosperity does not fall within the benchmark of any government for me it means it is a failed Government,” Mr. Ng’ambi said.
“Let’s look at the survival of our majority Zambians, the first thing that we want to look at is pa mala (stomach). We left the bag of mealie meal at K120; it is now over K300, cooking oil, fuel, bus fares and so on. All these have had their prices increased to the extent of some of them being doubled. Yes, the prices of goods and services have gone up, do we have a corresponding salary structure that has responded to the increased cost of goods and services. The answer is no. Do we have a business environment that has provided growth for small and medium scale businesses? The answer is no. So when these fundamentals are not addressed, no matter what English you are going to use, no matter what grammar you are going to use, people’s homes will speak to them,” he said.
Mr. Ng’ambi cautioned UPND praise singers against misleading the Government with praises
“I am a very happy leader that this UPND Government will be booted out of office in 2026. Why do I say that? I know that hunger will unite the people of Zambia to vote out the UPND. For me the two years of UPND in government is a failure, this is a failed Government and urging the Zambian people especially those praise singers to stop praising this government because we go to the same shops, we board the same buses. My description of UPND under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema is that it is a failed leadership,” he said.
But UPND Copperbelt Youth Chairman Wallen Hinyama has said the New Dawn government is making frantic efforts to lower the cost of living.
Mr. Hinyama said the UPND regime has performed well in the last two years it has been in office.