EASE TENSION; FULFILL PROMISES
By Edwin Lifwekelo, PF Deputy Media Director
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema and his administration must stop taking Zambians for a ride but fulfil the promises he made during campaigns for last year’s general elections.
Right now there is tension in the nation reflected by the growing frustration among citizens as a result of unfulfilled promises.
The protests by farmers in Nakonde over the delayed delivery of farming inputs and unemployed health personnel in Lusaka are a reflection of the failure of the new government’s policies.
In the last few days, social media has been aflame over the careless statement made by UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda that his party did not sign any contract with anyone assuring them that it would employ them when it formed government.
People from all walks of life have taken to social media to condemn the statement and have urged the UPND government to fulfil the lofty promises it made to the people of Zambia, especially the youth.
While the hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth were expressing their anger and disappointment with the so called New Dawn administration on social media for spitting in their faces farmers besieged the district commissioner’s office in Nakonde protesting the delay by the government to deliver fertiliser under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) for this farming season.
President Hichilema traversed the nation making all kinds of promises to the voters. But so far he has backtracked on many of those promises.
We urge him to honour the following promises:
- After he was sworn in as president the rate of the Kwacha to a dollar would drop to K10 from around K16 the same day; and that the rate would later return to a single digit
- Fertiliser would be delivered on time, and that the quantity per farmer would be increased
- There would be no cadreism yet UPND cadres are terrorising citizens, including civil servants, and private businesses every day.
The President must also intervene in the continued violation of the rights of his political opponents by investigative wings.
He should show leadership and stop the excesses being perpetrated by the investigative wings against his political foes in the opposition in his name.
Since he was sworn in the country has witnessed the shrinking of the democratic space with freedom of expression being curtailed with impunity.
Those who are speaking against the President are being summoned, interrogated and detained on flimsy charges.
We urge President Hichilema to unite the country as he promised instead of dividing it as he is doing. He is President for all Zambians.
Issued by:
EDWIN LIFWEKELO
PF Deputy Media Director