PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HH’s Outstanding Performance Propels Zambia”s Economy To Higher Heights.
Wednesday,
27th March,2024
President Haakainde Hichilema took over power at the time when Zambia’s Economy was in a condition of great disorder and a populace deeply in broken ranks. The country was plunged into an external debt crisis as a result of over borrowing by the previous PF Government. The rule of law had completely dwindled and corruption had taken the centrestage. The country was regionalized on tribal lines and the abuse of human rights was the order of the day. Citizens were subjected to indescribable torture and inhuman treatments by the law enforcement agencies. Public workers who belonged to other regions were marginalized and others retired in national interest. The recruitment of public workers and the appointments in key Government positions were all done on tribal and regional lines. Cadrerism became rampant and subdued the work of our men and women in uniforms
Zambia was plunged into not only internal debt but also external debt worthy Billions of Dollars, which the new dawn government inherited as such any well meaning Zambian knows that the few years of being in power has been very rough for the new dawn administration. Considering the difficult economic situation which was caused by the previous regime, the UPND led Government has even performed much better as it has made a lot of strides in addressing the economic hardships.
President Haakainde Hichilema has performed wonders as evidenced by the introduced deliberate social support Programmes in increased Constituency Development Funds (CDF) and other empowerment schemes that President Hichilema’s new dawn administration is rolling out. He has given economic diversification top priority, embracing transparency, accountability, public participation, effectiveness, responsiveness and the rule of law as tenets of good Governance.
The just concluded negotiations with creditors on Debt Restructuring, are clear indicators that Zambia’s Economic Recovery appears to be sure given the President’s emphasis on key sectors of the Economy such as Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, Tourism and Mining. President Hichilema’s stance is further consolidated by his dedication to democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law.
The increased (CDF) which the opposition is trying hard to downplay, is changing lives of people in communities across the country, because the funds have not only benefited business companies, clubs, cooperatives but have also helped to spur development in communities across all sectors of human endeavors. Despite the Opposition leaders only dwelling on the high cost of mealie meal and other food stuffs which Government is emphatically addressing, many facets of development have changed in Zambia since president Hichilema formed Government in 2021.
The realignment of the civil service to allow for the recruitment of teachers, health workers, agricultural officers and other government workers are some of the remarkable milestones that President Hichilema’s Government has scored. The move to employ in the civil service has not only created employment opportunities for youths but has also enhanced service delivery to the public who depend on Government for services.
We wish to remind the opposition political leaders who are busy trivializing or downplaying what the ruling UPND is doing that HH means well for the people of Zambia and that soon and very soon they will have nothing to talk about, especially when the prices of essential commodities are brought down.
The opposition who had taken the recruitment of public workers and the free Education policy as a circus are slowly but surely struggling to convince their minds that the UPND new Dawn administration means business and greatly appreciates the value of education as one of the weapons which can be used to subdue both social and economic challenges at all levels of society.
The free education policy is not only helping parents who have challenges to take their children to school but has also helped to reduce on illicit vices such as early child marriages, pregnancies, alcohol and drug abuse among youths.
The PF regime saw no importance of the Meal allowances in tertiary public institutions and ended up scrapping them off. But the UPND Government re-introduced them
and increased access to student bursaries and student loans in all public tertiary institutions which should be appreciated by all well meaning Zambians. It is worthy noting that within the first two years of being in power Government has also increased and expanded the access to Social Cash Transfer which is helping to cushion the impact of economic hardships in communities.
The 20 percent NAPSA partial withdraw, is yet another initiative which has helped Zambians. As if that is not enough, oth6 deliberate programmes have been initiated to dismantle pension benefits and unpaid arrears for retirees that were not paid as way back as during the MMD and PF tenure of office.
Therefore, it is not a surprise that our Zambia’s Republic President, Mr Haakainde Hichilema has been named as one of the top 5 best performing African leaders. We are urging all Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and other top Government officials under UPND Administration to do introspection and emulate the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to put in the best for effective service delivery if they are to meet People’s expectations.
The achievements that UPND administration has done under President Hichilema’s rulership within the few years of being in office such as the abolishment of the death penalty, signing of Access To Information Bill into law, ending carderism in public places, recognizing and respecting human rights, the enhancement of rule of law and concluding negotiations on debt restructuring among others are exceptionally outstanding. Zambians have seen sanity in the Political landscape and are now enjoying fresh air and democratic space which guarantees freedom of movements, expression and association with no more intimidations from anyone.
We are advising the opposition political party leaders to mature and provide not only credible checks and balances but also solutions to many challenges Zambians are faced with. The previous PF Government left the economy in tatters which the new dawn Government is in a hurry to remould. “ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY.”
Issued by
WESLEY MIYANDA
Governance Expert and Human Rights Advocate.