HICHILEMA WANTS TO SECURE HIS STAY IN OFFICE
….by using constitution amendments, says Monde
SIKONGO… Thursday May 29, 2025 – Former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Greford Monde has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of using constitutional reforms to secure his stay in office beyond 2026.
Hon Monde says the UPND government is enticing Zambians with delimitation of Constituencies as the reason to amend the constitution but what they truly want is cement President Hichilema’s stay in government.
He said the people of Zambia are not gullible as they can see through what the UPND government is trying to do using the constitution amendments.
Hon Monde further condemned the UPND government for trying to get rid of the 50 plus one, Running Mate, date of elections clauses among others.
He said this in an interview with journalists after the successful filing in nominations of the Tonse Alliance candidate Mundi Limwanya in the Tuuwa Ward by-election in Sikongo District on Tuesday.
“The constitution is a people’s document, this is a document that governs the people. Never at any given time did we see what we are seeing today. A matter of such a high magnitude like a constitution can be a discussion in the bedroom of leaders of government. This should have been a consultative process to bring on board everybody, every Zambian. Now they are trying to entice you Zambians with the delimitation of Constituencies, that is just the ice cream on the cake. The real matter is that President Hakainde Hichilema is actually trying to secure his term in perpetuity in government,” he said.
“The people of Zambia are not dūll, they are able to see through all this. And I can assure you that this constitution is not going to be passed because it is not a people driven process. We reject it, from the onset we are not interested because these clauses are there to propel someone’s stay in power.”
He said the UPND while in opposition, strongly condemned Bill 10 labelling it ēvil.
“If they condemned Bill 10 which had progressive clauses, how about this one? They want to remove 50 plus one clause, the Running Mate clause, they want to take away election date. Mr President you must be able to deliver the promises you gave to the people of Zambia that’s the only way you can secure your stay in power. Otherwise, I can tell you that in less than 10 months that are remaining, you are going.”
Meanwhile, Hon Monde said the UPND has paralyzed government operations as they want to use Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to fund almost everything.
“The UPND have been boasting about one thing which is CDF. The other day I was laughing, the entire President with his carders they are saying CDF ‘kwenyu’, look let’s not be childish. For once we expect a leadership that is very serious. You are buying police vehicles using CDF, what is the Ministry of Home Affairs doing? They don’t have a budget? You are buying ambulances you are putting CDF, what is the Ministry of Health doing? Don’t they have a budget? People are going to school under scholarship using CDF…. Let me tell you, this is mediocre leadership because we expect this government to think and deliver on the promises they made to the people. You can’t put the burden of running a government under CDF,” he concluded.
Speaking earlier, PF Member of the Central Committee Kufuka Kufuka said the former ruling party is reorganizing itself ahead of the 2026 general elections through the Tonse Alliance.
He said even the candidate in Tuuwa Ward filed under the New Congress Party (NCP) which is a member of the Tonse Alliance.
Mr Kufuka said the UPND has lamentably failed to uplift the living standards of the people saying in 2026, they are living office.