UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says the increasing prices of commodities and services under President Edgar Lungu’s reign is a definition of a failed leadership.
And Hichilema says the suggestion by ministers that the killing of unarmed civilians is justifiable as collateral damage is callous, thoughtless and irresponsible and must never be accepted.
The opposition leader yesterday posted a compilation of commodity prices in 2015 when President Lungu assumed office and January this year.
According to the compilation, petrol traded as K7.60 in January 2015 but was now
K17.80 as at January 2020, representing an increase of 134 per cent.
The US dollar in Jan 2015 was at K6.45 to K1 but had increased by 133 per cent to K15. 00 in January 2020.
Mealie-Meal, the commodity in January 2015 was costing K68 per 25 kilogramme bag but had increased by 135 per cent to K170 in January 2020.
“National Debt: Jam 2015 $4.7 Billion; January 2020 $11.2 Billion – 138% increase,” reads the compilation.
According to the compilation, inflation was at 7.81 per cent in January 2015 but had increased by 80 per cent to 13.9 per cent in January 2020.
“Numbers don’t lie. This is the definition of failed leadership. #Zambia,” Hichilema said yesterday.
And Hichilema noted that circumstances in which the police deprive life to citizens through use of lethal force as a crowd control mechanism continue to be a matter of utmost gravity and a source of great concern to the UPND.
He said the nation had lost precious lives in the past because of such reckless conduct.
He said the situation should not be allowed to continue.
“The rules of engagement and the principle of proportionality on the use of force by the heavily militarised police on demonstrating citizens have been totally abused to achieve goals, that are not tantamount to the respect of the right to life, and therefore brings to question the real motive behind such aggravated action. This is unacceptable and should never be the norm by the police in their quest to exercise public order, which in our view has been politically selective,” Hichilema said in apparent reference to home affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo who has justified police use of live ammunition to control protesting crowds.
“The excuses being given by relevant government ministers to justify extrajudicial slaughter of unarmed civilians by heavily armed police is horrifying and dreadful and does not meet the barest minimum of acceptable conduct in a democratic dispensation.”
Hichilema said a so-called stray bullet that hits a human target in a sea of unarmed people was not accidental.
“It is purposefully intentional and will always have consequences that are lethal. The suggestion by ministers that the killing of unarmed civilians is justifiable as collateral damage, is callous, thoughtless and irresponsible and must never be accepted. This must be condemned by all peace-loving citizens and must never be allowed to happen again,” said Hichilema.