I learn more by looking very sheepish, says HH
By Fanny Kalonda
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says in solving problems the country is faced with, there is need not to drift to the opposite direction and do what was done in the past.
He says many “who are not close to me take a posture that I am not aware of certain things. Yet am aware. I do it deliberately, I learn more by looking very sheepish”.
President Hichilema said the government is putting frames in place for the economy to take off of which the progress will be seen in 12 months.
During the memorial of Gladstone Kamuzu Natala ‘Makowani’ in Lubombo, Mazabuka district on Sunday, President Hichilema said the growth of the economy is coming to fruition.
“Anybody who that lived in this country knew what was happening in last 10 but seven years. Society was compromised, society was divided, segregation was a norm…But in solving that problem we should not drift the opposite direction. We should not do what those who did the wrong things did against us because if we do we are no different from them. It means we don’t occupy a higher moral ground. I argue that we occupy a more higher ground. What we are here to do is to bring equity. What we are able to do is to unite not to divide. We found divisions, we are uniting. What we are here to do is to unite not to divide. What we are here for is to include and not to exclude. I share your concerns. I know where you are coming from. You and I are close friends. I know what you went through but we will get there in the correct manner within the rule of law. We jump the rule of law, we will be classified as those,” he told the audience. “And I use this opportunity to explain the inflation you see coming down from 24.6 per cent 10 months ago to 9.7 now is what we shared with Makowani to stabilise the economy. Exchange rate that you now see, that you can buy a rand using one kwacha, stability is what we shared with Gladstone. Now we are putting the frames together. We can take off the economy, many are not seeing it but you will see it in 12 months’ time. 24 months you will see it with your eyes. Why would we give up the fight that he and others died for? Never.”
Natala was in the UPND presidential campaign team until his death last year in June.
And President Hichilema said his government would ensure input from all provinces in governing the country unlike what was done 10 months ago.
He said the new dawn administration had brought about freedom which was lost, the rule of law, the human rights and liberties.
“Many who are not close to me take a posture that I am not aware of certain things. Yet am aware. I do it deliberately, I learn more by looking very sheepish. Looking unaware but I’m actually alive to the issues – that we are breaking down those issues properly so that we don’t create a new problem. So we shall ease that situation. You yourself have acknowledged that 10 months ago the country was run by four provinces only. And that is a fact,” he said. “Today the country is run by 10 provinces of our country – step number one. So watch the space. Slowly, but we will not achieve this in a day. It’s a long walk. It is easy to destroy the country then difficult to build. But we are determined to make Makowani count. To walk the tough long difficult road. To turnaround…we have brought about freedom which we lost, the rule of law, the human rights, liberties. They are here. But we are yet to achieve the most thing that Makowani and I talked about. Not as cousins but as friends sharing an agenda, economic emancipation.”
President Hichilema urged his ministers and party members to acknowledge that them being in power is because of people’s efforts.
He wondered how some people forget easily that they are in power because of the people.
“I want to address the party and the ministers seated there. We are ministers because of many people’s efforts. We are permanent secretaries because of many people’s efforts. We are commissioners, we are what we are looking…We are what we are because of John, there. Sometimes we forget that we seek public office to work for the people. Sometimes we forget. Sometimes I ask myself and say Hmmmm Hakainde maybe you are an awkward individual. How is it that people don’t remember how they got into office quickly?” President Hichilema said. “How is it possible? How is it possible that sometimes we assume that we are greater than 18 million people? We are greater than Makowani, his sacrifices! I intend to go to a memorial service of all our colleagues who walked at the expense of getting killed by PF thugs. To be honest, the efforts of Makowani and many others in this province whose names are not known, many of whom were detained, we got lawyers of work 24/7 all over. To take our kids out of detentions, here in Mazabuka, in Monze, Namwala, in Mpulungu…Where I was not allowed to use the airport, my airport. We are here today because of the efforts of those in Mpulungu…I want to remind Zambians 10 months ago we were not able to assemble in this manner, in this diversity without someone who is coming here to be part of being teargassed or being beaten by party thugs.”
President Hichilema noted that people forget quickly.
“That the freedoms we enjoy today to assemble, to associate, to share ideas was not available 10 months ago. How can we have such short memories? We are here gathering in this manner remembering Makowani. Gladstone put his life on the line for us to be able to assemble in this manner which is to us just ordinary. But 10 months ago this was abnormal. What was then normal was teargas, was blood, in the bus stops, in the markets. For some of us, in our homes, our homes were broken down several times,” he recalled.
President Hichilema said that if anyone knows “of a freedom fighter who was put in jail because of the struggle when the UPND was coming into power,” he be made aware.
“I made a commitment that when we cross over and not if, we shall take them out of jail and we have taken them out of jail. If anyone knows of a freedom fighter who was put in jail because of the struggle and not out of prison, let me know. Let me know. We will do it in honour of Makowani. He didn’t make it, he didn’t make it…” said President Hichilema.