I thank God for giving me a longer time in opposition – HH
By Thomas Ngala (The Mast)
PRACTICALLY I thank God for giving me a longer time in opposition, says President Hakainde Hichilema.
Meeting the Reformed Church in Zambia (RCZ) Synod at State House yesterday, President Hichilema said being in the opposition for longer period provided him an opportunity to go round the country to see the challenges Zambians were experiencing.
He added that a lot of the things his administration is implementing were pronounced way before the UPND’s ascension to power.
“These instruments that we are bringing now for many who didn’t follow us at that time you are seeing them that ‘ah, why are they doing this?’ We thought through these things. Practically, I thank God for giving me a longer time in opposition because we were able to go round the country to see the challenges that the country was experiencing,” he said. “Now that we are in this public office we believe despite the challenges we inherited, broken economy, minus 2.8 per cent GDP growth from six per cent to, -2.8 when we were taking over government, the debt issues, thank you acknowledging that. It was a big issue for us.”
On the recovery of stolen public resources, President Hichilema drew a comparison between his style of doing things and that of president Levy Mwanawasa.
“In 2024 alone we have recovered over $30 million. I can only remember president Mwanawasa who really engaged in the fight against corruption. In his seven years, he recovered $35 million. But the cost of recovery, as you know he used lawyers, we are not using lawyers ourselves… we are using a simpler, cheaper system… I think the transaction costs (recovery cost under the Mwanawasa regime) were close to $18 to $20 million,” he said. “We collect $30 [million] in one year, and a lot more in the three years, our transaction costs are less than $2 million. This is a value we bring to this country. Because for our sins of the past, this is a … skill we bring. To be prudent, to protect public resources, to restore resources to who they belong.”
Meanwhile, President Hichilema reiterated the need for the church to complement government efforts in the fight against corruption.
He said more public resources would be recovered as his administration fights graft.
“As you work with us in education, health and welfare, community welfare, please tisebenzele pamodzi kumenya nkhondo ya (let’s work together in this fight against) corruption. Because clearly you were talking of morals, values. This is one of the biggest damages that has been occasioned to our country where people do not distinguish between the assets they own and the assets belonging to the public,” said President Hichilema. “I don’t think you allow that in a church where people can take the church property… It is not political… and with the reforms we have done now you will see more progress coming through faster. Big cases are coming through, small cases are coming through and you will see more. I want to say on behalf of our colleagues that we really appreciate… because sometimes we have a feeling that some churches think that we are competitors or we are antagonistic to each other. We want you to carry the message to the rest of your church, that our church, this is our church. We are a Christian nation. The body of Christ is one. We are proud that this country has diversity in followers of Christ. But we are one. Some of the friction we see based on religion, based on ethnicity – we are all made in the image of God – why would we have friction based on this one… even ku (in) Chipata kuli a (there are) Ngoni, kuli a Chewa, kuli a Tumbuka, kuli a Senga, kuli a Nsenga. We really should keep our country united and nothing artificial like these isms should divide us. When we are united we will do more than what we have been able to do in three years…”