I’ll grab them by their throats, Hichilema warns opposition over free education
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema says the opposition is seeking to return to power in order to reverse key achievements of his administration, particularly free education.
And President Hichilema has warned parents who will not take their children to school saying, “nkakuswala kang’oto [I’ll hold you by their throats]”.
Speaking yesterday upon arrival at Mongu Airport in Western Province, President Hichilema urged citizens to turn out in large numbers during the August 13, 2026 elections to ensure the continuation of government programmes aimed at improving people’s lives.
The Head of State said genuine leadership is demonstrated through actions that improve the welfare of citizens.
“We need to understand that when somebody loves you, they show their love to you. They care for you like I do. That is why we work hard to deliver. We deliver development because of the care and the love we have for you Lozis and Zambians in general. Because we care and love you people of Western Province, that is why we introduced free education for all our children.,” President Hichilema said.
He said the introduction of free education was a reflection of the government’s commitment to the country’s children.
“Any parent who loves the children will make sure that the children go back to school. We love the children that is why we have taken them back to school.
“Our job is to keep our children in schools. That is why I recently signed the free education Bill into law. Now free education is law,” the Head of State said.
The President also took aim at opposition political parties, accusing them of wanting to dismantle the free education programme if voted back into office.
“This message goes to those opposition people who want to come back and stop free education nkabaswala kang’oto [I’ll hold them by their throats]…on 13 August 2026, we must all turn out and vote in big numbers so that we can keep the free education going and no body should be allowed to come into government again to stop free education. For us to do that, we have to turn out in large numbers to vote on the 13th of August this year.,” he said.
President Hichilema argued that previous administrations failed to provide free education and removed meal allowances for students, adding that voters should reject leaders who did not prioritise education.
“Those people who removed meal allowances for students, we can keep them away. Those people who did not deliver free education..build more classrooms and to buy desks, we keep them away by turning out in big numbers and vote for development,” he said.
The President further observed that inadequate boarding school facilities were contributing to poor educational outcomes in Western Province.
“I have been listening, I have observed that one of the reasons Children in Western Province are not doing well is because of lack of boarding school and our next phase in our government is to build more boarding schools here,” said President Hichilema.
The Head of State who is also the UPND Alliance presidential candidate has been touring the Country, meeting his party’s adopted candidates ahead of the official launch of his campaigns for August 13 polls.
©️ TV Yatu | David Kashiki
HH that’s the way to go. Panga family members and thugs should never think of coming back. They want to give concubines the $6.7bn foreign reserves again we have worked for tirelessly . NO NO please. Faith M in question.