Matambo says UPND targets clean sweep on Copperbelt, defends free education policy
COPPERBELT Province UPND Chairperson Elisha Matambo says the ruling party is aiming to win every parliamentary seat, ward, mayoral position and council chairperson post in the province during next month’s general election, while also defending the government’s education reforms.
COPPERBELT, 27 June – Speaking during a virtual interview with Millennium TV on Wednesday, Mr Matambo said the United Party for National Development (UPND) was focused on delivering an overwhelming victory for President Hakainde Hichilema on the Copperbelt, where he said the Head of State enjoyed strong support in the 2021 general election.
He said the party’s immediate objective was to ensure President Hichilema secured more than 80 percent of the vote in every constituency across the province.
“Our desire is to win all the constituencies on the Copperbelt, all the wards, all mayoral and council chairperson positions. Our first priority is to ensure President Hichilema secures more than 80 percent of the vote in all constituencies on the Copperbelt,” Mr Matambo said.
He noted that President Hichilema won all 22 parliamentary constituencies in the province during the 2021 elections despite what he described as significant challenges encountered during the campaign period.
Mr Matambo further alleged that the President survived several threats while campaigning, citing incidents at Sun FM Radio, Moba Hotel and Chingola.
The Copperbelt UPND chairperson also defended the government’s free education policy, arguing that it had eased the financial burden on families that previously struggled to meet school-related costs.
He claimed that before the UPND came into office, more than 600,000 children faced difficulties accessing education because of school and examination fees.
Mr Matambo further alleged that some pupils took their own lives after allegedly being sent away from school for failing to pay fees.
“When we came into office, we found over 600,000 children struggling to go to school and pay school fees. Some of them we lost through suicide as they were chased from school because they could not afford school or examination fees,” he said.
He did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Turning to the opposition, Mr Matambo said the Tonse Alliance should have used its recent political rally on the Copperbelt to apologise to residents for what he described as the hardships experienced during the Patriotic Front’s time in government.
He alleged that many people died because of inadequate medicines in hospitals, while others suffered depression after losing jobs in the mining sector.
“I expected my brothers in PF, now in the Tonse Alliance, to first apologise to the people of the Copperbelt for the pain they caused and for those who lost their lives. They should have apologised before launching their campaign,” Mr Matambo said.
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