Edgar Chagwa Lungu shares …..
Fellow Citizens,
Today, the 12th August, marks exactly three years since Zambians from all walks of life came out in numbers to vote and consequently, the new dawn government under President Hichilema was voted into power and I gracefully handed over as a true democrat.
When I look back, I must say I am a proud Former President because my PF government left a better legacy in general terms as compared to the the legacy of the UPND government so far after their three years in office. Despite the enormous challenges that my government encountered, we tried to manage and ensure that the cost of living and prices of basic commodities were low to moderate for our people as compared to the status quo now.
As you all may recall, at the time of my handover in August 2021, I left a 25 kg bag of mealie meal priced between K90 and K120. Today, a 25 kg bag of mealie meal costs between K340 and K460, depending on the place, the price of fuel was K17 but is now an unstable at K33.47. In 2021, I remember that a 50 kg bag of fertilizer was K600. Today, the same bag of fertilizer is costing K1,200. During my time, a 2 kg package of sugar was K45. Today, the same package of sugar is selling above K75. You can add more items and do a better comparison yourselves!
This year, l discovered that almost all essential commodities have not just become so expensive, but that our manufacturing sector has decided to start packaging many products into “Pamela” sizes (smaller sizes) because most ordinary Zambians cannot afford standard packages we left in 2021. This is more depressing and disappointing for those in power.
Today, I know that thousands of Zambians can no longer afford three meals in a day, something many took for granted during my time because we had bumper harvests and guaranteed food security. It pains me to learn that, this year, more than 6 million people are threatened with starvation while this government is celebrating three years in power. Nothing has been fixed!
In terms of electricity, you all know that my administration had put in place strategic and practical measures to end load shedding in Zambia and that we left the stage in August 2021 with energy assurance for households and the industry. Today, our people are witnessing the worst electricity crisis ever in the history of our country. A critical analysis reveals that our mining sector is not spared: our sovereign wealth and economic benefits extracted from our minerals has shrunk to poorer and lower figures in 2024 than it was three years ago.
Anywhere in the world, a good government advocates for public policies and strategies that seek and insure stable economic growth, inclusive development and affordable environment for all citizens than perpetuating massive poverty, economic inequality, citizen hardships, social misery and bankruptcy for the governed people. This is certainly shameful!
On this day, 12th August, exactly three years since UPND was voted into power, I call upon all Zambians to introspect honestly from where we were in August 2021 to where we are in all sectors of life. It is only then that, we will seriously pledge to redeem ourselves again sooner or later by restoring inclusive democratic rule, good governance, pro poor policies, respect for human rights and support for basic needs of our people in a legitimate and democratic manner.
Thank you, may God continue to bless and protect Zambia !
Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Sixth President of Zambia
Patriotic Front President
Comparing grapes to lemons. Compare from 2011 to 2014 and then 2015 to 2021. You can’t compare 10 years your party was in power to 3 years the new dawn has been office. Also what was the debt burden when you took over?
Laws of justice..
Kkkkkkkkk. How much were the prices of mealie meal, sugar, cooking oil, chacoal and bus fares when you became president between 2014 and 2016 and when you left power in 2021.Did you ever reduce the prices of communities when you were sworn twice as president.
Because the prizes kept on increasing upto 2021, and still going up to now until you die and will continue increasing for those that will be there.
So those are cheap and baseless politics
Sir you are out of touch with reality. Isn’t it silly to mark your own homework? Zambians are not stupid. If all the hardships you have listed can honestly be attributed to UPND mismanagement of the economy, trust me, the country would have been in flames right now. No sane Zambian can reasonably accept 20hrs loadshedding, high cost of mealie meal etc. Even with you and your cohorts stirring up emotions, Zambians are still very level-headed. The time will come when Zambians will determine UPND’s legacy.
Pf left a better legacy after eyes to that of UPND
Let’s have a look at the PF….
Raped Zambia
Gassed Zambians
Murdered Zambians
Mukula tree scandal
48 house scandal
Fire tenders scam
State capture by Findlay
Corruption at a grand scale
Visionless baboon called lungu
Thieves in every government department stating with lungu the satan nyoko
Shall I carry on …..
Sir your excellency ECL. Your legacy is marked with mega violence from your cadres. Highest grand theft by your ministers friends or PF affiliations. You ravaged the country let HH carry on with his good works. You had your tyrant rule and you will never rule this our country again. God bless and protect HH.
A thief always praises himself.
It’s better to keep quiet than have this self agrandizement. We were there and it’s bettervto ask us.
Abosa nafuti Chagwa!
Zambians will tell you in 2026 what is Better.
Most Zambians, even Southern province can’t wait to boot out Hichilema and Upnd in 2026! Zambians are very irritated and tired of everything Upnd! Tired of it’s president Hichilema , it’s selfishness, crookedness, tribalism, nepotism, stealing, plundering, lies etc!
Manganga people of Southern Province are not idiots like you PF losers missing crambs from Edgar Lungu’s high table. You must be a PF idiot to think people of Southern Province don’t know what’s good for them. Abash incurable bitterness PF idiotsssssss!!!!
I think a normal way of comparing performance should be done with the previous government of MMD which ruled its full term.
The rational for this is that you can not properly and genuinely compare with an administration which has not yet completed its term. It is wise to wait till their full term. So this is very premature.
Another issue is the number of years in power is very different. Two terms( 10 years) can not be compared with a 3 years of a current on going administration.
Fairness must be accorded. Lets wait and see the outcome after the full term is over. PF had two terms of which we are very fully aware of.
Was tribalism, favoritism, cadrism, police brutality, gassing,land grabbing, thuggerism, nepotism and corruption good truck?? please teacher tell me.was killing of nsama nsama, kasongo, Kaunda, matapa, menyani, Lawrence, Mugala, vasper and mapezi chibulo good legacy?? teacher school me please
Dilute with 4 fold or greater volume of SWI, D5W, or NS daily cialis online Chandra and his team performed surgery to give me phakic intraocular lenses in 2017, and three years later I can say it was the best medical decision I ve ever made
Mr Lungu must be ashamed of himself, with cadres and small gifts to the family, and total lawlessness where cadres were kings and would travel just to beat up an individual with views that are different from them. He should just shut up, but I blame it on UPND, you are not running a church, this is a country.
Uli Kapuba Lungu. Everything was destroyed and damaged by you. Ubunga that you are talking about skyrocketed By you. You should not have stolen 2016 votes. Useless chap you are. The economy started shutting down by you. Umupumbu iwe.That which Levy M you destroyed. Just shut up.
God is merciful and brought us HH before everything could collapse. Lungu you are a bad person and don’t deserve another term . You swear by consistution that you don’t follow. Chawama dweller. You have stollen too much. Don’t come back please
This comparison has no meaning at all. This comparison is just one sided and meant for self praise. Other than prices, all other issues such as debt, gassing, grand corruption , violence by cadres including attracts on police station and beating of our policemen and urinating in someone’s mouth should be included in the comparison
Edgar, you have just become a danger to yourself. Adults don’t behave the way you are. Just make a turn at Chainama for some assessment. You are sick.
What better legacy did he and the PF government leave? Lungu and PF legacy is permanently associated with the following:
Torture Chambers (eg Kamugodi), shameless tribalism and regionalism, thuggery, gross nepotism, segregation in targeting areas for development, grand theft of project funds, police brutality, corruption, overborrowing for consumption and pocketing, many children dropping out of school because of school fees, school children sitting on the floor, CDF given to PF constituencies only, a very weak president who was afraid of his cadres, lawlessness, a divided country, civil servants retired in PF/tribal interest, starving students, etc. Only an abnormal person can be proud of such a lousy legacy.
If Mr. Lungu wants to make meaningful comparisons, he should look each parameter at the time PF took over and the time they exited and come up with an average over PF’s ten year rule and then compare with UPND’s figure.
For example, the exchange rate was K5 to the dollar when PF were voted into power in 2011. At the time they exited in 2021, the exchange rate was K26 to the dollar, a depreciation of 420% or 42% per year. The exchange rate has since moved from K26 to K28 to the dollar in the three years UPND has been in power, a decline of about 8% or 3% per year. Now compare PF annual exchange depreciation of 42% per year to UPND’s 3% per year.
Another example is fuel price which was about K5/litre when PF came to power and K17/lt when they exited. This is an increase of 240% or 24% per year. Under UPND, the fuel price moved from K17 to K31 or 82% translating into 27% per year.
You can do the same for mealie meal and other commodities to make a more meaningful comparison rather than the comparisons Mr. Lungu is making which donot make sense at all.
If PF had continued in power, things would far worse than they are under UPND. That, I have no doubt about.
A legacy of giving children K93m on a birthday. Money for the Zambian people. We will rejoice when you go in.