PEOPLE DON’T HAVE DISPOSABLE INCOME BECAUSE THEY WERE UNEMPLOYED – IMENDA
…as she says PF will never come back into power, it will never happen.

PEOPLE don’t have disposable income because they were not employed, but this will change since we are now employing, says UPND deputy secretary general Gertrude Imenda.

And Imenda says opposition members are envying President Hakainde Hichilema and his government because of what has been achieved so far.

In an interview, Imenda admitted that commodity prices had remained high, but was quick to mention that they could have been higher had inflation not been reduced.

“Yes commodity prices [are high] and the reason is because this is beyond our control. It is the external shock. The commodity prices are not driven internally but externally. It is a worldwide phenomenon. Fuel prices on the world market have gone up because of the Russian war. The whole world is suffering [from] this shock and our government is not spared. So we are looking at ways of addressing the problem. In Britain, inflation is at 44 percent. A superpower if you like, even them [they] cannot control and yet Britain produces oil. They cannot be spared from this worldwide phenomenon,” she said.

“So if we can empower people to have disposable income, then they will be able to afford these commodity prices. At the moment, people do not even have disposable income because they were not employed, now we are employing and they will have money in their pockets. Even then, these commodity prices, if you have noticed, they have remained high but they could have been higher if the inflation rate had not been brought down. At the time we took over, was mealie meal at K100? No. It has remained at K150. It has not gone up or down”.

Imenda said the PF should continue thinking that Zambians would re-elect them, which she said would never happen.

“So when they are saying we should start packing because of these commodity prices, all other things have improved. We will improve on other things like the issues of fertiliser and distribution of inputs. So they know, they are pretending. Let the opposition not bury their heads in the sand. Deep down in their hearts, they are envying President Hakainde and the UPND government. What President Hakainde has achieved so far, they have not achieved it,” she said.

“Let us wait, we are in 2023 and the economy is already growing. I don’t know why the PF thinks that Zambians have not seen. You think Zambians can go back to PF? You think Zambians have forgotten and can bring PF back? No! Let them continue romanticising and thinking that will happen. That can never happen. As we are addressing these minor challenges hovering, when the policies start bearing results, people will be empowered”.

Meanwhile, Imenda said government was looking at alternative means to address load shedding.

“What are those things that we promised the people which we have not fulfilled at all? What we promised and what we have fulfilled so far, I think what we have fulfilled so far is more than what is remaining. So it would be nice to know what we have not fulfilled. Load shedding has not even yet started. We have not yet loadshedded because we are looking at alternatives. But we have not started load shedding so let’s not even talk about load shedding because it has not taken place yet. We cannot create water levels but we are looking at alternative means of addressing the problem. Instead of just looking at load shedding, we are looking at alternative means,” said Imenda before Zesco announced that it would commence load shedding today.

Credit: News Diggers