POLITICAL PROMISES UNDER FIRE
…. Jonas Shakafuswa blasts opposition over empty Budget vows
By DAVID KANDUZA
VETERAN politician Jonas Shakafuswa has sharply criticised opposition leaders for proposing massive national Budgets without outlining realistic productive streams to fund them.
Speaking during President Hakainde Hichilema’s working tour of Katuba, Shibuyunju, Nangoma and Mumbwa in Central Province, Mr Shakafuswa warned citizens against trusting politicians who failed to deliver when they held positions as provincial ministers.
Mr Shakafuswa claimed opposition figures were targeting Bank of Zambia reserves to fund a return to the lavish lifestyles they enjoyed under the Patriotic Front (PF) regime.
He argued that these leaders had their chance to serve the public but failed, making their current promises untrustworthy.
Mr Shakafuswa strongly condemned opposition advice urging farmers to boycott the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) until a promised K500 per bag price was instituted under a new government.
He dismissed the opposition critics as non-farmers who could not lecture experienced agriculturalists.
The former Katuba Member of Parliament urged local farmers to ignore the rhetoric, sell their grain to the FRA and rejected a return to past economic mismanagement.
Mr Shakafuswa fiercely mocked the critics, stating that lifelong farmers do not need agricultural advice from urban politicians.
He urged rural communities to ignore the rhetoric, sell their grain immediately through legal channels and secure their households against artificial market shocks.
While political sparks flew, traditional leadership focused squarely on long-term infrastructure and decentralisation.
Senior Chief Shakumbila publicly thanked President Hichilema for prioritising the long-neglected Farmers-Nalubanda Road, which connects local produce to wider markets.
The traditional ruler used the executive visit to formally petition the President to split the current administrative boundaries and declare Nangoma an independent district to speed up public service delivery.