President Hichilema; thanks for demonstrating you’re smarter than Edgar Lungu
There’s no doubt about it; Edgar Lungu and his cronies in the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) used the opportunity to have their rally over the weekend in Kitwe to abuse and insult President Hakainde Hichilema instead of providing alternative solutions. Understandably, this left many of his ardent supporters seething with anger and they took to Social media to castigate and school Lungu!
Therefore, when State House informed the nation the President would be addressing the nation through the press, Tuesday, many of us were anxious to know the issues the President would be raising. In one way or another, we suspected the President would be responding to some of the personal attacks occasioned on him by his nemesis.
However, many of us were taken aback when the President focussed on addressing pertinent issues affecting the nation as opposed to reducing his status as head of state by dwelling on petty or irrelevant issues. Even the master of ceremony, Thabo Kawana advised the media to stick to issues raised by the President in his briefing instead of sneaking in non issues.
Here are some of the highlights from today’s briefing:
✅Controlling Officers and public service workers in Procurement Departments have been directed to continue using resources in a prudent manner.
✅ Major steps have been taken to address the energy crisis in the country such as working on lifeline power supply for small business in communities that have negatively been affected by energy insecurity caused by the El Nino induced drought.
✅ The President reiterated his directive that Hospitals should not be load shedded.
✅ Maamba Collieries phase II with a production capacity of 300 Megawatts will soon be launched noting that US$90m had been secured for the project.
✅ Government expects companies selling solar products to reduce their products as government has zero-rated tax on solar equipment.
✅ Citizens who can generate power in excess were encouraged to consider selling to the national grid.
✅ Open access electricity has been operationalised and ZESCO limited has no option but to supply the electricity.
✅ The President directed that Hichilema has civil servants must have access to transport 24/7 for efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, overriding the pronouncement earlier made by Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa.
What do we make of this?
The President has simply demonstrated that he’s definitely not cut from the same cloth as his predecessor or any of those bitter and desperate individuals shamelessly parading themselves at the podium to promise pies in the sky; he’s far smarter than them! He’s in a class of his own.
From now onwards, we should expect the President not to dignify their attacks on him with any responses. He should leave it to his Cabinet ministers or the party’s media team, which is inactive unfortunately, to respond to them, pronto!
Thanks a lot baadala.
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Polical/Social Analyst