PRESS STATEMENT BY UPND MEDIA DIRECTOR, MARK SIMUUWE RESPONSE TO FORMER PRESIDENT EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU’S MISLEADING CLAIMS

PRESS STATEMENT BY UPND MEDIA DIRECTOR, MARK SIMUUWE RESPONSE TO FORMER PRESIDENT EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU’S MISLEADING CLAIMS

LUSAKA – 13 May 2025 – The United Party for National Development (UPND) has taken note of the recent statements made by former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, which attempt to downplay the achievements of the UPND administration under President Hakainde Hichilema and to rewrite the record of his own leadership.

In response, we wish to set the record straight, sector by sector, so that the people of Zambia can judge for themselves who has truly delivered.

1. EDUCATION

When the UPND came into office, we inherited an education system crippled by an employment freeze imposed by the Patriotic Front (PF) government. The PF was merely replacing staff rather than expanding employment. Today, over 45,000 teachers have been recruited by the UPND administration.

We implemented free education, a promise President Hichilema made and delivered. Under Mr. Lungu, poor families were forced to pay school fees, and school feeding programs had collapsed due to excessive borrowing and mismanagement. Today, the school feeding programme is operational in all 116 districts, up from below 60% coverage under PF.

Under PF, university lecturers went unpaid and lived under constant threat of strikes and go-slows. Today, salaries are paid on time.

Additionally, UPND reinstated meal allowances scrapped by Mr. Lungu, and extended them to all public universities – which have increased from two to seven.

2. HEALTH

The PF administration froze recruitment in the health sector. The UPND government has since recruited over 14,000 health workers.

Furthermore, over 1,000 health posts have been constructed under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Under PF, only 30% of the budget for medicine and medical supplies was utilized. In our first budget in 2022, we raised this to 53%, and now stand at over 75%. The health budget has increased from K1.6 billion under PF to K4.2 billion in 2024.

3. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CDF

Mr. Lungu’s government failed to disburse a K1.6 million CDF allocation, which we paid upon assuming office. We increased the CDF to K36.1 million per constituency. Council workers who were owed salaries for 7–15 months have since been paid.

4. AGRICULTURE

Upon assuming office, the UPND government cleared outstanding payments to over 258,000 farmers who had been left unpaid by Mr. Lungu’s regime. Today, farmers are paid on time. We have also launched the winter maize programme supporting 17,000 farmers with irrigation equipment – an initiative absent under PF.

5. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

In 2021, PF allocated K41 million to the CEEC and only disbursed K10 million. UPND has increased this to K397 million this year alone, with tangible empowerment projects visible across the country.

6. INFRASTRUCTURE & ENERGY

The Lusaka–Ndola dual carriageway under PF was priced at over $2.2 billion. Under UPND, it is being built at less than half that cost. Mr. Lungu’s government abandoned multiple infrastructure projects including the Kafulafuta Dam and the hydropower station – both now completed under President Hichilema.

During PF’s rule, ZESCO load-shedding reached up to 23 hours a day – without a drought. Today, we are managing energy challenges more responsibly despite severe drought conditions.

7. AIR TRANSPORT & INVESTMENT

During Mr. Lungu’s tenure, Zambia had fewer than five international airlines landing at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. Today, that number has grown to over 14, thanks to President Hichilema’s diplomacy and reforms, which have opened direct routes with Angola, Mozambique, Turkey, and Uganda.

8. DEBT & ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

Mr. Lungu left Zambia drowning in unsustainable debt with no visible benefits. There was an employment freeze, wage stagnation, and stalled projects. Under UPND, we have restructured China’s debt and the Eurobond, and continue dismantling domestic debt – over 75% of which is already cleared.

9. MINING SECTOR

Mr. Lungu destroyed the mining sector – liquidating KCM and mismanaging Mopani, causing over 20,000 job losses. UPND has revived both. Mopani and Lumwana are seeing multi-billion dollar investments, and Kalumbila is now home to Africa’s biggest nickel project.

10. RULE OF LAW & MEDIA FREEDOM

Under PF, Zambia was plagued by political violence, gun culture, and media house closures. Under UPND, we’ve enacted the Access to Information Law, abolished the death penalty, and upheld media freedoms. No media house has been closed under our government.

11. CORRUPTION

Under Mr. Lungu, theft and corruption were rampant – including the theft of social cash transfer funds and diversion of mukula logs. Even Mr. Lungu admitted his ministers were corrupt, but no one was held accountable. Under UPND, culprits are being convicted, and no serving minister has been implicated in theft.

12. FUEL, NAPSA, AND COST OF LIVING

PF claimed to subsidize fuel while leaving a $700 million debt to oil marketing companies. UPND inherited that debt and is systematically paying it off. Partial NAPSA withdrawals – a long-standing promise – have now been implemented under President Hichilema.

13. FOOD SECURITY

Under PF, mealie meal reached K280. Today, it sells at K230 through ZNS, with increased availability. UPND is addressing food security through practical measures, not election-time gimmicks.

14. KWACHA STABILITY

The Kwacha devalued from K5 to over K20 under PF – a 300% loss. Under UPND, it has remained far more stable despite global economic pressures.

CONCLUSION

The record is clear. Former President Lungu presided over a government of missed opportunities, corruption, and economic mismanagement. The UPND under President Hakainde Hichilema has delivered on promises, restored dignity in governance, and laid a solid foundation for future prosperity.

Mr. Lungu’s recent statements are not based on facts, but on political desperation. Zambians remember the hardship they endured and can clearly see the direction the country is now taking.

Issued by:
Mark Simuuwe
Media Director – United Party for National Development (UPND)

(C) UPN Media Team