PUMULO MUBITA DISMISSES MAST NEWSPAPER’S ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT HICHILEMA AS “BASELESS AND MALICIOUS”
By vashary muleya Lusaka, Zambia
27 February,2025.
The Kafulafuta UPND Presidential Campaign Team has come out strongly against the Mast Newspaper Company, dismissing recent allegations against President Hakainde Hichilema as false and misleading.
According to a statement released by the team’s media director, Pumulo Mubita, the allegations suggest that President Hichilema directed the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) to falsify statistics about the 2022 Census of Population and Housing.
Specifically, the allegations claim that the President ordered the reduction of the number of Bembas and the inflation of the number of Tongas. The campaign team takes strong exception to these claims, urging the newspaper to provide evidence to support their allegations.
The team emphasizes that the Zambia Statistics Agency is an independent institution that operates based on scientific methods and professional standards. Any attempts to manipulate or falsify data would be unacceptable, and the agency’s independence is guaranteed by the Constitution of Zambia.
The campaign team believes that these allegations are part of a broader campaign to discredit President Hichilema and the ruling party. “We stand by President Hichilema’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance,” the statement reads.
In contrast, the Mast Newspaper allegations are based on hearsay and speculation. The newspaper has failed to provide any credible evidence to support its claims, and its reporting has been characterized by bias and sensationalism.
The implications of the Mast Newspaper allegations are serious. If true, they would suggest that President Hichilema is involved in a conspiracy to manipulate the census data for political gain. However, the campaign team asserts that these allegations are false and urges the newspaper to retract its claims and apologize to the President and the people of Zambia.
In conclusion, the Kafulafuta Presidential Campaign Team rejects the Mast Newspaper Company’s allegations as false and misleading, urging the newspaper to provide evidence to support its claims and to uphold journalistic standards.
(C) KFT -PCT UPND MEDIA