By Christopher Miti
UPND deputy national chairperson Andrew Banda says there is a small group of bitter people who still cannot believe that Hakainde Hichilema is President and rubbishes anything that he does.
And Andrew says leaders who will misbehave will fall out of President Hichilema’s government.
Featuring on Breeze FM’s political hour programme on Wednesday night, Andrew said there was a group of people which never thought that Hichilema would be Republican President.
“The dream has now come true for us to be in government, it is not as easy as people think. I am very proud of the people that voted for our party. It is our time now to deliver on our promises. I know a lot has been said in the last five months. We found the government in a very, very bad situation and a lot has to be done,” he said.
Andrew said the UPND found the government in a bad situation and required a person like President Hichilema, a prudent manager, to manage the economy.
“I think in Hakainde Hichilema and his team of Cabinet, we have a team that will deliver on most of our promises. We have been in government in the last five months, the perception to some people who are outside, the people who did not want us in office, you know what happened, some people never thought Hakainde Hichilema will be President on the basis of the region he comes from. There was a lot of campaign against him, some people were so angry with him but he is the President now,” he said.
Andrew said a small group of people has continued to express its anger at the government.
“It’s just a small group of people. A group of haters who never thought he would become President. They are shocked, they are very bitter and anything that he [President Hichilema] does they just rubbish it,” he said.
Andrew noted that within five months, the UPND government had paid 15,000 workers of TAZARA, paid the pensioners and council workers their salary arrears.
He said the government had increased the Constituency Development Fund and would employ 11,200 health workers and 30,000 teachers.
Andrew said the UPND was paying grants on time which was not the case with PF.
Meanwhile, Andrew said there were still people in the system that do not want the UPND to succeed.
He said freedom of expression had been entrenched under the UPND government.
“There is freedom of assembly, freedom of movement now. This issue of the public order Act is not even heard of these days. In those days, going to [a] radio [station], church or going to the toilet, you needed to have permit from the police. That is not there anymore,” he said.
Andrew said the government, using the security wings, was in the process of recovering money which was stolen by the people who were in government.
He described the 2021/2022 fertiliser distribution as a mess.
Andrew said a contract was given to a well-known company to distribute fertiliser at a contract sum of $135 million.
He also said the PF government borrowed money for consumption.
Andrew said the UPND found empty coffers and wondered where the country would have gone if the PF had bounced back.
“You have to thank the people for having seen through the PF because they destroyed the country. It will take us a bit of time to put the situation in order but we shall do it, we are determined,” he said.
Andrew said those who would misbehave in President Hichilema’s government will fall out.
“Look at Hichilema, look at how he leads his life. A very simple man, a religious man and he is not wasteful. He doesn’t believe in corruption. He clearly says ‘zero tolerance to corruption’. Mark my words, if any of our leaders will misbehave and he is watching them; he keeps saying ‘I am watching, I am like an eagle, I am watching’ you will see how those that will misbehave will start falling out of his government,” he said.
On fertiliser distribution, Andrew said the delay to distribute fertiliser by the contracted company had put government in a very awkward situation.
“Across the country, the distribution of fertiliser has been chaotic. Our first fertiliser programme starts this year. The first fertiliser tender under UPND will start next month, that’s when a contractor will be given,” he said.
On the tarring of the Chipata-Vubwi and Chipata-Chadiza roads, Andrew said the government was committed to ensuring the roads were tarred and clarified infrastructure minister Charles Milupi’s statement regarding the two roads.
“Those roads are not commercially viable for public private partnership. What that means is that an investor comes from outside, invests in a road, puts in a lot of millions because government doesn’t have enough money, that investor expects to recover that money over a period of time and they recover it through tollgates. These roads are not commercially viable on PPP in the sense that the traffic is low,” he said. “But this government is going to tar these roads, every district will be connected by tarmac. We have to make Vubwi a economically viable area by building the road. Nobody will make Vubwi and Chadiza economically viable if the roads are not made. So the UPND will tar the roads.”
And Andrew said the UPND was determined to perform and fulfill its promises.
“We know very well the system still has people who do not want us to succeed but we have a mandate from the people of Zambia. I can assure the people that everything that we promised, some of us will make sure that we fulfill our promises, including on the roads,” said Banda.