There’s been a galore of failures in HH leadership – Mpombo
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
PF cadres terrorised Zambians like a bank of kamoto dragons, says George Mpombo.
Describing President Hakainde Hichilema’s one year in office, Mpombo who served as former defence minister under Levy Mwanawasa said there has been a galore of failures in Hichilema’s leadership.
“While the President has scored high marks on curbing political caderism which under PF terrorised people like a bank of kamoto dragons, however, they have had a galore of failures in other critical spheres like foreign policy which has been a higgledy-piggledy affair,” he said.
Mpombo noted that Zambia has had robust and versatile Pan Africanist policy and always took common stand with other SADC members.
He said the recent unilateral decisions taken by Zambia at the UN against Russia was a blunder of proportions.
“West nations took likeward stance during the apartheid in South Africa minority rule. They refused to supply arms to the liberation movement but are supplying arms to Ukraine with shocking alacrity,” he said. “Throwing both Russia and China in great faux pas and has serious and grave consequences.”
Mpombo recalled that China and Russia sustained Zambia during “difficulty and horrendous times”.
On the economic front, he said under President Hichilema the sector is in a tail spin “and a drip”.
“Direct investment inflows are down while the manufacturing sector is lying prostate.”
On agriculture, Mpombo said the sector has been “… due to calamitous policies like late and sluggish tendering of farming inputs.”
He said ethinic hegemoniety appointments in government and foreign service is a far cry to the building of an all inclusive society.
“Sharing of key cabinet appointment is dangerously lopsided, including senior appointments in government and parastatal bodies,” said Mpombo.