UPND LIED…Zambians seeing through
the deceitfulness – Musumali
By Oliver Chisenga
THE UPND in opposition lied to Zambians about the need for lower fuel prices, lower electricity tariffs and lower fertiliser prices, says Dr Cosmas Musumali.
In a statement, the Socialist Party secretary general and first vice-president said majority Zambians are quickly seeing through the lies and deceitfulness.
Dr Musumali noted that the UPND has been sugar-coating on almost all topics critical to the livelihoods of the masses such as free education, peasant agriculture, and now the cost of fuel and electricity.
He argued that the announcement of the 12 per cent pay rise for civil servants was timed to sugarcoat the bitter pill of fuel hikes that Zambians were made to swallow a day later.
“It was therefore a desperate situation for the average government employee. The news of a 12 per cent pay increase and a 15 per cent increase in the rate of transport allowance was therefore highly welcomed by all the 16 trade unions in the civil service,” Dr Musumali said.
However, he said the celebrations of the pay rise were cut short by “a bombshell of fuel price increases” of 20 to 29 per cent for petrol and diesel respectively.
Dr Musumali noted that soon increased electricity tariffs would be announced whose net impact would be devastating for the average household and small-scale entrepreneur with or without access to electricity.
He foresaw the cost of living escalating, adding that poverty eradication could only be a pipedream.
“The explanation for all these seemingly contradictory policy interventions is simple: the UPND in opposition lied to Zambians about the need for lower fuel prices, lower electricity tariffs and lower fertiliser prices,” Dr Musumali said. “The UPND in power is quickly reneging on these electoral promises. It is said that lies have short legs – and indeed those short legs get even shorter when confronted with the real politik of policy implementation.”
He added that the petroleum subsector in Zambia is murky, inherently corrupt and “cartel-like” in behaviour.
Dr Musumali said without cleaning the mess that has been there for decades, it was impossible to come up with the true cost of service.
“At the end of the day it is a farce that is being displayed under the pretext of attaining a cost reflective pricing. Similarly, Zesco – our main power utility – has been the cash cow for successive governments for decades,” he said. “A truly, independent cost of service study has delayed for years. Behind all this delay is a purposeful strategy to continue allowing the ruling political elite exploit the masses that are already bleeding under heavy residential tariffs.” Dr Musumali said fortunately the majority Zambians are quickly seeing through the lies and deceitfulness.
He further noted that the UPND government can no longer be trusted on the basis of its empty electoral promises and new promises.
“It has been sugar-coating on almost all topics critical to the livelihoods of the masses of our people such as free education, peasant agriculture and now the cost of fuel and electricity. It is pure betrayal of the voters that had invested that much hope in the UPND,” Dr Musumali said.
He said the Socialist Party, through its leader Dr Fred M’membe, had previously stated that the PF and UPND were “Siamese twins” and that there would only be cosmetic but not transformational change with the UPND replacing the PF.
“We still stand to be proved wrong,” said Dr Musumali.