WE’RE JOKERS…we have not been serious as a country – HH
By Fanny Kalonda and Walusungu Lundu
WE are just jokers, we have not been serious as a country, fumes President Hakainde Hichilema.
Gracing the Hakainde Hichilema Innovation Fund awards at State House yesterday, he said his administration will walk the path of Chairman Mao and Dr Kenneth Kaunda to ensure effective development is fostered in the country.
President Hichilema said Zambia and China should not be distracted by other “extraneous” issues.
“In my early days of politics, I went to China. At that time, I don’t know how it worked that the Chinese government was able to allow an opposition leader to take a visit supported by the Chinese government. A lot of noise was made. I went to a place called Guangzhou, Xian, Shanghai and Beijing. When I looked down I said we are jokers back home. We are just jokers back home. And I am serious, we are not serious. We have not been serious as a country,” he said. “Years later I went back there, I couldn’t recognise what I saw earlier… it’s a different place. Innovation, technology, hard work. Zambia and China have a long history of friendship. Let us continue with that history. I have told you before, this new dawn government will walk the path of Chairman Mao and KK.”
He said it is from the cordial relationship the two leaders had that enabled them to work on TAZARA rail line among other developmental projects.
Concerning the awards that saw 50 youths scooping one each, President Hichilema said “this is history being written and no one can rub it off going forward”.
“Some may ignore it but no one can rub it off. We are witnessing an amazing work from young people, being recognised and celebrated. We always say that imiti ikula empanga, but the truth is, you are the leaders of today, you are the leaders of tomorrow. What you are doing, your innovative work, your search, provide strong outcomes that are essential to any societies. There is no doubt that the role of innovation is critical to our agenda as a nation, to achieve our desired middle prosperous country status,” he said.
And concerning the meeting he and some of his Cabinet ministers attended in Qatar for the least developed countries recently, President Hichilema expressed his uncomfortability with the country being categorised as least developed.
He vowed not attend such a meeting next year.
“I was in Qatar, together with a couple of ministers and others not long ago. We were attending a meeting of the UN Least Developed Countries. And when I looked around who was present there, I asked my colleagues, ‘where is President X?’ They graduated, they are no longer in this category of Least Developed Countries. So I said to my few colleagues that were seated there, I don’t want to come back to this conference again. I don’t belong here. This country does not belong in the category of Least Developed Countries,” he said. “We have not exploited our assets, our endowments, including the young talents. When I said exploitation it is not in a negative connotation. We have not utilised this talent. And I said to my colleagues, we shouldn’t be here. We should have been in a meeting that took place in Indonesia not long ago. We should have been in a meeting coming up in India [the G20]. The message is clear, this leadership wants to work with young people, fresh unpolluted minds. Our national objective, amongst many, as you know is to accelerate economic development so we can provide for the weak, the sick, the old, the retired, the disadvantaged in society. And I have said to many colleagues on the continent when we meet that can we change the narrative of our meetings, the agendas of our meetings and do less politics and do more of issues around economic advancement, technology, and discuss learning from each other.”
President Hichilema pointed out human capital and numerous natural resources as reasons to why the country should not be categorised as least developed.
“It is what is happening today here that will take us out of the Least Developed Countries conferences. Next year I will find an excuse why not to attend even when we have not graduated. I am serious. With all that God gave us, first of all human capital, natural resources, water, good soils, our Mpongwe soils… Globally, equality of those soils are only second to Ukraine. And Ukraine is providing so much grain to the world. Why can’t Mpongwe do that?” asked President Hichilema. “One of these innovators is working on irrigation technology. Irrigation, among other things, we have to do water harvesting. We would love to work with China on these issues. I do watch, I am a perpetual student. I see how China has changed that country to better the lives of these people.”
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Du Xiaohui said China would continue to call more innovative companies to invest and seek business cooperation in Zambia.
Ambassador Du said with Zambia’s strong leadership and hard work of people, the country “will successfully realise its 8th National Development Plan”.
“I firmly believe that with the strong leadership of Your Excellency, the joint support of all the Zambian government authority, the hard work of the Zambian people especially the young people who have received high attention from Your Excellency, and the full support of the all-weather partners, Zambia will successfully realise its 8th National Development Plan,” said Ambassador Du. “Your Excellency, China will continue to call more innovative companies to invest and seek business cooperation in Zambia.”
Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies vice-president for the Sub Saharan African region Yang Chen said the youths have the talents that the country needs and “it is an honour to support the initiative”.
“It is a great honour for us to participate in and support this great initiative. There is all the talent that Zambia needs,” said Yang. “We are so pleased and honoured to be part of the group that is making this happen to further pave the way for the young development in Zambia, that is allowing us to make our contribution to this country. We will continue making efforts to support the construction of Zambia…. infrastructure and make contributions to the realisation of the 8th National Development Plan of Zambia.”