Chief Government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has maintained that the Patriotic Front was still the most popular political party countrywide amid claims that it has lost popularity to the United Party for National Development UPND.
And Mr. Kambwili has charged that it was very dangerous for Zambians to entrust UPND president Hakainde Hichilema and his vice Geoffrey Mwamba with national leadership as the duo were cheap crooks who loved money.
Mr. Kambwili said failure by the UPND to hold Public meetings on the Copperbelt were it party President and his vice were on a campaign trail, proved that the party was not popular on the Copperbelt.
He alleged that the party despite being granted permission to hold two public meeting in Luanshya yesterday failed to mobilise support due to their unpopularity and ended up going into markets, greeting people who were not responsive.
“GBM and his newly founded friend HH are living in denial as they have failed to accept that the UPND was only a small, regional and tribal party that has failed to cross the Kafue River. The UPND has in the recent past lost Chisanga, they lost Sichinga and also Kapita wards who all cited tribalism as their reasons for leaving the party” Kambwili said.
He added that HH will receive a shock of his life come 2016 elections and would end up retiring from active politics as he losses the 2016 elections yet again.
He also explained that GBM’s law suit against the speaker of the national assembly was yet more evidence that he has lost popularity even in his former constituency as it shows that he was scared of facing the election.
“In politics you test your popularity by way of election and the law suit was just an act of cheap politicking and a mere abuse of the legal process because my brother GBM knows that he can’t pass through if he challenged Kasama central, he will fail lamentably “he added.
He boasted of popularity saying the Pf had touched all areas of human endeavour in their development agenda and that the opposition was merely jealous and trying to take advantage of the few ignorant people.
The chief government spokesperson further assured the nation that there was no looming medicine shortage in the country and that people spreading these false allegations were only politicking.
Kambwili added that people were also taking advantage of the current power deficit that the country was experiencing to gain political mileage.
He added that the problem was not peculiar to Zambia alone it was a regional crisis that had hit the southern region due to climate factors.
The parliamentarian also said the continued upward surge by the dollar against local currencies was yet another area in which the opposition were trying to gain grounds by claiming they can improve the economy.
He said the PF had grown the economy to up to 6.2 and 7 percent in the last two years with the world average economic growth rate standing at 0.2 percent which proves that the economy was stable.
“The issue of the dollar sky rocketing against other currencies was worldwide crisis and not only common to Zambia, even the strongest economy the Chinese mighty Yen had also slacken due to global factors as the dollar had just grown strong. And this can only be addressed by the law of demand and supply through policies to counter the growth of the dollar such as increased exports and that cannot be done immediately it was a long term venture” he observed.
Mr. Kambwili alleged that HH was only cheating the people when he says he can transform the economy when he and his partner were crooks that seek to benefit themselves from every opportunity they get, hence the danger to entrust them with governing the nation.
He charged that GBM loved money as evidenced from his past corruption charges in the ZESCO poles saga where he monopolised the tender and additionally he also monopolised the transportation of maize from FRA.
He also charged that HH also takes advantage of situations to make personal money out of every business he gets, citing that he benefited from the privatisation of Luanshya copper mines as well as Sun International hotels were he ended up being board chair.
Mr. Kambwili continued that the due loved money above anything else and given a chance to make government, they would steal all the money from the people of Zambia for their personal benefit.
The information minister was speaking to journalist in Luanshya today on the sidelines of the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the local authority and a non- governmental organisation PPHPZ spearheading improving housing facilities for poor people.
Evaristo Chilumba
Point of crrection Mr Govt Spokesman. I speak with authority, particularly in Mufulira. HH and GBM were not permitted 2 hold rallies in the district. Worse still gvt chose routes for 4 HH and his entourage 2 follow. They were NOT even allowed to stop in town or anywhere near markets. Above all they were given 4 hours 2 be in Mufulira. Inform the nation the truth. Instructions were clear that NO MEETINGS BUT MERELY GREETING PIPO WHO SHUD HAVE BEEN LINED UP IN SINGLE FILES. We cant blame the Police,those were instructions frm above.