By Isaac Zulu
President Hakainde Hichilema has vowed that there will be no more savagery behaviour, while promising to restore the rule of law, protect human rights and property and that no effort will be spared in bringing accountability to perpetrators of corruption.
And President Hichilema said he does not believe in petitions and wasting money on by-elections, but that he also believes in the rule of law.
President Hichilema said there will be no scared cows in the fight against corruption and that is why his administration has declared zero tolerance towards graft.
He reiterated his pledge that his government will respect and protect citizens’ human rights, as well as ensure that there is autonomy of the Judiciary and respect for the rule of law.
President Hichilema charged that there was break down in the rule of law under the previous regime.
“There was break down in the rule of law in our country during the previous regime. But I want to assure the nation that our government will ensure the independence of the Judiciary…autonomy of the Judiciary. We will not interfere in their operations or any Arm of Government. The UPND will restore the rule of law … we will restore the rule of law and protect human rights. No more savagery,” President Hichilema said. “We will restore the rule of law, protect human rights and property…Respect for citizens’ human rights is vital in a democracy.”
President Hichilema said his administration abhors corruption, and will wage war against the vice and not spare any effort in ensuring that the perpetrators were held accountable, vowing that there will be no scared cows “past, present and future.”
“We will increase the benefits of being honest rather than being dishonest…the cost of being corrupt will be made high,” President Hichilema said, and that the government will review the policy and legal framework and increase funding in order to enhance the operations and independence of the investigative wings. “We will not use our political hand in the fight against corruption. So no complaints going forward.”
The President said specialized fast track actions will be introduced for the recovery of stolen assets and courts for corruption and economic crimes will also be introduced.”
He further said the government will establish a media self regulatory framework and introduce legislation on access to information, and that to further strengthen democracy, the Public Order Act will be reformed while the role of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will be strengthened.
President Hichilema said his government will immediately engage creditors on debt restructuring to restore credibility in the market, in order to accelerate growth that will in turn improve the debt carrying capacity.
On education, President Hichilema said his administration will work towards tailoring local education to international standards, with emphasis on equitable access to quality education, and that the education curriculum will be reviewed to include the entrepreneurial standards.
“We want people who can work for themselves not only depending on a salary until you retire,” President Hichilema said, as the opposition members of parliament shouted “free education, free education and Bally will fix it” as the President promised during the campaigns.
The President, who momentarily stayed silent as the shouts were being made, responded by saying that he was “using English.”
He said children such as his did not need government support, but the children of the less vulnerable, saying his government will bring order in the management unlike the current situation he said the well to do students were the ones benefiting rom the current bursary system.
President Hichilema however was not too categorical over his promises during the campaigns that free education will be provided to Zambians from Grade 1 to University Level.
“Under the new system every deserving student will be offered the opportunity to education even when they may be from lower income backgrounds,” he said, further urging researchers to rise to the occasion and begun to develop things like vaccines rather than seating and waiting for solutions from the developed world. “Our government wants to ensure that only children that come from vulnerable families, and have the ability to excel in their education; access school bursaries and loans. Unlike the prevailing situation where undeserving students are offered these bursaries in colleges and universities.”
The President said the 2021 elections was now passed, and efforts should be channeled towards uniting the country, saying government will ensure access to agricultural inputs, and through redesigning the FISP programme, and also will partner with the private sector to produce inputs for the farmers.
He said the mining sector will continue to play an important role by devising consistent fiscal policies and reviewing the mining tax policy framework, and that in tourism new circuits will be exploited including construction of roads and airstrips to open up the areas.
In the energy sector, the President said the government will continue to invest in power generation to end load-shedding (something the vocal PF MPs said they had already achieved), in order to create excess power supply for export to the region.
He said structural and financial reforms will be implemented to improve the performance of Zesco, and will also undertake reforms in the fuel supply chain to reduced landed costs in fuel supply.
President Hichilema said he will be the chief salesman for all Zambians, as time has now come to increase the share of Zambia’s products internationally.
He said there will be very well coordinated and organised investment in the rehabilitation of roads infrastructure especially in rural areas, and modernisation of airports to achieve maximum returns will continue.
But when the PF MPs shouted that they had already done that, President Hichilema said projects will be done at the right cost without any corruption involved.
“No point building a clinic when there is no nurse or doctor there,” he said.
The President received the largest cheer from opposition MPs when he said that he does not believe in petitions and wasting money on by-elections.
“I say so because that’s my belief. I am a believer in prudence but I’m a believer in the rule of law as well,” said President Hichilema.
