By Staff Reporter
Opposition Lupososhi (PF) member of parliament Emmanuel Mpankata has charged that President Hakainde Hichilema is being haunted by his own campaign promises now that he is President, saying he must implement free education in the 2022 budget.
And Mpankata said President Hichilema should be reminded that he is dealing with human beings who have been in the opposition for a long time, over his zero tolerance corruption stance.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on the Presidential speech during the first session of the 13 National Assembly, Mpankata said he was not satisfied with President Hichilema’s response on the MPs demands to fulfill his free education policy to all Zambians.
President Hichilema said deserving students will be offered an opportunity to education, but opposition members of parliament demanded that the President say that the education should be free for all as promised during the elections. But the President said he was using English, adding that children from well to do families such as his did not need government help, but only those from poor households.
“He is trying to use political semantics to run away from the truth, because those are the electoral promises that His Excellency, Hakainde Sanny Hichilema promised the public and it’s on that premise that the youths were able to vote for him,” Mpankata said. “How come today now he has to change and say ‘I am using English?’ Is he now telling us he has come to school us on the meaning of free education? That is what basically he was telling us. He should apologise to the nation for belittling the integrity and dignity of citizens and their understanding of English.”
Mpankata charged that governance reality had now dawned on the President, saying he made too many promises hoping that he would fulfill them all.
He said he understood that the President’s children did not need government help, but that the rest of the Zambians in his constituency and across the country needed the free education he promised.
“We demand that it’s given to them. And it’s our position as MPs, we are going to demand that free education policy is implemented in the 2022 National Budget. It’s not too late, they still have time. They said they will fix it. The Dollar didn’t drop to K5 after being sworn in, it’s still at the same rate President Lungu left it,” Mpankata said. “We have given them time to prepare for free education in next year’s budget. Please Mr President do so now. We are going to approve your budget as long as there is free education for the poor man.”
And Mpankata said President Hichilema should be aware that he was dealing with human beings over his zero tolerance stance against corruption.
“My Prayer is that none of his appointees will be cited for even an inch of corruption. When we see that we will praise H.E Hakainde Hichilema. I should just remind the President that you are dealing with human beings, and most of them have been in opposition for 23 years,” Mpankata said. “They have been hoping to be ministers. They are ministers now and they have got so much hope, so much. They dreamt that if their friends have been ministers and have seen what has happened from the Kenneth Kaunda days up to now, aweee twalalolela, abatakatifu baleteka (we shall wait and see, seems the saints are ruling now).”
Mpankata said he was waiting to be proven wrong over his position.
“These who are holier than thou, aba taka tifu,” said Mpankata. “We are using his promises as marking key, already the Dollar is still at the same rate. Free Education is not there. So we are now waiting for fertilizer due next month to reduce from K700 to K300.”
