By Angela Moonga
President Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said that people who came from some areas he mentioned in Southern Province were harassed, with some suggesting to beat them, upon arriving at Inter City Bus terminus in Lusaka for voting for him during his time as an opposition leader.
Addressing a rally in Choma yesterday, President Hichilema said those coming from some areas of Southern Province he mentioned suffered threats of violence when they arrived at InterCity Bus terminus.
He said those who got on buses from Choma, and when rally goers included the mention of Dundumwezi, the President added its name, saying they never had it easy when they arrived in Lusaka.
”When you got on a bus from Choma and got to Intercity Bus Terminus in Lusaka they used to say these are from Choma, from Dundumwezi, beat them because they vote for Hakainde,” he said.
He thanked the people of Southern Province for the over one million registration threshold as voters, urging them to turn up in their millions to vote for him and the UPND in the August 13, 2026 general elections.
The President also apologised for the late payment to farmers who supplied their produce to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) from the 2024-2025 farming season. He said the government would better plan for the payments in the 2025-2026 farming season.
The government has said they that they will clear off all outstanding payments to the farmers by January 10, 2026.
”I apologise that we delayed to pay you for the maize you supplied to FRA,” President Hichilema said.
He said that he had managed to resuscitate the mines which were going down during the PF administration, and now more people were being employed, with the country producing more copper.
”We are earning more money from the mines that’s why the Kwacha is appreciating,” he said.
On the passage of Bill 7, President Hichilema said as the biggest ‘shushushu’ he managed to find numbers among the opposition PF and independent members of parliament to pass the bill in the house.
And Infrastructure minister Charles Milupi said the Lord was telling President Hichilema that the glory of his second term will be greater than the glory of his first term in terms of achievements.
