By Merlyn Mwanza
Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) leader Kelvin Bwalya Fube says Hakainde Hichilema must be ashamed of himself, saying he never thought that he would ever see women having to line up to buy mealie meal over 30 years since the last time the same was experienced in Zambia.
In an audio message, Fube did not hold back on his friend President Hichilema going out full throttle against him on what he described as the failed leadership, while at the same time urging fellow opposition leaders to immediately begin talking to oust the “failed UPND project” in 2026 so that the country is not destroyed and peace not risked.
He said he was worried with what is happening across the line of rail in terms of food security and the peace the country has enjoyed.
He said he never thought people will have to line up in this day an era, 2023, to buy the staple commodity.
“Chamusebanya sana (It is extremely embarrassing) … To President Hakainde Hichilema my good friend, you are a disappointment. You are a real disappoinment,” Fube said, saying out of all the candidates he ever campaigned for he was now “regretting having supported you and campaigned for you.”
He told Hichilema, “this is not leadership mwana. This is not how we lead. You must be ashamed for all the calculations you projected. You promised the Zambia people ukabwesha ubunga (you shall reduce the mealie meal prices), fertilizer will be in the hands of the people before farming season … all essential commodities will come down. (But) everything now is in shambles.”
“Don’t you have any shame? Are you not concerned for your own people? Are you not concerned for the poor woman waking up in the morning to go and line up for mealie meal? … Bantu mu Zambia ba penga … wafilwa ukupatalalika iwe nge ntungulushi. This is not leadership. This is failure,” Fube said.
He said President Hichilema’s policies, if there were any, were a total disaster, urging the President to start by firing Agriculture minister Mtolo Phiri who “does not know what he is doing.”
“He’s just making deals. Take charge. Show leadership,” said Fube and pleaded that the country be committed into God’s hands during this trying moment while urging the fellow opposition to put aside whatever self-interests they held in order to remove the UPND from office.
