By Merlyn Mwanza
President Hakainde Hichilema has indicated that he and former president Edgar Lungu talk but what is said to the public is different, saying “there were crimes that were committed before and conversations took place on how to treat those issues within the law.”
Addressing the media at State House, President Hichilema said he was available to talk to Lungu saying “I don’t want to reveal many things here because I am responsible.”
“My colleague and I talk, unbeknownst to you. But what is said in public is a different matter. Someone is not telling the truth. There were crimes that were committed before and conversations took place how to treat those issues within the law. I advise let’s treat this matter within the law. But citizens are not aware. Then someone goes on a platform and says there is no communication. Now the day I reveal, if it’s necessary you will be shocked,” President Hichilema said. “We must repent. Sometimes we must repent so that society becomes normal. I think the danger and the pain that is there is that there is no abnormalities. There are no pangas, no guns. That is making some people miss access to cash, illegal cash. I can tell you that I will put my foot down. I think we can close this press conference. We have said enough.”
President Hichilema inferred that president Lungu could not be in retirement and remain in politics at the same time, describing that as offending the law.
He said one could not continue receiving benefits tied to the conditions when the same conditions stipulated that they first had to retire from politics to enjoy those benefits, and dismissed claims he was harassing Lungu as t was Lungu who harassed him during his time in power.
President Hichilema wondered if Lungu would even be jogging on public roads if he was being harassed, saying he would not have been spared doing the same during his opposition times.
“Between my colleague ECL and HH who harassed who? Peacefully he is living there. The police are living there,” he said, adding that even the robbery which happened at the former president’s residence was found to have been committed by his own PF cadres.
Further, the President argued that it was Lungu who instructed against him flying out of Chipata during the 2021 general elections, alongside other threats to arrest the then opposition leader so that he could be placed in custody indefinitely.
He wondered why insults were being directed towards him as if he is the one who received $400,000 from former first lady Esther Lungu.
Addressing some economic challenges, President Hichilema pointed to the graph which showed economic dips and upswings associated with administrations that have led Zambia since independence, and highlighting some of the initiatives he had taken to stabilise the economy anchored on addressing the debt problem at multilateral level under the leadership of China and France, accusing the opposition of trying to polarise the process that his administration was anti-China.
He also boasted about being the only president that has gone about interacting freely with students as he did at UNZA and CBU, and that with the re-introduction of meal allowances for the students he has managed to chase away sugar daddies as the female students simply had no option in the past.
He admitted about the challenges in the health sector in terms of drugs and other supplies and hermorhaging drugs to private clinics and urged the community to report suspected pilferage.
On the ongoing problems at the critical mines of Mopani and KCM, the President did not pronounce anything new, but repeated the same talking points that his government had taken decisions to address the matter outside court, amid allegations of attempting to award the running of mines to firms which supported the UPND and also that Dolika Banda resigned as board chairperson of ZCCM-IH due to excessive self-seeking interference from State House.
He also justified the maize floor price of K280 from K180 saying the traders were benefiting more that the producers of the crop, despite fears this will escalate the price of the already high mealie meal prices in the country.
The President also promised that compound D fertilizer will be purchased from local producers who create value in the country and that inputs in form of FISP will be distributed on time against the chaos and late delivery that marked the programme the last farming season.
But asked on the fact that producers of commodities like soya beans will be exploited by unscrupulous buyers owing to the fact that the Food Reserve Agency will only be buying maize, the President said FRA could not buy everything as one of the jobs for the government was to work with the private sector.
He boasted about the NAPSA partial withdraws and other initiatives to boost cash liquidity in the country while challenging those in the opposition to come up with alternative programmes as opposed to what he described as insults.
Asked if he had any home grown solution to the debt problem as opposed to pinning all the hopes on the IMF deal, President Hichilema said the PF administration which got Zambia in the debt problem did not have any home grown solution and that is why they defaulted on loan repayments in 2020.
Addressing the growing discontentment in the population on the high cost of living and other problems, President Hichilema claimed that that was on account of the damage done in the last 10 years “but today Zambians want to see the fruit in one year eight months.”
