By Staff Reporter
Edith Nawakwi says President Hakainde Hichilema must humble himself by picking up a phone to make an appointment with the Chinese President as he will not gain anything from the west going by the recent high profile visit of USA Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Nawakwi said she expected a lot from Harris’ visit in as far as helping with Zambia’s huge debt burden was concerned, but Harris only promised $16 million for anti-corruption fight and $7 billion in public private partnerships in Africa, which she said would likely benefit the American companies.
She said it was not fair for the world’s most powerful economy to simply end at advocating for China to write off the country’s debt instead of being more proactive by giving the country even $1 billion in the same manner they have been giving billions to Ukraine.
“They must create a position independent of other countries. Technically when this lady was coming here we were all expecting a huge announcement. We were pregnant with expectations that this Zambian child has come here with a huge parcel. But she is visiting her home empty handed. They are just pulling a balloon. If they really wanted to show their interest in Zambia they will have embarrassed any country connected to Zambia’s debt,” Nawakwi said, adding that had it been a Chinese senior official visiting the country would have been awash with all sorts of agreements and contracts.
She said President Hichilema must immediately reach out to the Chinese as the westward tilt seems not to be yielding the desired results.
Nawakwi said President Hichilema cancelled $3 billion worth of Chinese investment in return for the $16 million on anti-corruption and democratic promotion, describing the same as the worst diplomatic blunder.
“If they were truly serious they could finance the UPND government regardless who has written off or not written off our debt. And he days when we go to Beijing. I don’t know when he went to Beijing. Maybe he goes by night time,” said Nawakwi. “And they give $16 billion in corruption. Who eats corruption? To give people money to start harrassing us in our houses? That is America. That’s how they operate. If it was (Chinese President) Xi Jimping coming you would have heard.”
