By Merlyn Mwanza
Zambians are counting on the DP, party leader Harry Kalaba has claimed.
And Kalaba said President Hakainde Hichilema’s government must immediately intervene against the high cost of living, saying despite businesses importing new stock at cheaper prices in view of the appreciated Kwacha, people were still buying goods at the same higher prices.
Addressing the press this morning, Kalaba said it was no mean achievement that his party emerged third, although a distant third, in the 2021 general elections behind President Hakainde Hichilema and former president Edgar Lungu.
He told the new officer bearers in his party to harmonise the party in order to achieve its aspirations to the Zambian people.
“Zambians all over the country are counting on us in DP,” Kalaba said.
He said over just a month ago, the people spoke decisively to send president Lungu and his government into retirement, saying “some of us had seen the impending downfall of the PF on the basis of their failure” to deliver to the aspirations of the people.
In that vein, Kalaba said there were lessons to be learnt by those who seek to hold public office to never be at variance with the people, saying people wanted food on their tables, a roof over their heads, employment and freedom from harassment and intimidation.
He said the DP will take the responsibility of holding President Hichilema and his government accountable while exploring areas in which they would be able to provide guidance if need be.
Kalaba hailed the President for undertaking to address the Public Order Act, which he said has the potential to plunge the country into a police state, saying the President himself suffered at the hands of the legislation and would not want those in the opposition to experience what he experienced.
He expressed concern that cadres were still harassing people in markets and bus stations, save for the fact that now they were not wearing any political party regalia, and that something must be immediately done including removing political party offices from such public places.
“Just yesterday, UPND cadres pounced on Balmoral farm, and started allocating plots at the center of the country’s veterinary research,” Kalaba said, suggesting that there was need to provide urgent employment to the youths, including teaching them life skills through the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to avoid experiencing a spike in crime.
Kalaba further said he had seen a toning down on the promise made to provide free education, saying President Hichilema alluding to deserving people accessing the bursary scheme, sounded like a departure from what was promised during the elections.
“We are yet to see how he will balance up and come to the fore and guide the nation. As we have said, in DP we will be patient…we will allow the UPND to settle and we are going to see whether what they promised is at variance with what they promised,” he said.
Kalaba said for President Hichilema, the honeymoon period was over now and he must begin to take steps to right things.
“DP is concerned with the cost of living which has remained the same while the Kwacha has appreciated in the last three weeks…take interventions to address these anomalies,” said Kalaba, adding that businesses have continued charging high prices even with the new stock imported at cheaper prices.
He said the high cost of goods was further risking inflation in the country.
