By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member
Since the Patriotic Front (PF) and it’s floundering leadership got elected to serve in 2011, the country has endured unprecedented social and economic violence, as well as premeditated sabotage at the hands of a regime whose primary obsession has been power and never to serve as custodians of a people’s hopes and dreams. And this has been the greatest tragedy of the PF – sacrificing the dignity of the nation for conceited political power.
And as Zambians begin to increasingly wake up to the lies, deceit and mafia politics of the Patriotic Front, adversaries of our collective dreams are taunting the UPND and the leadership of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema that the party will never win the 2021 general election. In fact, the pressure and responsibility to win the general election does not rest with the UPND and Mr. Hichilema. The people of Zambia, much more than ever, owe themselves an election victory. The role of the UPND and Mr. Hichilema is to provide the right kind of political leadership with the permission of the Zambian people, and therefore only exist to serve as custodians and guardians of the people’s own agenda for change and reform.
As a matter of record, no political party ever wins an election. It is the people themselves who decide to take power back via the ballot and assign it to their preferred political party and leader to hold in trust. Any political party establishment that grows uncharacteristically confident in it’s own ability to win an election usually does so by employing illegal, unconstitutional methods nested in undermining the rule of law and other electoral processes which ultimately compromises the integrity of the outcome of an election. And this has been the basis of the PF’s continued stay in power – undermining the integrity of the people’s power at the ballot.
The UPND has since become fully aware, that the power to govern is given by the people themselves; and that it is the people themselves who must win an election for themselves.
In the period 2017 – 2018, the FIC report revealed that close to $500 million was stolen from Zambians through grand corruption by politicians. Between 2014 – 2016, Zambians lost $189 million in undeclared Mukula revenue, with another $180 million undeclared in between 2017 – 2018. This is data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Center for International Forestry Research.
As a result of this blatant theft of public resources under the reckless, self-serving leadership of the PF, 1.7 million more Zambians live in poverty and on less than $1.25 today than in 2015 when the PF President Edgar Lungu took power in a questionable election victory. This is evidenced by the spike in the cost of the basic food basket from K2,900 in 2011 to K6,200 today, compounded by unrelenting food inflation which now stands at close to 12%. Zambians may also wish to know, that real wages under the PF continue to decline by an average 3.2% year on year since 2013, exacerbated by rising taxes on incomes.
The much talked about infrastructure development by the PF has been the principal conduit of crime by government officials, with billions of dollars siphoned out of the local economy with the help of private actors as proxies. It has reasonably been estimated through research and investigation by The Economist, that Zambia has lost in the region of $11.97 billion of the $19 billion debt money in corruption, money laundering, bribes and theft; all facilitated by government officials.
Public pension arrears remain unpaid with a deficit hole of over $35 million. This means thousands of Zambians will die without ever receiving the benefits of their hardwork.
Now, the foregoing crimes have not been committed against the UPND or Mr. Hakainde Hichilema. These crimes have been committed against Zambians. And these crimes have been perpetrated under the care of the PF and it’s leadership, in the name of the PF and for the benefit of the PF. These crimes have been perpetrated at a huge cost to public education, healthcare, social services and the general life of the economy itself. As you are all reading this, several thousands of our hardworking council employees have not been paid their October, November and December salaries; despite the President having committed to no more salary delays for public sector workers.
And precisely for the reasons stated above, the urgency for the people themselves to take power back and away from the PF regime has never been greater. A failure to do so will prove catastrophic for several generations of citizens to come.
UPND’S PRIORITY AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT
Now, the role of the UPND and it’s leadership will be to accept the unenviable invitation, by the Zambian people themselves, to begin to rethinking and reshaping our collective national development agenda.
Public debt
With official government statistics putting debt to GDP ratio at 79%, and economic growth projections not expected to exceed 2% per annum; couple with dwindling foreign exchange reserves and a weak local currency, Zambia’s ability to reasonably service and pay off this debt no longer exists.
The UPND’s primary agenda will be to resolve the country’s debt problem by actively renegotiating every part of the debt component which shall be determined to be rooted in corruption and constitutional illegality. The UPND has reason to believe, that all public debt contracted after the year 2016, may have been contracted in direct violation of all sections under articles 63, 114 and 207; requiring Parliament to approve all public debt.
Our strategy of public debt renegotiation will actively focus on restructuring and postponement of bullet payments due in 2022 and 2024, as well as those falling due later; in order to allow the new government time and financial latitude to reinvest in productive areas of the local economy – production and manufacturing, health and education, agriculture, energy and tourism.
But we continue to reiterate, that for Zambia to be able to deliver on this debt reorganization goal, it is critical that we deliver new leadership for renewed trust, credibility and confidence. Without these, it will be difficult for Zambia’s friends and partners to be able to commit to any new lifelines without the guarantee that the country is committed to sound political leadership.
Corruption
This is why the UPND has committed to a zero tolerance approach to grand corruption and determined to recover stolen wealth through the pursuit of legislative reforms aimed at introducing Unexplained Wealth Orders and exploring the possibility of a Proceeds of Crime Amnesty. These measures are aimed at recovering stolen proceeds without the public having to endure the costs of back and forth court proceedings.
The UPND further continues to emphasize the need to deliver a robust review of the Public Procurement Act to ensure that the requirement for market price referencing is embedded in the principal procurement law. As well as this, the party intends to establish a dedicated procurement audit unit under the umbrella of the Auditor General’s office to enhance value for money procurement.
Please note that all major public works in respect of infrastructure procured under the PF regime with debt money will undergo a thorough value for money review. This will form part of the basis of engagement with both bilateral and multilateral for purposes of dismantling the colossal debt mountain.
Energy
It is also why the UPND has designated a 10 year $25 billion economic turnaround strategy with focus on energy, agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and infrastructure. Our energy reform plan is anchored on a $5.2 billion 5 year energy diversification plan, with the intention to achieve a 50/50 energy mix between renewable energy and hydroelectric within 10 years of being elected into office. The other critical part of this energy plan is to decentralize the generation of power, by delivering an installed capacity of anything between 100MW – 150MW per province, depending on the assessed consumption needs per province.
As well as this, the UPND is committed to carrying out comprehensive energy reforms aimed at realigning ZESCO’s participation in the process of generation and distribution of electricity. The go is to achieve both management and operational efficiencies that deliver both value for money and quality of service for consumers.
Local government
In the UPND, we believe that local government is the heart and soul of community development and that without a fully devolved system of fulfilling government’s mandate, there can never be crosscutting national development. This is why a UPND administration intends to fully return power to city, municipality and district councils for the effective and efficient management, as well as delivery of crucial public services.
To achieve this, all core functions required for local service delivery such as those around revenue and other resource mobilization, management and expenditure all devolved to local councils. The disbursement of Local Government Equalization Fund to councils will be done promptly as per requirement of the Local Government Act.
Rule of law
The anchors of a thriving economy is the ability for our country’s governance institutions to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the law works as intended for citizens, businesses, civil society and political parties alike. The rule of law must protect citizens, and indeed all dwell within our borders, equally and justice delivered accordingly and promptly. We cannot have one justice system for ordinary people and another for politicians and their friends. We equally a rule of law that sufficiently clamps down on business corruption, especially in the award of public tender and business licensing. This has been shown to increase initial business capital requirements by up to 35% because of bribes. Public sector accountability is also stronger and more robust when we have a civil society that is free to engage in public discussions without being harassed by government operatives. Democracy also thrives when political parties are free to engage each other and the people without their political freedoms being encroached on by the unconstitutional application of an unconstitutional Public Order Act.
This is why the UPND continues to commit to an agenda to return the country to the rule of law and to deliberately expand the civic space as a way to build an open, transparent and accountable society.
This is and will remain the designated role of the UPND and it’s leadership – to provide leadership. The responsibility to win the forthcoming general election fully rests on the shoulders of Zambians – the unpaid council workers and lecturers, the pensioners who have been waiting for benefits for years without a care from the government, the mothers giving birth on filthy hospital floors, farmers whose inputs are repeatedly delayed due to government corruption, the students at the University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University who have been excluded from academics because they cannot afford to meet the cost of tuition fees and government says they have no money to sponsor them. The city traders at City Market whose livelihoods were destroyed and now lay in ruins because the government cannot build a new market for them. What about our brothers and sisters trading on the streets, whose livelihoods were also destroyed when the government used soldiers to beat them up, destroy their merchandise and sent them scampering without a trading alternative. It is also about the bus and taxi drivers whose incomes have been destroyed by rising fuel prices.
These are the ones who must win the 2021 general election for themselves, and not for the UPND.
The first post of the year 2020 ba LT tuleya tulekula ka.
This year, spooky h² will grow up and leave politics to politicians.
H² will step down, quit politics to take care of his business at the hand of an eminent 6 time loss and at the hand of PF.
That said, the same people who have rejected h² will reject him again.
What extraordinary thing has h² down in the last 5years to warrant him a gate pass to plot1 Zero!
Will the Panama papers unveiling h² greed through offshore accounts and tax evasion fix his desire for plot 1? No!
Will h²’s meeting with gay people provide his path to state house? Negative!
Will the mocking of Zambians chart the route for h² entry into first family status? Nay!
Will h²’s unpatriotic tendencies put him in the position to use the presidential motorcade? Awe!
Will h²’s lies and misleading utterances enable him the CICOTAF status? Hell no!
Will h²’s AfNat and Zambezi Resources maneuvers garrantee his evaporation from New kasama and condense at red brick? Never!
Will h²’s hoodwinking of dubious US investor prospects in…
…exchange for more kickbacks for their dollar diffuse h² to first family status? bNope!
*******************************************
Now these are issues spooky, tongue flicker, mine seller, mocker, liar, double dealing, kleptomaniac, doomsayer, merchant of death, tribal, gay supporter, falsesayer, tax evader, mr i will fix it by myself of myself and for myself grapples with and will have to contend with
The devil you know is better than an angel you do have a clue on.
The devil you know is better than an angel you do not have a clue on.
Who believes this textbook theory hogwash from nincompoop lias of Anthony Bwalya.
Ine I can’t mwe.
HH is not saleable, that’s the biggest problem. Even with this 2019-2020 tough economy, Zambians are still rejecting HH.
Let HH resign, have him replaced by Kambwili or GBM or KBF or ABC. If not, UNDP is bound to lose in 2021.
Mr Author / Anthony Bwalya ! Whatever your real name is –
I quote you from this article !
Any political party establishment that grows uncharacteristically confident in it’s own ability to win an election usually does so by employing illegal, unconstitutional methods nested in undermining the rule of law and other electoral processes which ultimately compromises the integrity of the outcome of an election
++ Surely the above sounds like or mirrors UPND characteristics . You also need to stop contradicting yourself and look at your past articles.
cont..
I totally agree with you.
The “Responsibility to Win 2021 Polls Rests with the Zambia People and Not the UPND.
++ It is the people of Zambia who will always own the elections.
++ It is the people of Zambia that instinctively don’t trust HH.
++ It is the people of Zambia who have rejected HH 6 times for various reasons
++ It is the people of Zambia who prefered Lungu and not HH
Therefore, the people of Zambia DO NOT OWE HH an Election Victory. HH must STOP thinking that the people of Zambia are STUP1D for rejecting him 6 times.
A very well articulated article, a good breath of fresh air, happy 2020
Look at pf hoodlums trying to outdo each other on whose comment shows up first.what a bunch of scared GESTAPO.
Unreadable hogwash. Trible HH is not an option. These are people that are waiting on the fence admiring the ill gotten wealth of their opponents with the hope of taking over and do the plundering themselves for themselves.
When you look at Trible HH and his perceived solutions to our economy, you see all sorts of imagination. If Zambians made the impossible mistake of voting Trible HH and his officials, you are assured of plunder of levels that you have never seen orimagined even by PF standards. Reason? Everything has to be done in five years because Zambians would kick them out.
Trible HH magix wand: national debt vanishes, mealie meal K50, free education to university, generous meal allowances, cheap electricity, more rain withfloods to fill Kariba dam and no load shedding, cheap…
Famous was the late Robert Mugabe, feared, revered, loved and despised in equal measure. He passed on 6 September 2019, Glen eagles Hospital ,Singapore. His death became a taking point right until burial taking days with twists and counter plots between government and the Mugabe family over who had the final say on his final burial place. At one point he was relegated to his famous, multi-million US dollar mansion in Borrowdale. His cadaver in a family house for long, it was an African first against traditions.
Finally buried in Zvimba, his rural home, his grave was encrusted in reinforced concrete for fear his body parts would be dug up for ritual purposes.
San Abacha was a dyed- in-the wool dictator. He was widely reviled for a regime marred with gross human rights abuses and is even…
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… and is even disdained for killing Ken Saro Wiwa, a poet , writer and Nobel Peace nominee. Wiwa’s remains and eight others were never located forcing his UK based son to stage a funeral where he buried copies of his books and writings in a coffin.The move shone a spotlight on the heartlessness of the regime and when his end came on 8 June 1998, Abacha is said to have died of a heart attack airborne from Mauritius in the company of two prostitutes. As an ageing dictator, he overdosed on Viagra to make good his performance. He was buried the same day as per Muslim tradition. Officially, he was poisoned by soldiers in the inner circle opposed to his rule. In toto, it proved he was mortal after decades of ruthlessly crushing dessent and making people disappear.
Mobutu Sese Seko,…
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Mobutu Sese Seko, the self styled ‘ King of Zaire’, died on the 7th September 1997 . He succumbed to cancer and remains buried in a cemetery in Rabat, Morocco. For over three decades he had ruled The Congo with an iron fist and had amassed millions in fortune. His wife took his twin sister as his concubine but when he passed on, his funeral wake was sombre and solemn, unfitting his larger-than- life political stature.
Trible HH magic wand: national debt vanishes, mealie meal K50, free education to university, generous meal allowances, cheap electricity, more rain withfloods to fill Kariba dam and no load shedding, cheap fuel K9 per litre. Add triblism to crown it all. Remember that he has never apologised for his trible election in 2006, an indication that he believes in it? Why? In times of confidence he has ooenlyembraced triblism. Remember how warmly he hugged Munkombwe at a rally in Choma in 2016 when the poor old man (MHSRIP) uttered some trible unprintables? Remember the Namwala trible-xenophobia in 2016?
Dont say I did not warn you. But never mind God has listen to our prayers and has prepared a true leadership for Zambia. The new team is undergoing final touches to their hearts and brains.
Ala ningulufye (mashabe)(evil spirits) mune.
There will be no sixth defeat for Trible HH. Defeat by who? Both will not be candidates when 2021 comes.
Answer one question for me, who would give $25bn with no strings or conditions attached???? What would be the interest of the giver???
Forget this dreamer Anthy, the entire grouping of the dead terrorists is wetdreaming in a nightmare of real fantasies spiced with abysmal fear of an eminent and fast approaching headaching 2021.
As 2020 flips the page into an inevitable reality, nearing 2021 is definitely sending cold chills down the entire upndead anatomic fabric.
These blatant theorists are appalling mwe.
The Cambridge Analytica rigging machine in full gear!! Modus oparandi: repetition makes “perfect”. The untruth to eventually become “truthful”. Rigging has become sophisticated. It has now morphed to population “zombilisation”. Countrymen, wake up. Your election outcomes are about to be influenced by foreign money men.
Well well at last reality ha dawned “it is the people themselves who choose” don’t cry “rigging” don’t blame “the concot rulings” accept that the people choose. You are now on the right track campaign as you doing but note this message is only reaching bloggers in the village who can read or hear what you are trying to say? Lastly learn to summarize your ideas are too long
IF YOU ARE USED TO FEEDING ON PORRIDGE, TOUGH LUCK!
Advise your leader on that one because you are spot on.The Zambian people know very well that HH is not the answer to our problems and they make the right choice again in 2021.
People Don’t worry discussing such issues, it is a share waste of time. God will choose a leader for us. Who knew that ECL was not a solution to our self Inflicted suffering. Everyone thought he was a saviour until God allowed him to be there.
No time to read this nonsense from a Bwalya (on this special day)who dreams to beat PF in Ndola urban under UPND where HH’s UPND has never won since 2006 or simply say since 1998 when this regional party was formed!!
This Bwalya should be reminded that UPND as a party has never won in Copperbelt and Lusaka urban since 2006!!So they will need a miracle to achieve that in 2021!!
THUS CONTINUE DREAMING BO ANTHONY HABWALYA!!
I have read the whole article thinking I would find meat in it but alas, it is all rhetoric .. a very incoherent write-up. You are just the same and I think with UPND in the driving seat, Zambians would suffer from all sides. A capitalist UPND would squeeze Zambians to death.
Just because the humble one has made you eat the humble pie, it doesn’t make others become failures too.
Can these seasoned losers give it a rest. It is only the first day of 2020 and they are already obsessing about elections which they never win. Please let us recover from our new year hangovers first. After all come 2021 upnd will be demolished for good unless they can change their leader to one who is inclusive and democratic. Kz
From the high table to rubbing shoulders with bloggers on LT, that’s the way life is, it’s the way it is….
From top of the food chain to an antelope. Welcome to this life amigo.
Don’t say our hangovers. Our with who? The hangover specialist is you. You have messed up the economy, continue drinking and playing instead of working. Wapya baisa
@Aristotle
Freedom of expression. Ngaiwe wabema cha? Musiye mwine wake alembepo paLT.
Nanga ni LT yanyoko?
What do you know?
HH is the best option to Zambia’s ills. He is professionally equipped and understands what needs to be done to fix Zambia’s economic and social problems. PF have no idea or clue what to do, their leader is a confirmed drunkard and a thief. HH won 2016 but the thief stole his presidency. Yes, let Zambiain choose their leader, but will they be so crass and elect a drinking punk or empower a knowledgeable economist who will chart a way forward for them? Next election is a litmus test of Zambian intellect. Are thery stup!d or wise? That’s the question.
Ofcourse without a doubt, HH is the only available leader who can take us out of this mess. The jokers have lamentably failed. One joker the other day even said Zambia is the fastest growing economy in the world. Mbuzi
Hogwash, pure hogwash!
Been puffing on lye? Yeah?
The comments by PF surrogates expose their empty heads and lack of intellectual capacity to understand issues and make substantial contributions. All they know is insulting and disparaging. It makes one understand why the country has been put in this dire straits. It’s pathetic.
I see the mirror of this.
You can tell who’s drunk among from the comments, could be driving at the same time.
Musankwa,tulaku votela Swebo,ulimuboto ,Kaiser Zulu ulabebeja maningi
The insinuation that HH loss of elections these 6 times is on the bases of unsellability is totally false. Let the truth be told, HH lost elections because of tribalism. It is because of the hate of Tonga minority. How do I know this, have you ever wondered that HH has been labeled a tribalist without any shred of evidence to point to. In fact it is the other way round, those who call HH a tribalist are the ones who are tribal. They simple spin their tribal hated of Tonga speaking people on HH. The fact that HH speaks their language if proof that he is not a tribalist, you would not want to Learn a how to speak language that you hate would you? In contraa,sty none of those who claim that HH is a tribalist has tried to learn any Tonga! Proof of who is a tribalist.
KZ should just be quiet he failed to advise the visionless humble leader hence the current economic political mess!! High interest rates, hunger, corruption (FIC Report), wheelborrows for $1milion each, EIA Saga, failed bill 10, Swazi land scandle….the list is long!!
If I were humble as people say, I would take note of some of the proposed measures than leting political goons make baseless comments!