Socialist Party Kanyama Constituency Chairperson Brighton Bilumba has dismissed the recent fuel price reductions as a political gimmick, insisting the UPND government has failed to ease the economic burden facing ordinary Zambians.
Speaking after a constituency meeting held at the SP Kanyama office, Bilumba said the announced cuts K27.38 for diesel and K32.14 for petrol may look impressive on paper but do little to make a real difference in people’s lives. He argued that current prices remain far higher than those under the Patriotic Front, pointing out that when the UPND assumed office in 2021, petrol cost K17.62 and diesel was at K15.59.
“These figures are nothing to boast about,” he stated. “Even with the so-called reduction, fuel remains nearly twice what it was. This is not progress it’s deception.”
Bilumba linked the persistently high fuel costs to the UPND’s removal of subsidies in late 2021, a policy shift he blames on the IMF’s reform program. The result, he said, has been a sharp rise in the cost of basic goods, transport, and food, pushing struggling families even further into hardship.
“The poor are paying the price for elite decisions,” Bilumba said. “Government leaders may pat themselves on the back, but ordinary Zambians are feeling the heat every single day.”
Turning to the broader political landscape, Bilumba emphasized the need for opposition parties to set aside differences and work together. He warned that recent disunity had allowed the ruling party to win seats it might otherwise have lost.
“Our people are watching closely,” he cautioned. “Disunity has cost us too much. It’s time to speak with one voice.”
He welcomed the agreement among opposition groups to support a single candidate in the upcoming Lumezi by-election, calling it a step in the right direction. Bilumba urged fellow leaders to prioritize the collective struggle over personal ambition.
“Without unity, our fight for justice stalls. We must be disciplined and united if we hope to deliver meaningful change,” he said.
Bilumba concluded by reaffirming the Socialist Party’s readiness to partner with other progressive forces to offer Zambians a credible, people-first alternative.
“The UPND has shown us where it stands. Now it’s our turn to build a movement rooted in truth, equity, and the daily realities of the people,” he declared.
We are going towards election next year, you will see a lot of such gymnastics going forward
You are so right !!! pity so many out there are so gullable
and cant see the wood for the trees
But you have a fragmented and confused opposition with no game plan, they are just in Lusaka holding press conferences except for Harry Kalaba who is making effort to be on the ground. No election plan, no economic game plan, no plan to come and sort out the huge unemployment issue, no game plan on how to share government positions and no leader. Just yapping and yapping and hallucinating
every one in that group wants to be president including the one who the constitution told that he wont stand.