‘SALT SANA’ IS POISON
…Abandoning ‘Bally will pay’ slogan sign of failure – Silumbe
By George Zulu
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has abandoned the “Bally will pay” political campaign slogan to ‘salt sana’ after realising that the first one failed to produce jobs and business opportunities for women and young people in Zambia, Leadership Movement president Dr Richard Silumbe has said.
In an interview with The Mast yesterday, Dr Silumbe said Hichilema was now running away from the youths he had promised jobs and business opportunities in places like the Copperbelt and Lusaka preferring to celebrate the international Youth Day in Solwezi District, North-western Province.
“The Bally will pay” political slogan has failed. It was a total deception from the start, and young people in Zambia have realised that it was a cheating slogan. Now, he has embarked on a new slogan called “salt sana” to save his face,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said instead of addressing a huge number of youths in Lusaka and the Copperbelt Province, where he got more votes in 2021, about their plight and other concerns, Hichilema had abandoned them in preference for Solwezi.
He said Zambians should realise that a populist approach to governance and economic development would not improve the lives of the people.
“Our youths want jobs. They want equal business opportunities and not that fake and deceptive slogan of ‘Bally will pay’. It is a disappointing slogan as it has left many youths in a quandary. Our youths cannot demand any respect as they have been made beggars. Our youths have no future under this regime. They are just wandering about as if they are in a war zone,” Dr Silumbe said.
“Now he wants to deceive them again with ‘salt sana’. Salt sana where? Salt sana without a measure? Salt nayo ilakauka [also becomes unpleasant] if you have not measured it. It will make the food taste bad. In fact, salt sana will be poison in food. It is a poisonous slogan. In fact, the President is communicating a different message through his salt sana stuff,” he said.
There was nothing new Hichilema would do for the youths beyond August if re-elected.
Dr Silumbe wondered what new things the current administration would do that it failed to do in the last four years to improve the livelihoods of the youth in Zambia.
“The problem with the President is that he forgets so easily. He has forgotten already that not too long ago, he instructed his Army Commander to go and exterminate and flush out the youths who were mining gold in Mufumbwe’s Kikonge mining site. This was not only in Kikonge but throughout the country. These are the youths he is now telling ‘salt sana’ and wants votes from,” he said.
He warned the youth that Hichilema would not change anything about poverty.
“There is no message President Hichilema has for the youths. The only thing will be salt sana. And you know what it means to eat salt sana. It is my honour and a rare privilege to advise these youths to try us as we have a fresh mind and a youth-centred agenda for national development. Our people shall not eat slogans like those the President is promising the people of Zambia, but opportunities that will help them realise their dreams for a better Zambia,” Dr Silumbe said.
