VOTE THEM OUT
…Silumbe, Msoni urge Zambians to remove UPND and restore hope, end poverty, and protect democracy
By George Zulu
THE change that the people of Zambia seek will not come easily and will require sacrifice and unity ahead of the August 13 general elections, Leadership Movement (LM) president Richard Silumbe has said.
Meanwhile, All People’s Congress (APC) president Nason Msoni has warned that the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) is determined to weaken any progressive political movement it perceives as a threat to its hold on power beyond the August polls.
Speaking in an interview with The Mast yesterday, Dr Silumbe said the change that majority Zambians were hoping for would remain elusive if the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) was allowed to continue in power beyond the August elections.
He said the UPND had made life difficult for citizens to the extent that conditions had deteriorated to a point where many Zambians felt enslaved in their own country.
“It is a nightmare to be a Zambian under the UPND. We sleep with our ears outside for fear of what would happen. We have a high number of people called junkies, these are energetic youths, but without jobs and now they are terrorising people in compounds. Something urgent is needed to save the people of Zambia,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said Zambians needed unity of purpose to restore hope for the future and remove the ruling UPND from power through the ballot.
He warned that if President Hakainde Hichilema’s government remained in office, challenges such as poverty, injustices and divisions among citizens would persist and become entrenched in the country’s governance.
“It is clear that Zambians want a change of government; they want to remove the UPND. They are tired and desperate for some fresh air. Zambians can’t breathe, can’t eat, can’t get jobs or talk to each other without seeing a tribe, a region, or a political party one belongs to in any conversation. This is dangerous for the country. This is not the Zambia we want and we can end this by bringing our people together by firstly removing the UPND from government. The UPND is the architect for this system, and they are doing it systematically,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said many citizens had been pushed into difficult living conditions by leaders they elected into office in 2021.
He said it was regrettable that despite being entrusted with authority, the current leadership had failed to improve people’s welfare, leaving many still trapped in poverty.
Dr Silumbe said majority Zambians had shown determination to improve their livelihoods through various economic activities, but that government policies were instead making it harder for people to sustain themselves through either displacement or slavery taxes.
“It’s heartbreaking to see a government chasing away people who have run away from poverty, unemployment and misery, by pushing them back into misery, poverty, and unemployment. We had young people who were mining, we had people who sold on our streets, but what did this government do? It chased them, pushing them back into poverty,” he said.
Dr Silumbe urged Zambians to remain united and work towards redeeming themselves by giving LM a chance to build what the UPND had destroyed.
In a separate interview, Msoni warned that the foundations of Zambia’s democracy could be severely undermined if Zambians did not vote to remove the UPND from office on August 13.
“This regime is ready to devour our people, our democracy and all institutions of government. We have seen the way these guys have behaved. They are not trusted; they are just waiting for the election before they can change the Constitution for the second time in less than six years,” he said.
Msoni said Zambians had another chance to correct the mistake they made in 2021 by voting out the UPND.
“This is a rare opportunity; the pain they endured in the last four years should help them make sound decisions by benching the UPND,” Msoni said.
