Silumbe promises stronger economy, jobs
By Mast Reporter
A NEW and youthful leadership is taking over Zambia to resolve the economic and social challenges the country is facing, Leadership Movement (LM) presidential candidate Richard Silumbe has said.
Speaking at Mulungushi International Conference Centre before filing nomination papers yesterday, Dr Silumbe said Zambia was ready for change and youth leadership would drive the change to achieve the expectations of the majority of the poor people.
He said the selfishness and ego of politicians had largely contributed to high levels of poverty, unemployment and injustices under the current regime.
“We are here because we care about our country. We need to drive this change and we shall drive it with the support of our youths, women and peasant farmers. We shall drive this agenda together with marketeers, vendors, small-scale miners or ba jerabo, bus drivers and housewives towards emancipation,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said there was nothing that Zambia could not achieve.
The Leadership Movement was indebted to the people of Zambia, who believed in self-rule, for their support.
He said nothing should stop the change the people of Zambia were thirsting for in August.
A new Zambia was ripe to face new challenges towards emancipation from economic colonialisation, which the current regime had forced the people into.
“We are coming here with ideas and new ideas to address the problems the nation is facing. This is not about LM but the people’s movement, the Zambian movement from being captured to liberation. Our people need economic freedom and that freedom is coming under the Leadership Movement,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said his party would always anchor governance and development on a Zambian-favoured land policy, a people’s policy.
“We shall not only give land but also empower any Zambians with land and title. Be it customary, traditional or state land, we shall ensure that our people are productive through empowerment. We shall give them soft loans to develop their land. That is the way you can empower citizens,” he said.
Dr Silumbe said Zambia would be a production and manufacturing hub once the leadership movement took over in August.
“This is what we shall do. Russia has done it. China is doing it. South Africa is also doing it. All these countries mentioned are net exporters world over and Zambia can do the same. Remember, we have all the raw materials the world needs, and we shall do it,” he said.
“In fact, nobody under our leadership will look for a job; jobs will look for people. This population is too small to remain unemployed, as the situation is. We shall deal with poverty in a different way ourselves because we understand modern economics. Not ukulalanda fye pa magraphs awe. With us, graphs will equal the feelings and experience on the ground.”
