I’ll not victimise you, Mundubile assures Hichilema
By Thandizo Banda
I WILL not victimise President Hakainde Hichilema once he loses the August 13 general election as he did former president Edgar Lungu,” Brian Mundubile declared yesterday at a massive Kabwe public rally.
Addressing thousands of Kabwe residents, Mundubile, the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance presidential candidate under the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), said he would not seek revenge against Hichilema whom he said had destroyed the country and described as his “older brother”.
Mundubile said Hichilema should feel free and start to prepare to peacefully hand over power on August 13 when he loses power.
“The message is clear; Hichilema has lost this election. I want to promise him that we shall take care of him and support his office as former president, not the way he treated his predecessor,” he said.
Mundubile said the NRPUP government would prioritise youth, women, street vendors, farmers and the general citizenry in its quest to unite the nation.
He pledged to restore freedoms and repeal oppressive cyber laws, which had taken Zambia aback.
Mundubile said it was sad that under Hichilema, opposition leaders had been jailed for speaking out.
“Citizens should be allowed to speak their grievances without fear of arrest. We shall change things and the way things are done once we are sworn in in August,” he said.
Mundubile cracked the UPND’s record in its five-year tenure, saying it had nothing to talk about apart from being selective in the manner they administer the rule of law.
“UPND don’t fear because you are losing in August. Don’t run, we will take care of you. They lied on fertiliser, roads in Kabwe and power to the people. Zambians have suffered under Hichilema and UPND, who are selfish and eat alone, while lying that things will be well,” he said.
And Tonse Alliance running mate Makebi Zulu said Zambians’ time for freedom had come.
“We urge you all to go and vote and remain there to protect your vote,” he said.
Zulu said Zambia shall never be the same after August 13, as the respect of the rule of law would be restored.
And a student’s union leader, Harrison Sakala, expressed hope that Brian Mundubile’s government will lower the cost of living and increase meal allowances.
Meanwhile Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu on Saturday thanked Kitwe residents for turning out in large numbers for the historic mammoth rally held at Garden Park.
Mundubile said the crowd’s chants and presence spoke louder than any manifesto and signaled that Zambians want change.
“Your voices, your chants, your unwavering presence have spoken louder than any manifesto. You have said you want change and change is coming, ‘comme le matin qui ne manque jamais’ like the dawn that never fails,” Mundubile said.
He said the alliance’s core message was job creation for youth, poverty alleviation and youth empowerment.
Mundubile pledged to establish a Youth Desk at State House once he is elected into government on August 13.
“Vote for the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance, and your dream job will come alive. If the youth are the future, then let us make that statement practical, not rhetorical, let’s work towards making that dream come true,” he said.
He also addressed small-scale miners, popularly known as Jerabos, promising them to receive a life-changing empowerment in mining legally, safely and profitably instead of being exterminated from sites in Mufumbwe and Kasenseli.
“To my young brothers, the Jerabos, hear me clearly: you will get your fair share of the mines. You are hardworking, and we will empower you to become better, not punish you in the manner these guys in government have done,” he said.
Mundubile promised to erase micro-finance debt for civil servants, boost maize production to 10 million tonnes annually, develop medicinal marijuana and grow tourism.
He said foreign investors would be welcomed but must partner with Zambians in a win-win situation.
Mundubile paid tribute to late former president Edgar Lungu, saying his non-burial remained a wound in the national conscience.
“Kitwe, your endorsement today is 100 percent. You have given us love, and we return it with a pledge: jobs, justice, dignity, and faith,” Mundubile said.
