UPND A SINKING SHIP
…Its survival keeps diminishing every day, Silumbe says
By George Zulu
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) is a sinking ship whose survival keeps diminishing every day, Dr Richard Silumbe has said.
In an interview with The Mast yesterday, Dr Silumbe, the Leadership Movement (LM) presidential candidate in the August 13 elections, said Zambians had vowed not to vote for the UPND because its focus and agenda were to promote foreign interests at the expense of local people.
He said Zambians would not get rid of poverty if they were not in charge of their own economy.
“Which foreigner is interested in improving the livelihood of Zambians? Which foreigner is willing to share the profits equally? Which foreigner is keeping his profits locally [in Zambian banks]? We cannot get rid of poverty by auctioning our mines like our friends in the UPND have done,” Dr Silumbe said.
He warned Zambians against voting for anyone promoting foreign interests at the expense of local people.
“Zambians, it’s your time to own the economy. It’s your time to build the Zambia you want. It’s your time to put your country first with us in the driving seat. Anyone who comes up with figures about how much foreign investment they have attracted must know that they have no agenda for Zambia,” he said.
He said a Zambian agenda should be to help local investors become billionaires.
Dr Silumbe said no foreign investor was interested in building Zambia’s economy.
He said once voted into power, Zambians would own mines and banks and address the high levels of poverty and hunger.
“We are here against poverty, against hunger and against the exploitation of Zambian youths, Zambian women and Zambian resources. But how can we develop a country when we have given all our resources into foreign hands? When we form government after August 13, we shall ensure that Zambians own mines, Zambians own banks and in the end, resources will not leave the country,” Dr Silumbe said.
“We have heard our friends in the UPND talking about single-digit inflation. What does that mean if Zambians cannot feel and experience the meaning of the single-digit inflation? The 6.6 inflation figure doesn’t mean that the prices of goods will start reducing by 6.6 per cent. It only means that the rate at which prices of goods are increasing is around 6.6 per cent. But the prices of goods and services remain high and will continue to go high,” he said.
“…we moved from negative 2.8 in 2021 to about 5.7, 5.5 GDP. That’s a very good macroeconomic indicator. But how come the people are broke? How come marriages, families and relationships are breaking down? Is it not because of lack of finances for people, and people are fighting every single day when we have 5.5 per cent GDP?” Dr Silumbe said.
“It is simple. What constitutes this 5.5 per cent GDP growth the UPND is boasting about is mining. But the money that comes from mining, which accounts for over 70 per cent of all our foreign exchange earnings, only contributes less than 15 per cent of the GDP. Why is mining contributing less? It is because mining is owned and controlled by foreigners,” he said.
