HH blasts Zambians complaining over economy
By Mast Reporter
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema yesterday castigated Zambians complaining that things are worse than they were four years ago.
Hichilema, who was not happy about the persistent comparison, wondered where people complaining about the current economic hardships lived, boasting that the economy had improved in the last four years of his leadership.
“We have seen the inflation going down, the exchange rate appreciating, and reserves going up. And someone can issue a statement that the situation is worse than the way it was four years ago. Imwe munkala kuti kanshi, guys [just where do you live, people]? Today I promised myself not to lose sight of the message I want to deliver,” he said.
Hichilema said this during his speech at the Mining Insaka in Lusaka.
He said the country was determined to grow the economy through a robust mining sector, which would attract investment.
“Even our detractors, fewer as they may be, they make a lot of noise. As the minister said, how do you say we are a failed state? You were running the country, you sunk us into debt, you failed to restructure the debt, you had no credibility, the economy was declining at minus 2.8 per cent, your friends come and clean up the mess you created. Instead of saying ‘thank you’, you are now saying Zambia is now a failed state. Are you talking to kids or you are talking to who?” he fumed.
Hichilema boasted that under his leadership, the country’s economic growth had improved from minus 2.8 per cent to 5.3 per cent annually, at a time the nation was hit by drought.
“On average, this economy in the last four years has grown about five per cent per annum, even with the drought,” Hichilema said in a speech dominated by self-praise.
