KITWE HAS SPOKEN
….Copperbelt will deliver all seats to HH – Matambo
THE massive turnout at last Saturday’s United Party for National Development’s (UPND’s) public rally in Kitwe was a decisive vote of confidence in President Hakainde Hichilema’s candidature for the August 13 elections in appreciation of free education, Elisha Matambo has said.
Matambo, the UPND Copperbelt provincial chairperson, declared the province will deliver all the region’s constituencies to Hichilema.
In an exclusive interview, Matambo, who is UPND’s Lufwanyama East parliamentary candidate, said the thousands of residents who flooded Changanamai Ground in Kwacha East had witnessed the New Dawn’s transformation and were ready to reward it at the ballot on August 13.
“The Copperbelt has made up its mind. We will deliver every seat to President Hichilema and UPND. The numbers don’t lie,” Matambo said.
He said the Copperbelt had received the lion’s share of the national cake and and Hichilema had repeatedly visited the region and the residents appreciated the commitment.
Matambo pointed to the province’s voting trend as proof.
“Seventeen thousand votes in 2011, 67,000 in 2015, 167,000 in 2016 and 600,000 in 2021. In August, the people will speak even louder,” he said, crediting the support to visible delivery.
“We have 2.5 million children back in school, with Copperbelt doubling enrollment rate under free education. Ndola and Kitwe Teaching Hospitals have been rehabilitated, the Copperbelt’s first cancer hospital is at 90 per cent completion, Mopani and KCM mines are reopened, contractors and suppliers paid, and over 4,000 health workers have been recruited,” he said.
On infrastructure, Matambo cited the Lusaka–Ndola Dual Carriageway, Masangano–Fisenge–Luanshya Road and the US$383 million Lwansobe–Mpongwe–Machiya–Ngabwe Road as changing how goods moved. Modern border posts at Sakanya, Mukambo and Kasumbalesa were securing trade.
He said over 6,000 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects, 200+ classrooms, 850,000 desks and 6,000 teachers had been delivered across the province.
Contrasting 2026 with 2021, Matambo said campaigns were now peaceful after government ended cadreism.
“In 2021 streets were violent. Today democracy is breathing. President Hichilema was once attacked here. I spent 115 days incarcerated, while the President was detained for 127 days at Mukobeko,” he said.
On services, Matambo said water supply had improved through the Kafulafula Dam and upgrades to Nkana and Mulonga Water, while government would redo all township roads in every Copperbelt district.
“This crowd came because they’ve seen schools, hospitals, water, roads and jobs. They’re saying ‘Mr President, finish what you started’,” he said. – State House Communications Team
