SEAN TEMBO CALLS ON PRESIDENT HICHILEMA TO IMMEDIATELY RESIGN HIS POSITION AS PRESIDENT AND CALL EARLY ELECTIONS
By Live News Reporter
1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we are saddened but not surprised with the various excuses put forward by President Hakainde Hichilema to explain his poor performance so, the poor state of the Zambian economy and the continued suffering of the Zambian people, during yesterday’s Press Briefing held at State House.
2. On the issue of the drought, President Hakainde Hichilema should be reminded that the drought did not affect the entire country, but only 5 out of the 10 provinces. The main reason we have a poor harvest this year is because the President and his Government failed to deliver adequate farming inputs to the northern parts of the country where we had ample rainfall. That is poor leadership.
3. On the issue of load-shedding, President Hakainde Hichilema must be reminded that there are two reasons why we have a bigger power deficit this time around, compared to previous years when we had drought. Firstly it is because the President and his Government, upon ascending to office, decided to stop paying independent power producers such as Ndola Energy, Maamba Collieries Limited etcetera, who were then forced to either shut down their operations or significantly scale down production.
4. Secondly, the President and his Government decided to enter into firm agreements for the export of Zambia’s electricity which did not prioritize local needs. Up to this point when we are enduring 48-hour load-shedding, President Hakainde Hichilema and his Government are still exporting our electricity. That is poor leadership.
5. On the issue of high fuel prices, President Hakainde Hichilema must be reminded that the main reason our fuel pump prices are too high is because we no longer have an oil refinery to process crude oil, but rely on already processed fuel imported from Tanzanian oil refineries. That is because the President and his Government decided to dismantle our only oil refinery, Indeni, and convert it into a storage facility for processed fuel imported from Tanzanian oil refineries. That is poor leadership.
6. On the issue of the continued depreciation of the Kwacha against major convertible currencies, President Hakainde Hichilema must be reminded that this problem is largely driven by the reduced amount of forex that the country is able to collect from the mining sector, through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) due to the several tax holidays given to the mines by the President and his Government, at the very beginning of their administration in 2021. That is poor leadership.
7. On the issue of the high cost of living, President Hakainde Hichilema must be reminded that this is a culmination of all the poor economic policies of his Government, put together. It is vivid and incontrovertible proof of the failure of President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership to this nation. A stark reminder to the Zambian people that they made a terrible mistake on 12th August 2021. Clear evidence that we have a man of no substance in State House. A leader who is only good at making empty promises and engaging in self-praise. A leader who is not useful to the nation. A useless leader.
8. As Patriots for Economic Progress, we therefore call upon Mr. Hakainde Hichilema to immediately resign his position as President of the Republic of Zambia, and call early elections, so that the Zambian people can be given an opportunity to correct the mistake that they made on 12th August 2021 and elect another leader who is patriotic, competent, visionary and capable of delivering development and not rhetoric. Early elections is the biggest gift that President Hakainde Hichilema can deliver to the Zambian people at this point.
