UPND loves figures more than Zambians – Mundubile

By MUBITA KATETE

…says government is more interested in impressing foreign investors while its citizens are wallowing in poverty, struggling even to have a meal in a day because of the high cost of living

THE UPND is more in love with economic numbers, including the much being talked about foreign reserves than they care about the lives of Zambians who have been subjected to untold economic miseries in the last five years, Brian Mundubile has said.

Mr Mundubile, the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance presidential candidate says once he assumes the presidency in August, the priority of his government would be to secure the economic lives of Zambians before pleasing investors.

Mr Mundubile, the president of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) says his government would prioritise improving the lives of Zambians rather than focusing on economic statistics and figures that were of no benefit to citizens.

Speaking when he addressed a mega rally in Katete yesterday, Mr Mundubile criticised the UPND administration for placing greater emphasis on economic indicators than on the welfare of ordinary citizens.

"The UPND government has concentrated on numbers. When they leave office, they want to say they improved inflation, GDP and reserves, speaking long English language. But for us, our language will be the works that we will bring employment to the youths. Our language will be that farmers delivered maize and were paid for it," Mr Mundubile said.

He said a Tonse Pamodzi government would focus on ensuring that transporters, farmers and civil servants receive their payments before celebrating improvements in foreign reserves and other economic indicators.

"Before we start talking about reserves and before we begin discussing US$6.4 billion in reserves, we will make sure our transporters are paid, our farmers are paid, civil servants have their debts cleared and industries are opened. We in Tonse Pamodzi concentrate on people's lives, not on figures," he said.

Mr Mundubile has accused the UPND government of prioritising the country's foreign reserves at the expense of addressing challenges affecting ordinary citizens, most of whom were unable to afford meals because of the high cost of living.

"What they want is to go to investors and show them that our reserves are at US$6.7 billion when the truth is that the people of Zambia are hungry. The difference between me and President Hakainde Hichilema is that he wants the money to remain in the reserves when farmers have not been paid and transporters have not been paid," he said.

While acknowledging the importance of maintaining national reserves, Mr Mundubile argued that the country is currently facing urgent social and economic challenges that require immediate attention.

"The country's reserves are important for emergencies, and our country is in an emergency right now because many young people are unemployed while the government has billions of dollars in reserves," he said.