Hichilema predicts Muchinga landslide, ties surge to development delivery over falsehoods

President Hakainde Hichilema says he expects to win significantly more votes from Muchinga Province in next month’s general election than he did in 2021, telling residents across four districts that they now know him personally after four years of development delivery in the…

President Hakainde Hichilema says he expects to win significantly more votes from Muchinga Province in next month’s general election than he did in 2021, telling residents across four districts that they now know him personally after four years of development delivery in the region.

Addressing rallies in Lavushimanda, Mpika, Kanchibiya and Shiwang’andu districts, the Head of State said the province gave him and the United Party for National Development fewer votes in 2021 because residents had been misled by falsehoods about his personality and his ability to deliver on campaign promises, including free education and an enhanced Constituency Development Fund.

“In 2021, you did not vote for me because they told lies that when HH wins, he will sell the country. Is there a market where countries are sold?” the President said at Chiundaponde Secondary School grounds in Lavushimanda District.

He said parents previously had to sell chickens and goats to raise school fees, but free education was now guaranteed by law for both young and old.

Mr Hichilema said he was confident Muchinga would return more UPND Members of Parliament, council chairpersons and councillors than it did in 2021, when the province produced only one UPND MP through the Mfuwe parliamentary by-election. He urged residents to vote for the UPND from councillor to president, warning that supporting independents or the opposition would take the country back to an era of political violence and teargas.

The President reminded residents in Shiwang’andu of the political intolerance his administration inherited, recalling how his helicopter was pelted with stones by ruling party cadres during a previous campaign visit to the district while he was still in the opposition. He said his administration had since restored political sanity and freedom of association in the area.

Turning to the maize marketing season, Mr Hichilema urged farmers in Mpika to remain patient as the Food Reserve Agency finalises modalities for purchasing maize. He said the delay was necessary to protect the quality of the country’s bumper harvest, as recently harvested maize still contained moisture above the required 12.5 per cent threshold.

“Do not despair. FRA will start buying your maize soon, but you will sell maize that is well dried,” he told a UPND rally in Mpika.

He added that a new digital payment system would eliminate long queues at buying depots and enable farmers to receive payment within two to three days after delivering their maize.

The Head of State also announced plans to establish a gold mine in Mpika to create employment for young people and unlock the district’s mineral potential through legal and safe mining. He said Government wanted artisanal miners to operate safely and receive fair prices for their gold while protecting rivers from pollution to safeguard water for agriculture, livestock and domestic use.

On infrastructure, Mr Hichilema outlined several projects across the province, including rehabilitation of the Mpika Main Bus Station, improved mobile network connectivity, and works on the Chinsali-Mpika, Chinkobo-Chambeshi, Mpika-Serenje, Mpika-Chiundaponde and Mpika-Kopa roads.

In Kanchibiya, he pledged construction of the Kaonda Bridge, expansion of the Farmer Input Support Programme and the Social Cash Transfer Scheme, while acknowledging challenges facing Zampalm, which he said Government was committed to resolving.

The President also appealed to voters to protect jobs in the public service, alleging that some opposition leaders had threatened civil servants ahead of the elections.

“Vote to protect your jobs because some people in the opposition have threatened to deal with civil servants if they are elected,” he said.

Chief Chiundaponde of the Bisa people commended the President’s leadership and appealed to Government to establish a skills training centre in the area to create employment opportunities for young people. The traditional leader said such a facility would help reduce poverty and unemployment among school leavers.

Former Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa also endorsed the President’s re-election campaign, urging residents to vote for the UPND based on the administration’s development record. Chinsali Central UPND aspiring parliamentary candidate Christopher Mulenga said Mr Hichilema was the only President who had demonstrated love for the people of Lavushimanda and Muchinga Province.

In Shiwang’andu, the President said his administration remained committed to reducing the cost of living, adding that a renewed mandate would enable the country to realise the full benefits of ongoing economic reforms.

“We have been working tirelessly to clear the debt mountain left by those who now claim to have the solution,” he said, urging residents to protect free education by voting for continuity in the 13 August polls.

With 28 days remaining before Zambia heads to the polls, the President’s Muchinga tour marked his seventh provincial campaign stop, as the UPND seeks to translate what it says is improved recognition and development delivery into increased parliamentary and local government representation.