President Hakainde Hichilema has told voters across Southern Province that opposition leaders are “salivating” to return to power so they can once again steal and mismanage the country’s resources.

Addressing a community engagement in Choma District, Hichilema said Zambians must not allow those he accused of plundering national resources and leaving the country burdened with unsustainable debt to return to office.

The address formed part of a marathon campaign swing through Itezhi-Tezhi, Namwala, Monze and Choma, during which the President moved away from the traditional rally speech in favour of direct, interactive dialogue with supporters in their own language.

With no interpreter present, Hichilema posed questions that crowds answered in unison, often followed by laughter, cheers and applause. The format turned the campaign rallies into extended exchanges between the President and supporters rather than conventional set-piece speeches.

The President credited his administration with restoring the country’s image locally and internationally through debt restructuring, the reintroduction of free education, and what he described as sustained peace and stability.

“We shall not go back to the days of borrowing and plundering national resources. Those who over-borrowed must never be allowed to come back to power,” Hichilema said.

He urged voters to back all UPND candidates, saying Zambia should not “go back to Egypt” but continue its journey to “Canaan, the land of plenty” by renewing the party’s mandate next month.

In Choma, Hichilema announced plans for a new General Hospital and an international airport intended to reduce reliance on connecting flights for travellers from Southern Province. He also promised upgraded township roads and a dual carriageway, warning that contractors who failed to meet required standards risked being replaced.

In Itezhi-Tezhi, the President turned his attention to a stalled road project, accusing contractor Build Trust of receiving an advance payment without completing the works. He linked the company to NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile.

“The money meant for the construction of this road was stolen by this one who is contesting the presidential election,” Hichilema said.

He said a re-elected UPND government would complete the road and deliver a district hospital, classroom blocks, clinics, maternity wings, boreholes and a skills training centre. He also pledged work on the Itezhi-Tezhi-Namwala-Lubwe-Basanga-Dundumwezi-Kalomo Road.

The Southern Province campaign swing also produced a political development in Namwala, where former Fisheries and Livestock minister Greyford Monde formally rejoined the UPND and endorsed Hichilema’s re-election bid.

Monde said he was pleased that those he blamed for previously pushing him out of the party were no longer part of its leadership. He urged voters to support leaders he said were capable of growing the economy.

Further pledges followed in Monze and Namwala, including the construction of a roundabout near Monze Secondary School, upgrading township roads to bituminous standard, building a dual carriageway and constructing additional dams to support agriculture and improve water security.

Hichilema described his first term as a period of restructuring that had laid the foundation for economic transformation, urging citizens not to return to what he described as the challenges of the past.

“There is every reason to continue with the UPND government,” Hichilema said.

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