LUSAKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2024 [SMART EAGLES]
Citizens First President Harry Kalaba has criticized the UPND government, accusing it of exacerbating the suffering of ordinary Zambians. In a radio interview on Kwithu FM, Kalaba asserted that President Hakainde Hichilema’s policies, which he referred to as “imingalato,” are contributing to increased hardship rather than alleviating it.
Kalaba contended that the UPND administration is favoring the elite while neglecting the needs of the general population. “President Hichilema’s imingalato is making the people of Zambia suffer even more,” he said. “I have not seen a country that treasures the rich so much at the expense of the poor like Zambia under the UPND. Government should prioritize looking after the poor, especially those in rural areas. As Citizens First, we believe that even in poverty, people’s spirits can be uplifted and happiness can be restored. When you vote for us, things will change, not the ongoing mockery we are witnessing.”
Kalaba, a former Lands and Foreign Affairs Minister, also criticized the UPND’s handling of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). He found it ironic that President Hichilema plans to increase the CDF allocation in the next budget despite the current fund’s mismanagement. “It is laughable for President Hichilema to announce an increase in the CDF to K35 million when his government has failed to administer the current K25 million effectively,” Kalaba stated.
He claimed that the CDF funds are being misappropriated, with some being used to benefit party cadres rather than the broader public. “CDF is being used to steal public resources and is being given to their cadres to ensure continued praise. It is absurd to see ward chairpersons driving expensive vehicles and building lodges while the intended beneficiaries are neglected,” Kalaba added.
Kalaba stressed that the CDF should be equitably distributed to benefit all Zambians, not just a select few, and questioned the rationale behind increasing the fund when the current allocation is poorly managed.
