UPND secretary general Steven Katuka says the party has noted with disbelief the continued focus by former party vice president GBM and PF secretary general Davies Mwila on insulting UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema at the expense of finding solutions to national development.

In a statement, Katuka said his party was more focused on finding solutions to national challenges than personal attacks.

“We have noted media reports widely quoting PF Secretary General Davies Mwila while others are quoting our former vice-President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, now a PF member, all saying they want to dismantle the UPND and fix our party President Hakainde Hichilema. We hope our citizens, especially the youth and women, are all seeing what matters the most to the PF officials as opposed to development, education and health,” Katuka said.

“President Hichilema gave a very respectable and dignified message of farewell to the former Vice President which has so far been well respected by the party structures and the country at large. President Hichilema realises that his friendship with Mr Mwamba went beyond politics and included families of both. That is why Mr Hichilema has been magnanimous by maintaining a respectable distance from the howling and bawling of GBM.”

He said the UPND was focused on finding solutions to national challenges than on personal attacks.

“While the PF manifesto and strategies are now that of dismantling the UPND and fixing Mr Hichilema, our party President and the UPND leadership will continue strategising on ending hunger and poverty in the country. That is cardinal and more urgent than ever before because it dwells on the survival of our people,” said Katuka.

“The problems affecting our people is not Mr. Hichilema and as UPND we are more preoccupied in finding solutions to the PF created debt mountain, unpaid Zampost workers, Council workers, National Housing Authority employees, plus no money in people’s pockets, unreasonable taxes, corruption among top government officials, joblessness among youth, closure of CBU, unpaid farmers, among other issues that require strategising, than personal feuds based on character assassination. If by fixing Mr Hichilema and the UPND will address the economic challenges our citizens are facing, then as UPND, we wholeheartedly welcome the new PF manifesto of making President Hakainde Hichilema their favourite breakfast show topic and in doing so, let them be weary that they will not fool the people of Zambia.”