PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema wants to rule the country so that he can sell assets, adding that if he is unlucky, he will be arrested for his involvement in the sale of state-owned enterprises during privatisation.

And President Lungu has urged residents of Mwansabombwe to vote for PF candidate Kabaso Kampampi, saying voting for another party will put them at risk of not having any development.

Drumming up support for Kampampi in Mbereshi, Monday, President Lungu claimed that the assets that Hichilema sold were too many.

Speaking in Bemba, President Lungu accused the UPND leader of seeking the presidency so that he can sell more assets.

Bakesa shitisha Zambia, bakesa shitisha State House naimwe bakesa mi shitisha kumo. Pantu balibelela ukushitisha ifintu. Inchito mwatupela ifwe kumi bombela, we are your servants. We should focus on the sufferings of the Zambian people. Not to make ourselves rich. This is what I am hearing from some political party leaders who want to take over political power, we will not allow that. Abena Zambia tabakasuminishe ukushitisha ichalo. Abene beka nabaisosela ati twaleshipula elyo baleshitisha ichalo efyo bashitishe fyafula nga bashama, twalabakonka. (He wants to sell the country, State House and you will also be sold, because some people are used to selling stuff. Our Job is to work for you. Zambians will not allow this country to be sold. He [Hichilema] admitted that government was dozing when he sold some state owned companies, he sold a lot of stuff, and if he will be unlucky, we will nab him),” President Lungu said.

The President then reacted to critics who accuse him of wasting money on a presidential jet, saying it was not his plane but for the republic.

“Abanensu balalanda ati ‘nali wina nalikwata indalama sana’, finshi bachitapo? Balanda landa fye. Echo balefwaya chakuti nga mwabasala bakashitisha ichalo. Nalibomfwa balelanda ati ine nganaba President, nkashitisha indeke iyendalamo Lungu, imwe bushe ni ndeke ya Lungu? Ni ndeke ya chalo. Ubuteko ngawashitila President indeke olo ubuteko, fya buteko, tefya Lungu iyo. (Some people claim that they are rich but what have they done for you? They just talk, what they want is that when you elect them, the sell the country. I heard someone [Hichilema] say ‘when I become president, I will sell the presidential jet’, but is that my jet? That is a government property. When government buys a car or plane for the President, it doesn’t mean that it is his, it is for the government),” President Lungu said.

He said only the PF had the mandate to develop the country.

“Nabalanda kale ati ba UPND tabakwata amapange ayakuti batwale ubuyantanshi mu Zambia. I thank you the people of Mwansabombwe and Mbereshi for being peaceful, continue with this until you vote. Abale leta ulubuli ukufuma ku Copperbelt naku Lusaka mubebe ati awe ulubuli fiko tatulefwaya. Uwaku pyana kuno afwile aba wamu PF, pantu uwaliko ali wa PF. Eicho, ngamwapusa mwabikapo umbi ushili wa PF, chikatushupa uku pwisha imilimo ya pelela pa nshila. Isukulu iyo ile kulwa, ungapwisha imilimo ni Kampampi pantu ewubomba mu PF, abashala bonse bufi. Kuli abaleisa kuno noku bepa ati iyo bakapwisha imilimo, bakafumya kwisa indalama? Ichalo chonse epo chapela chisungwa naba Finance Minister ba Bwalya Ng’andu; nganabeba ati mpeleni impiya tupwishe isikulu, balampela (You have been told that the UPND have no plans to bring development in this country. The people from Lusaka and Copperbelt who are bringing violence here, castigate them and tell them you don’t want to be involved. The person who should be elected should be a PF member and not from any other party because the person who died was a PF member. If you vote for a candidate from another party, you will not have development. Have you seen that school being constructed? The only person who can have it completed is Kampampi because he is in PF. There are people coming here lying to you that they will bring development, where will they get the money from? We finance the developments in this country. I can simply tell my Minister of Finance Dr Bwalya Ng’andu to release money and the school will be completed),” said President Lungu.