Vice-President Inonge Wina has advised Chilanga residents not to listen to those disparaging the PF government for over borrowing, saying there is no country in the world that has ever survived without borrowing.

And Vice-President Wina has appealed to members of the United Party for National Development (UPND) to tell their leader Hakainde Hichilema that promoting hate speech amongst citizens would not take the country anywhere.

Speaking in Chilongolo Ward of Chilanga District where she went to drum up support for the party’s candidate for next Tuesday’s parliamentary by-election,Vice-President Wina said government had only been borrowing for viable projects in order to create employment for the people.

“We are here to ask for your vote, we are here to ensure that you change from the perception of UPND, and its leader Hakainde, into PF. We want you to change because we have seen for a number of years that Chilanga is still behind. Chilanga was part of Lusaka, but the PF government decided to make it a district on its own with its own budget so that there is development for you, the people of Chilanga. Now that you are district, you are entitled to a district hospital. Government will be required to bring doctors to the new hospital so that when you’re not referred to UTH when you fall sick, unless the cases are something that doctors in Chilanga cannot handle. Chilanga has been crying for development for many years, the district has been created and so the communities should come together to plan how the resources that come directly from Ministry of Finance to Chilanga will be utilized for the development of Chilanga,” Wina said.

“I have heard a lot of talk about the PF government over-borrowing, yes, I will not deny the fact that the government is borrowing. But there is no government in the world, including the United States of America, that can run a government without borrowing. In this country, we do not make X-ray machines, we do not make the state-of-the art machines that we need in hospitals, in the laboratories, in schools and everywhere. So, we buy these things from outside Zambia and we use the American dollar to buy some of these gadgets. We borrow so that we make roads for the people, we borrow because we want to build more hospitals in districts, we borrow because we want to build more secondary schools, and we borrow enough to ensure that projects are completed.”

Wina explained that government had been putting up various facilities and empowering young people in order to prepare them well to build the country in future.

She further said people should not be misled by members of the UPND who were suggesting that the upcoming election in Chilanga was between President Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema.

“All this development we are talking about can only come about if there is a member of parliament, if there is a councillor who can work with the ruling government so that they can take your concerns to the President and the Vice-President. Your former member of parliament, Mr Mukata, was trying his best to ensure that this area was developed. He was trying to associate with government ministers, he could go to their offices to ask for development for Chilanga, but Mr Mukata was always reprimanded by the UPND for associating with government ministers,” she narrated.

“This election we are having in Chilanga is not between the President and Mr Hakainde because this is the message we are picking up from everywhere we go in Chilanga. This is a local government and parliamentary by-election where we only want to elect our representative in Parliament. There is nothing that President Lungu will lose because he already has a five-year mandate of up to 2021. So, if you want development, vote for Maria Langa. And I urge the members of the UPND who are participating in these elections to tell their leader that hatred will not take us anywhere. As PF in Chilanga, we are here to preach peace and unity, we have been preaching harmony within the political parties and that’s why you see that there is no violence. But if we hear of any violence being caused by anyone, know that the law will follow you.”
Wina also suggested that President Lungu chose a woman candidate for the Chilanga by-election because he understands women are “doers”, and that he had confidence that Maria Langa would ensure that the PF’s promises in Chilanga will be actualised.

Meanwhile, former Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda, said the PF’s “Pabwato” – the ruling party’s symbol depicting a boat – had space for anyone wishing to join the party.

“The boat has space for everybody; the boat is a symbol of fellowship. In PF, we are all the same, there are no strangers. Madam Inonge Wina, who is Vice-President today, used to be the Party Chairperson; she is the symbol of unity. She (Wina) and President Edgar Lungu are the anchors of fellowship. Fellowship is a channel; it’s a vigour we use to bring development in the country. So, fellowship here is anchored by one candidate and that is Maria Langa, let us all, therefore, vote for Maria Langa,” Chikwanda appealed.

Meanwhile, Langa promised to fulfil her promises to the people if voted in as area member of parliament.

“I am very happy to be here today, you people of Chilongolo Ward are gracious people. I love you all and I know that you also love me. That is [why] I have come here to ask for your votes. The same [way] I have come here to ask for your votes is the very way I will come back with development if you vote for me. I want us to work together, I can never let you down because there is no one else who knows your challenges the way I do,” said Langa.