President Edgar Lungu says he was naive and blank on how to run the country when he was elected but he has now mastered the art of governing.

Speaking when he closed the election campaigns for the PF’s candidate in the Kafue local government by-elections Brig Gen Moono Simakoloi, President Lungu said after spending four years in State House, he would not allow anyone to kick him out.

“Abo mulepapamina abo ba UPND kale batampa ukumibepa ubufi, mu 2011 tukateka, mu 2015 tukateka, mu 2016 tukateka, nomba bakateka lilali (This UPND you are insisting on has always lied to you. In 2011 they lied to you that they were going to win the elections and go to State House, in 2015 and 2016 they did the same, so when exactly are they going to rule)? Ine naine lilya naishile nshaishibe ifintu nalifye so (when I became President, I had no vision and I had no idea how to govern, I was just like this…[gesturing naivety on the face]). But apaso nalikatika (but now I have mastered the art). Ninjikatika (I have mastered the art)! Four years mu State House elo bese bampampule (After spending four years in State House someone can come and take that away from me). Awe naimwe (Not at all),” President Lungu said.

“Twalabomba, ifintu twalacinja mu Zambia (We will work hard and change things in Zambia. Filya mulemona muma district yambi noku kwine fyalafika, nokuba nafitampa nakale ukufika (The kind of development you are seeing in other parts of the country will come here too, in fact it has already started happening). Kafue Gorge ilya yalifikako mwalimona (Look at the Kafue Gorge which has been worked on). It took 13 years planning but when we came in government I said ‘tampeni ukubomba apa (start working on this project), Kafue Gorge Lower yatampa yalapwa nokupwa mu 2020 (and works on Kafue Gorge started, it will even be completed in 2020). PF ilebomba! Fingi tukalasonta (PF is working, so there will be lots of things for us to point at [in 2021]).”

And the President mocked the UPND and it’s leader Hakainde Hichilema for failing to form government and spending so many years in the opposition.

“When Mazoka died, he left the UPND as a very strong political party, nintilefya nga ni ng’ombe limbi bashile ishili 20. Nomba shino inshiku muli shinga? Mulifye imbushi shibili mu UPND (may I just say Mazoka left 20 herds of cattle the time he died, but how many cows are there today? There are just two goats remaining in UPND today). But they are busy saying ‘no the party is growing strong… 2021 we will form government’, kwisa iweee? Ulemona ifintu iwe (where? You should be observing how things are going). Nga naciba ku kabwata [in Lusaka] nga nacibebe abena za yellow ati chinja team ukolewe iwe (if I were in Lusaka I would have teased Given Lubinda and the people of Kabwata to switch teams if they want to get drunk)… ifintu kumona kaili… wamona ati fileya uku. Nangu imfula nga ileisa kulaba ukumona ati yalaloka iyi (some of these things you can even tell by looking, even the rain does show signs when it’s about come),” President Lungu said.

“Nomba bena (but for them) [it’s always] ‘forward forward forward’, forward kwisa? Mukafika lilali? (forward to where and when will you reach your destination)? They have been lying to people that they would go to State House, but are we going to have any presidential elections before 2021? Don’t be cheated, elections will only be held in 2021. So just work hard and give us the people we can work with so that we can change things here as quickly as possible.”

President Lungu said the ruling party was going nowhere for as long as he was at its helm.

“Balya balenda ati PF naipwa balefwaya ukubepa abantu (Those who are claiming that PF is finished just want to lie to people). PF ileya pantanshi ( PF is growing stronger and stronger) and the truth is some of us were very young when we joined PF in 2001, 2011 we formed government… 2016 tuleya tulekosa, elo bese batufunyepo (you want to remove us after so strong)? Balebepafye, limbi kutanshi uko ine nganafumapo not ino nshita iyo (that can’t happen! Maybe in future after I have left the presidency then PF can be removed but this time it can’t happen),” said President Lungu.