UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says he will do everything possible to take over power, even if it means grabbing it from the Buffalo’s head.

And Hichilema says he will give his male supporters skirts to start wearing if they allow PF cadres to defeat them.

Meanwhile, Hichilema yesterday handed over a community school he built in Namwala district to government, promising access to education by every child once elected as Head of State.

Speaking when he addressed his supporters at Macha Airstrip in Choma district of Southern Province, Monday, Hichilema vowed to grab power from President Edgar Lungu, describing him as a fallen buffalo.

“This thing of us in the UPND to be always beaten all the time by PF thugs, I refused it and said ‘if you are beaten, you also fight back’. Just like me, they arrest me and when I am released, I continue fighting back. I told him that even if power to rule this country is on the head of a Buffalo, I will grab it. While I grab the power, you should hold the buffalo’s tail, others will hold its ears, as you help me, I will grab it. The buffalo has already fallen,” Hichilema said.

“When we were in Choma last week, I said let me greet him (President Lungu) today, I look at him in his eyes and his eyes fell down. The thieves have finished all the country’s resources. Agriculture has collapsed and people are busy saying ‘Pabwato’ (on the boat). You men here please protect your women, protect your wives and children. When PF comes to attack you, even if it’s sword, use it. Yes, that is how they have grabbed power from us, leadership is about fighting for it, do they just give power, can your neighbour just give you power? No, you have to fight for it.”

And Hichilema warned warned that he would compel his male supporters to start wearing skirts if they allowed themselves to be defeated when attacked by PF cadres.

“I have been praying to God to say ‘God, what offence did we commit? the offence which never ends. Have mercy on us and lead our path. As we pray, let us also work because a prayer is answered when you also pray. If you get beaten, all of you men who wear trousers, I will get the trousers from you and give you skirts [and] wrappers and I will give the trousers to the women. Do not be defeated by your fellow men,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema said when he was incarcerated on treason charges, President Lungu had sent him a letter asking him to concede defeat if he wanted to be released.

“When I was incarcerated, Lungu sent me a letter and said ‘take it to Hakainde’ they brought the letter and said ‘open it’. I said ‘open it yourself, what if you have put something in there?’ Inside it was written that ‘accept that I Lungu won the elections, if you concede defeat and stop politics and that you will never stand for the people of Zambia, then I will release you from jail.’ I responded by saying ‘go and tell Lungu that if he wants me to concede defeat, he should allow my petition to be heard, the answer to my conceding is in the petition which is in court. Secondly, tell him that ‘I have refused to be released from jail because I did not commit any crime and I will not stop representing the people of Zambia, if it means death I will die from here.’ That is how much love I have for you. I told Lungu that if you head of Tongas of the past who would give up, us we are different, we won’t give up until we take over power,” he said.

Hichilema also thanked his supporters for voting for him in the him in the 2016 general elections.

“We want to thank you that you voted for us in 2016 and we won. This man stole our votes. Otherwise we won. I also want to thank you thank you that when I was in prison for a crime I did not commit, you were praying for me, you were crying. Others died of Blood Pressure, they were buried. I thank you for the love you showed to me. He where I am, I was almost dead, over 300 armed police officers came to my house because the PF have now arrested me 15 times. All these 14 times they would just summon me to police and I would take myself there. But that day they came to kill. For me to talk to you here today is God’s wish, before God says die, you cannot die. That’s me here, it is not a ghost you are seeing, am alive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hichilema handed over a community school to government in Namwala district.

Speaking when he commissioned and handed over Nchole Community School, Hichilema said his party would ensure access to education for all children once elected President.

“As UPND, we believe in education. We will ensure education is given to every child. We want to give access to every child both in rural and urban areas. This is our focus and in our small means, we will ensure we give back to the community,” he said.

Hichilema said government had failed to put up proper school infrastructure in rural areas.

“Can you imagine, this government has failed to build schools. It is laughable that they are now going round the country telling people that we have failed to bring development and that they should defect. I ask myself that, are we in government? Is it our role as opposition to bring development? This clearly shows that our friends the PF have run out of ideas and all they are doing now is to tell lies to our people. We shall do what we are able to do for the people of Zambia,” Hichilema said.

He pledged to build more schools and health facilities in rural areas across the country.

“We are going to do our best as UPND by building more schools and health facilities in rural areas across the country. We believe in giving back. I am asking our Chiefs to give us the projects and we shall do our best,” said Hichilema.

And speaking at the same occussion, Chief Mukobela of Namwala thanked Hichilema for building a school which would greatly help the people of Namwala.

“We are very happy that today we have a school of such nature. As you can see, our children used to learn from that thatched building there. I must say thanks you our president for this hard work. We are very happy and once again,” said chief Mukobela.

Among the people that witnessed the handing over of the school were UPND national chairperson Mutale Nalumango, some UPND members of parliament, DEBS representatives and headmen.

The one by two Nchole primary school has about 431 pupils and runs from grade one to seven with only five government teachers and three community teachers.