Bahati PF member of parliament Harry Kalaba says Zambians are suffering because of a leadership deficiency.

Speaking when he visited Sitaka Holy Spirit Parish in Lukulu district, Saturday, Kalaba who is also Democratic Party 2021 aspiring presidential candidate, said Zambians lacked proper leadership.

“What people are lacking is not that they do not have good soil, it’s not that they do not have enough rains. It’s not that they do not have human capital. People have all these but the people are lacking leadership. We have leadership deficiency in this country and the biggest challenge again is, there is a disconnect between those that should be leading the people and those that are leading and because of this disconnect, poverty levels keeps on swelling and as they say
swell, they say when two elephants are fighting, it is the grass that suffers. So our people are suffering and we need to do something,” Kalaba said.

Kalaba wondered why government had failed to work on the Lukulu – Katuda raod which he termed an economic road.

“Lukulu – Katunda – Watopa, this is an economic road. This is the road which connects from Western Province to North Western Province. Imagine if the two provinces were connected, it would be easy for our people to trade from Western Province into North Western Province and vice versa and if this road is improved, even the traveling modalities will be easy for our people meaning trade also will be easy. The produce which is being grown from Lukulu coming to the town will be easier, but the way things are, this is really sad. It is extremely sad and I am happy that I have walked on this road that is why I am running for office of President because we need to correct these anomalies. We are all citizens of this country and there can’t be an explanation on why the Lukulu-Katunda road has not been done. This has to be corrected, honestly, and we cannot continue like this,” he said.

And Kalaba said he was running for presidency in 2021 because he wanted to improve the welfare of citizens in rural areas.

“That is why I am running for president. It is because the rural populace has been neglected. People living in the rural Zambia are like they do not exist and for me, I want to insist on the rural areas because our wealth lies precisely in the rural areas. Because here in Lukulu, you have not only fertile soil but Lukulu has a lot of timba. Lukulu here grows a lot of rice. Lukulu here has a lot of fish but how come the people here are still living below poverty lines? So for me, it’s a question of leadership. You fix that, you fix everything,” said Kalaba.

“Farmers are not receiving their fertilizer on time, they are not receiving their farming inputs on time. The FISP program has collapsed and what has happened now is that our people are surviving on the mercies of God. And there comes in the Church because it now continues to play a prophetic role to give hope where there is no hope and we want to encourage them so that they may know that not all hope is lost.”

And in welcoming Kalaba, Father Peter Sianga said the role of the Church was to welcome and give advice to everyone, including politicians.

“The church gives advice to everyone, including politicians hence the need to welcome everyone regardless of his or her status in the society. We are there to welcome everyone and give counsel to all who may need it,” said Fr Sianga.

Kalaba is in Western Province to understand the challenges people face.