UPND vice-president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba says some parts of Zambia have been denied meaningful social and economic development owing to the PF government’s discriminatory allocation of public resources.

And Mwamba says the UPND government shall not only grow the country’s economy, but improve service delivery and ensure equity in resource allocation towards infrastructure development.

In the UPND’s weekly newsletter to News Diggers! Mwamba charged that under the PF leadership, there is rampant discrimination in the allocation of national resources, noting that it was not a coincidence that opposition strongholds had the worst roads in the country.

“Anyone who has travelled the length and breadth of our country won’t fail to be moved by the agony, the pain, the hunger that our people face. Countrymen and women, PF has killed service delivery! Everyone in the country faces the same adversities and needs the same services! Alas, this government has perfected the art of discrimination when it comes to allocation of resources. It is not a coincidence that opposition strongholds have the worst roads in the country! Driving from Lusaka to Livingstone, to Mwinilunga, to Mongu is a nightmare! This is totally unacceptable and must be stopped, henceforth!” Mwamba demanded.

“Despite collecting so much money through toll gates, the PF government is misdirecting this money to non-priority areas like unnecessary trips abroad for PF party cadres; and dubious trips, such as the reported trip of 25 people to collect four secondhand fire tender.”

Mwamba noted that although God had blessed citizens with a beautiful country, there was rampant discrimination in the allocation of national resources under the PF leadership.

“God has blessed us with a beautiful country, which is abundantly endowed. There are unique opportunities in literally every part of the country. Any government is expected to facilitate the exploitation of such natural resources for the greater good of all citizens of this country. Just as all regions contribute to the national pool of resources, all provinces should also benefit from the national cake. There should be fairness in the distribution of resources across regions. Unfortunately, under the PF government, there is rampant discrimination in the allocation of national resources to regions,” he added.

And Mwamba, the former Kasama Central PF lawmaker, observed that although the UNIP government may have had their faults, they did the country proud in terms of unbiased infrastructure development.

“In a quest to address the inequities arising from the biased colonial development process, the immediate Independence government implemented interventions aimed at improving infrastructure and social service allocation across all regions. It was because of UNIP policies that regional referral hospitals were built in every province and first-level referral hospitals established in every district. Health centres and primary schools were constructed around the country, without discrimination,” he recalled.

“Credit should be given where it is due! They may have had their faults, but the UNIP government did us proud in terms of unbiased infrastructure development in all parts of the country. They were definitely adequate for the challenges of the time then.”

Meanwhile, Mwamba stated that once in government, UPND would grow the economy, generate enough resources and prudently spend those resources on priority areas.

“UPND government will grow the economy, generate enough resources and prudently spend these resources on priority areas, such as road construction and maintenance. A UPND government undertakes to improve services delivery by doing the following: nurture and entrench a culture of extensive consultations and feasibility works before embarking on any public investment project, realizing the importance of infrastructure for sustained economic growth,” he explained.

Mwamba further pledged that a UPND administration would ensure equity in resource allocation towards infrastructure maintenance and development and also ensure that regions shared in these allocations.

“UPND will prepare and execute a comprehensive infrastructure development and maintenance plan; will ensure equity in resource allocation towards infrastructure maintenance and development and ensure that regions share in these allocations; and will appoint competent personnel to run parastatal companies, so as to improve effectiveness in service delivery and efficiency in operations,” stated Mwamba.

“This is our resolve as a party to the people of Zambia across all regions. Ours shall be a national development agenda and this we shall achieve under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema working together with our hardworking people.”