UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma says western countries have lost confidence in President Edgar Lungu’s PF administration due to Zambia’s continued economic decline and are now looking towards the UPND for renewed hope.

Kakoma was commenting on UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s trip to the United States earlier this month, where he claimed that investors pledged to invest over US $25.8 billion in Zambia’s economy in the first five years of his administration.

During the PF Interactive Forum, Sunday, PF media director Sunday Chanda challenged the US Embassy in Lusaka to state in what capacity Hichilema managed to woo investments worth US $25.8 billion from that country.

But Kakoma said the PF had failed to administer the country, further accusing them of failing to attract reputable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

“The PF have failed to do the job! Themselves, when they go to America, when President Edgar Lungu goes to America, they go and enjoy themselves, to dance and drink. They go on boat cruises! That does not help in the creation of jobs in Zambia. It does not help to attract investment revenue. They just go there to please themselves. Hakainde Hichilema went there to bring investment to Zambia, to create jobs in Zambia. So, what is wrong with that?” Kakoma wondered.

“So, the PF should not blame Hakainde Hichilema because Hichilema is actually doing a good job. He has all the ideas in the world, even Western countries have accepted that they are good and progressive ideas. The Western world has lost confidence in the PF regime. They may not have come out in the open to tell them, but they have written off President Lungu’s government.”

He added that the country was facing an economic meltdown, which was steered by the PF regime.

“This country is led by failures, this country is recording a lot of negatives, including a declining economic growth, which is at two per cent from more than seven per cent when the PF took over. This country is now recording the highest level of unemployment that has ever been witnessed. Young people that are graduating from secondary schools, colleges, universities have no jobs. This country is now faced with hunger that has never been experienced in our country before,” complained Kakoma.

“This government has no clue on how to handle the hunger situation. They have now started giving 12.5Kg (bags of mealie meal) to more than two, three families a month. That is a disaster! This country is now facing unprecedented load shedding because of lack of foresight. You cannot blame nature when you are given enough sunlight to sort out our energy problem. Instead of utilising God-given energy, they are complaining, they are crying!”