Hakainde Hichilema says UPND members of parliament are under instructions from the people of Zambia to strike down the Constitution Amendment Bill number 10 of 2019 when it is brought for enactment.

And Hichilema says the economy under President Edgar Lungu is so rotten that young men are afraid to marry and marriages are breaking up because of the cost of living.

Meanwhile, Hichilema says even if the Patriotic Front decides to change its 2021 presidential candidate, it will not help the party as it is too late.

In an interview, Hichilema pleaded with Independent members of parliament to join the UPND in protecting the country from “a bad law.”

“Bill 10 is not about Chapter One, it is not about LAZ, those are representing all of us. So the instruction to our UPND is coming from the people of Zambia, including those who now regret for voting PF, to make sure that they reject the Bill when it is brought to the House. They must strike it down. That is what the Zambian people are asking them to do. It is now their duty to save the country since the Judiciary has washed its hands. And we appeal to Independent members of parliament to do the right thing. Let them listen to their conscience. This is about Zambia. I felt sad to read what (Infrastructure Development Minister) Vincent Mwale said that even if he realises how bad Bill 10 is, he will vote for it because he is part of the system. This goes to show that even those who who must be morally upright and challenging wrong decisions in this government are simply going with the wind, they have betraying the people who voted for them,” Hichilema said.

“This is why I am saying PF has killed our county it must exit. There should be no two ways about it, and the earlier the better so that we can start on a road of reconstructing our country. They have damaged our country beyond repair and we will have to work very hard. I invite well-meaning Zambians that we take out these guys in 2021 we work together to reconstruct our country we need everybody’s skills. No one should be scared that they will be excluded, the UPND government will work on an inclusive approach. And it will be our duty to make sure that bad laws such as Bill 10 which the people have rejected, are not allowed near Parliament.:

And Hihilema said the economy under President Lungu had gone so bad that young girls were accepting sugar daddies for survival.

“My call to the people of Zambia now is lets unite lets work together to change government come 2021 otherwise tizasila tonse, bana vikwati vizasila. Muona manje munyamata ayopa nakukwatila but ali na 30 years. Ayopa kukwatila girl friend wake ati niza mu dyesa chani mwana wabene nikamuleta ba nyumba? Azavala chani? So bana bangono bayamba kuvomela ma sugar dady tiononga bana (We will all perish, marriages are ending. A 30 year old man is failing to marry because he cannot manage to feed or dress a wife. Young girls are now accepting sugar daddies we are spoiling the children) all these are brought about because of lack of leadership of the PF. People are perishing in marriages, school children are perishing they are not writing exams properly. Now they are not even revising because when they are about to write, there is darkness in the exam room. We are damaging the future of or children,” he said.

“Please I want to plead to the people of Zambia we must open our eyes this government is irretrievable it doesn’t matter olo baika winangu olo Lungu bamuchosa timvela nkani ati bamuchosepo Lungu. Ehe banga muchose olo baikepo winangu ichi chintu chaola. (Even if they remove President Lungu they put another candidate as we have heard, nothing will change the party is rotten.) It will just infect more people Let PF leave the stage now. Just imagine what is happening in the homes where Mwamuna saleta ndalama kugula unga because unga wadula malaiti ulibe namalasha bakangiwa kugula. (A man cannot afford to bring money, buy mealie meal and charcoal at home because they are expensive) Just imagine the quarrels going on in those homes na respect muma nyumba yasila (there is no respect in homes) This is a serious matter.

Hichilema noted that while the country was in a crisis, those in power were cutting deals for themselves.

“The country is in trouble, the youths are hurting the mothers in the markets are hurting because hooligans are still in the market charging them money, taxi drivers are hurting, bus drivers are hurting, truck drivers are hurting, farmers are hurting miners are hurting, mine contractors are hurting. No one is happy with the PF right now. But those in PF have turned the KCM situation into a cash cow for their pockets. They are giving each other contracts at KCM. Would you be surprised why they are frequent accidents there? Everything PF is doing is for a personal benefit of a few, a small group, but everyone is hurting! Journalists are hurting,” he said.

The UPND leader said Zambia was not going to succeed in achieving two per cent GDP growth.

“Let me predict for the people of Zambia that two per cent growth cannot be achieved even after downgrading from four percent to three percent to two percent. We cannot achieve the growth of two percent, from where? Which sector would contribute to two percent growth? Not mining, not agriculture, not energy, not tourism so which one? Nothing! So we are in a crisis and the country’s decay is collapsing. We have reached the tipping point and what we must do all of us who are serious who call ourselves leaders is to protect the country from degenerating into daily chaos in the streets. That is why we are offerings solutions; we are offering solutions on agriculture in our view, there is need to give all peasant farmers fertilizer to take them out of hunger next year. There is also a looming drought already coming so we see the hunger situation perpetuating into 2019/2020. Our people will be dying in greater numbers,” Hichilema said.

He said when he visited Copperbelt recently where he donated food, he was greeted by devastating scenes of hunger.

“I was in Ndola where I provided mealie meal to the people of Chipulukusu. I found insala, njala (hunger). Its the whole country. Paramount Chief Mpezeni, when Inonge Wina (Vice-President) visited, what did he tell her? That kuli njala kuno (there is hunger here) I am sure you watched that clip so who is still arguing that kulibe njala? (there is no hunger?). Only a heartless group like those in PF can argue like this. People are dying in shang’ombo. There is a report of a family member dying there how many more people do we want to die?” asked Hichilema.

“Mr Lungu what is your problem? He went to Abu Dhabi enjoying himself in that jet. That jet I have been talking about US$ 100 million dollars I have been reliably informed now that, that jet cost about US$135 million and he is lavishing in that jet when his own citizens are dying and more will die. He goes to Abu Dhabi what is he doing there? What is his personal interest? Buying homes? People are travelling to buy luxury homes in Abu Dhabi. And they leave the energy crisis behind, they are not interested.”