UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema says the PF government should stop the blame game and admit that it has failed to run the country’s economy.

During the Vice-President’s question time last Friday, Vice-President Inonge told Parliament that the Kwacha had continued depreciating due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vice-President Wina said this in response to a question from Manyinga UPND member of parliament Robert Lihefu who wanted to know if the PF government had failed to manage the economy, leading to the free failing of the local currency.

But in an exclusive statement to News Diggers, Hichilema said the depreciation of the Kwacha was as a result of PF’s poor economic management and shortage of leadership, not coronavirus.

“Madam Inonge Wina is not being truthful in her responses, she knows that the depreciation of the kwacha is due to PF’s poor economic management and shortage of leadership overall. The Kwacha is not depreciating because of coronavirus. When did this coronavirus come anyway? The disease only broke out a few weeks ago, so what has it got to do with all the challenges that this country has been going through, the depreciation of the Kwacha inclusive? Evidence is clearly in abundance that PF has failed! The kwacha had already depreciated to K14 to US$1 long before the advent of this virus,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema challenged the PF government to simply accept its failures and stop with the blame game.

“The PF inherited from the MMD government an exchange rate of K5 to US$1; this is where PF found the Kwacha after taking over from RB (former President Rupiah Banda) and his administration. But where is the Kwacha today? So this is what is called failure of leadership by this PF government, they have terribly failed to manage the affairs of this country. So they should just stop with this blame game and admit their failures,” Hichilema said.

Hichilema said the country’s economy could only turn around if Zambians voted the UPND into office.

“Change of government to UPND in this country will come with reduced debt, prudent economic management and growth with increase in foreign exchange earnings from more exports,” said Hichilema.