NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) national youth chairperson Charles Kabwita says it is hypocrisy for the ruling PF to use COVIC-19 to stop other political parties from holding political gatherings when they are in the forefront campaigning.

And Kabwita has observed that youths are now rising up against the PF due to the immense suffering they are being subjected to under the ruling party.

In an interview, Kabwita said that the PF were being hypocritical for denying the opposition the chance to hold public rallies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while they continued mobilizing their members.

“It is ridiculous and hypocrisy of the worst kind for the ruling Patriotic Front to suggest that there is COVID-19, yet they are in the forefront advancing their campaigns. It is ridiculous for the police to say, ‘youths should not go ahead with their planned demonstration due to COVID-19.’ We all know that COVID in Zambia is a source of fundraising and a source of attraction to donor funding. The balance sheet of the present government is blank. They understand that the IMF can no longer give them money because they have over-borrowed. So, they want to use COVID as a fundraising venture so that the money that they will raise can be used to pay civil servants’ salaries,” Kabwita argued.

And he observed that youths had finally decided to rise up against the PF because they had suffered under their rule.

“The revolution has started! As youths, we have risen because we have suffered so much in the hands of the PF. Youths were promised over 5,000 jobs by one Edgar Chagwa Lungu, but those jobs, we can’t see them. Today, we will turn up in numbers to go and protest at the Parliament building. It’s not about PF, MMD, UPND or NDC, but it’s about us, as youths. We have to go and protest and showcase that we are not happy with the way we are being governed,” Kabwita added.

Meanwhile, Kabwita said the resignation of PF Lumumba ward councillor Angel Kahale in Roan constituency last week is a sign that the party had failed to govern the country.

“This is the most honourable and due resignation by a ward councillor. In the recent past, we have heard a lot of stage-managed Patriotic Front resignations where councillors are enticed with money by the leadership of the Patriotic Front. We all know that councillors have been forced to resign just to showcase that it’s the Patriotic Front’s agenda. That goes to show you how desperate the corrupt regime is! They know that they have failed lamentably,” Kabwita said.

He also said that the NDC had already won the Lumumba ward by-election even before the elections were held because the area remained “the party’s bedroom.”

“And they should be aware that Copperbelt is the bedroom and this is where everything began its journey from, to form the opposition, NDC. So, for us as NDC, even before voting day for this ward comes, we can already declare ourselves as winners! This also goes to tell that the ruling party in the province has so many problems, which even the provincial chairperson, Nathan Chanda, can’t afford to manage. This also goes to show you that these PF cadres, who are busy chanting slogans ‘pabwato’ that there is nothing for them. These are slogans of poverty, corruption, and slogans of encouraging thieves to steal more. Let’s rebuke them and show them the way the councillor in Roan constituency has done,” said Kabwita.