UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma says Zambians will celebrate when President Edgar Lungu leaves office, adding that it is wishful thinking for the Head of State to say people will miss him.

And Chirundu UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima says President Lungu will not even be on the ballot paper because he doesn’t qualify to stand.

On Tuesday, while addressing chiefs in Chitambo District, President Lungu said Zambians would regret and miss him when he leaves office.

But in an interview, Kakoma said Zambians will instead be joyous because he had caused too much suffering.

“No, when he is voted out of office, people will be celebrating because people are suffering under his regime! They are fed up with his regime. No one will miss him. They will all be celebrating! What has caused misery among the Zambian people is his leadership. How can people miss him for subjecting them to less than one meal per day? People are living in poverty, there is no food on the table! How can they miss him when there is no food in the table? He is being misled by one or two projects that he has done, for example, the fly-over bridges. In Lusaka, he is putting these fly-over bridges and he thinks that that’s what people will miss him for,” Kakoma said.

“Far from being impressed, people will walk past that fly-over bridge on empty stomachs, and walking because they cannot afford minibus fares, so they will not appreciate those things. People are failing to send children to school, how can they regret and miss you? There will be a leadership that will come and people will be able to send their kids to school. People are subjected to buying medicines, they go to get prescription from doctors in public hospitals because there are no medicines. So, how will they miss him? Because a new government will come and provide medicines in hospitals. It’s wishful thinking!”

He, however, said the only citizens who would miss him were those closest to him.

“But there are a few people who are surrounding him who are benefiting from him, those will miss him. People are now walking in fear, they cannot walk freely in town. So, they cannot miss him. That will end and people will start enjoying their freedoms to assemble; freedoms to associate and freedoms to dress the way they want in party regalia without being beaten. Unlike now when they are beating those in opposition for wearing their regalia. People will celebrate in markets because they will then be free to trade without intimidation,” said Kakoma.

“A lot of people have been chased from those markets just for wearing party regalia, but they will be brought back. Apart from the few corrupt people surrounding him, those making deals from these so-called infrastructure projects, they are making deals and getting money, those deals will no longer be there. Infrastructure development will be there, but without deals or corruption. So, those making these deals will miss him. The rest will not.”

And Syakalima said President Lungu would not even be on the ballot paper next August because voters did not want him there.

“First is all, this man will not even be voted for or against because he doesn’t qualify to be on the ballot. But he is still pushing his third term bid on our doors. So, in his thinking, he wants us to think that he will be voted out, but he will not even stand! And after all, who will regret if he is not President? His Presidency has been the worst ever for all Zambians! It’s under his watch that we have seen unprecedented levels of corruption ever recorded in Zambia,” said Sykalima.

“It’s under his watch that we have seen extra-judicial killings of innocent Zambians; it’s under his watch that we have seen Zambia become the third hungriest country in the world! It’s under his watch that Zambia’s currency has become the worst performing currency. Mealie meal is now increasing exponentially, so who will be bothered if he leaves office? Who will miss him? The Bible says, ‘when evil people rule, the people suffer and there is agony’.”