UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says it is time for change and that will only come if people register as voters en masse.

Speaking during an end of year mobilization rally at Chilenje South Secondary School, Sunday, Hichilema said Zambians would die of hunger if the ruling party was given another five-year mandate.

“Our headline message today is it is time for change. Tavutika! Bantu bavutika. Amene sakamba, saona mavuto nindani uyo? Because mavuto ma provinces yonse bantu bavutika. Mitundu yonse tivutika timagona na njala because ngati mwana wa neba wako agona na njala ngati ndiwe muntu wanzelu, naiwe wagona na njala. Mu vomela ati tavutika tonse? (We have suffered. Whoever is not speaking out, are they not seeing the sufferings? Everyone is suffering countrywide. Everyone is affected, people are sleeping hungry regardless of tribe. If your neighbours’ child is sleeping hungry, if you are a responsible person, you will also have slept hungry. Are you agreeing that we have all suffering?)” Hichilema asked.

“I have never seen such suffering like this in this country. Under Kaunda’s one party state I thought we were suffering but we are suffering now more than ever before. So nkani yoyamba niyakuti (first things first) because tavutika maningi (we have suffered), it is time for change. It is time for change, we can only change our lives, we can only better our lives if we deliver change. We have always delivered change by working together. Mu 1963/1964 bonse bantu bamu Zambia tinasebenzela pamodzi kuchosa ba zungu, kuchosa ma colonialists. But it only came because we worked together kunalibe kusankana, kunalibe kukamba ati uyu ni mu Lozi, uyu ni mu Tumbuka, mu Tonga, mu Namwanga, Mambwe, Nyika iyayi tinagwilizana. Tinagwilizana we brought change to independence (In 1963, the people of Zambia worked together to remove the colonialists. There was no tribal segregation, we all united and removed the colonialists).”

He said when people were working towards change, there was no room for cowardice.

“In 1991 tina kamba talema na one party state, tina kamba ti funa chipani chikangena, cha kangiwa chachoka. Tinasebenzela pamodzi and we delivered change. In 2001, ba president ba ntawi uyo banali kufuna third term tinagwilizana tonse kukana third term in 2001. So pano mu 2021 niku sebenzela pamodzi. When we work towards change, there is no room for cowardice. Ngati baja banaleta independence banali na manta, asembe muzungu akalipo nalelo. Lusaka iyenela inkale number one to deliver change mu 2021 ndiye capital ino. Tichose njala bana bayende ku sikulu. Bama business mu maliketi bayambe kugulisa ndalama zibwelele mu Zambia, ndalama zinataba because boma ilipo manje inadya ndalama through corruption. Ise tifuna kuleta ndalama noti kudya ndalama (In 1991, we said we did not want a one party state, we worked together to deliver change. We wanted to be able to remove a government which was not working. In 2001, the president at that time wanted to run for a third term, we united to stop him. So in 2021, let us all work together. If those that liberated this country were cowards, we would still be ruled by colonialists. Lusaka should be the first city to deliver change, this is the capital city. We need to remove hunger, to revive business, there is no money in the country because of corruption by the government. We will bring money to you instead of stealing from you),” Hichilema said.

Hichilema said if the citizens wanted change, they needed to register as voters

“To bring change, nikuvota. NRCs, voter’s cards, ndiye change. Ine ninatenga. Nga mwabela ku rally but voters card mulibe simuza chinja muza yamba kuvutika another five years. Munga kwanise another five years ya PF? Ninshi nikufa na njala bana mu nyumba. Nangu kuli ma vuto kuli ma line better mwagona mu line for one or two days mwatenga aka. Then muzankala bwino for five, 10, 20, 30 years nabana banu, naba zikulu bazankala bwino (You have to vote. NRCs and voter’s cards are the tools of change. If you have come to the rally but you don’t have a voter’s card, you will continue suffering for another five years. Would you manage another five years of PF? You will die of hunger, your children and grandchildren will also die of hunger. Even if there are problems with the registration process, it is better you spend a day or two on the queue. Then you will live comfortably for the next five to 30 years with your family),” said Hichilema.

“We will fight for more registration machines in all the polling stations because that is what the Electoral Commission Zambian should do. Don’t go alone, take your friends. For me I have taken about 500 people to go and register. Mukaona ba PF banjenja, chi bill chamene bana teya ati tiye timugwile HH kanshi winangu agwiliwa. Ba PF ba kwiya because bana chita bank pali Bill 10 manje Bill 10 ni dyonko. 2021 ni 9-0 muzaona. All the structures ya UPND nangu sutenga voter’s card nizauza SG ulibe voter’s card nikuchosa pamu pando. (The PF right now is scared, they thought they would trap me using Bill 10 but instead they are the ones who have been trapped. They are so furious because they banked on it. Bill 10 is just an example, in 2021 it will be 9-0 you will see. All the people in structures in UPND should all get voter’s cards, if not, I will tell the secretary general to have you removed from your positions).

Meanwhile, Hichilema said he would unite the country.