PATRIOTIC Front party national chairperson Samuel Mukupa says there is no general mood for change in the country.

And Mukupa says Zambians should not be cheated by opposition leaders who claim they will immediately revive the economy once voted into office.

In an interview Mukupa said despite some COVID-19 induced hardships and bad weather, PF’s performance was second to none.

He said he was confident that PF would be voted back into office to complete its agenda, adding that there was no general mood for change in the country.

” Zambians have got a choice, I agree with the people, it hasn’t been a very easy time for Zambians. It has not been easy for Africa. It hasn’t been very easy for the entire world. Zambia has also had a fair share of the COVID, Zambia has had a fair share of the vagaries of the weather patterns. But do Zambians have hope? A lot of it because amidst those difficulties, the record by PF to bring the country and its people, an environment that enables productivity, an environment that enables the well being of the people, the record is second to none. In this country, our record is second to none. We must be held against what we are if you ask me. Our record is for all to see,” Mukupa said.

” So for us, we are more keen to tell our story that when we arrive in Mongu or Kalabo, we will tell the people in Kalabo that ‘we have done this, we have done this, we have also not done this,’ we will tell them what we have done in every district and tell them what we have done half way and then tell them what the future will be. The decision on the way forward will be made by Zambians. If Zambians decide that they can see a pie in the sky on the people whose performance they have not seen, we will not blame them. But the Zambians that I know, I have a lot of confidence that they will bring us back to complete the agenda. The agenda for PF has just begun. Apart from a few fictitious callers on your phone, have you seen a general mood for change in Zambia? The general mood for change won’t be mistaken. What you have is a few chaps on your WhatsApp and other platforms who are just creating problems.”

And Mukupa said Zambians should not be cheated by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema that the economy would be restored immediately he assumed office.

“You see, you can fool some people but you can’t fool the people. We haven’t seen any game changer in any of his farms. We haven’t seen any game changer in any of the hotels he has employed people. There is no game change. We have not seen any game change in the money he has been externalizing outside from miners and workers, through that pension scheme. There has been no game change. So the change will come from where? The game change will come from State House yes , it is a game change in his pocket and his personality. If you are talking about Zambia, Zambia is connected to all the other countries who have the same economic malaise, you go to South Africa, you go to America, everybody is suffering from the compound nature of disease we have been confronted with as a world. I don’t know where the game change will come from,” Mukupa said.

He urged Hichilema to talk about realities rather than selling dreams.

“You see that kind of arrangement is not fair, You talk of things that are practical. Don’t dream! Talk of realities. You have people at your farm, how much do you pay them to change their game? How much do you pay them for them to say they can see a game change? No please. This is not a time for those kinds of jokes. I want to think that the economic game plan for every nation today is how to stimulate the economy, that is the game plan. Everywhere, whether you go to Tanzania, they are talking about how do we stimulate the economy. COVID-19 has had devastating effects and the world has never been the same. Everyone is talking about a new economic holder. In Zambia from nowhere you will be the game changer. Anyway, people who can be fooled are people who think alike. Zambia must know that there is no game change without hard work, there is no change without productivity. Whether it is an individual level or national level,” said Mukupa.

“So for me when people say game change, I agree with them, maybe they have a miracle. These days you know people talk about miracles that things will just ‘boom’, then everything changes. Where are the jobs going to come from? If you ask me, tell them that it is a children’s story. When children are at a fireplace in the evening, they are listening to a grandfather telling them all stories of how miracles happen. Zambia is not looking for a miracle. If you have no ability to bring people together like I said, if there is no change from the people that are under your charge who are very few or the people that are looking after your cows, people’s money who you have invested outside, if there is no game change there, where is the game change going to come from the entire people of Zambia?”