PATRIOTIC Front national chairperson Samuel Mukupa says it is true that the ruling party has transformed people’s lives and therefore, people like Hakainde Hichilema who can’t see positive gains in the economy must go for mental examination.

In an interview, Mukupa said under PF, police officers own as many as four cars each, while teachers in the rural areas of Zambia can afford up to three cars – which he says is a good indication that people are living well.

Last week while commissioning the Munali flyover bridge in Lusaka, President Lungu said the increased number of cars on the highways was indicative that people had money and were living well, a statement which Hichilema disagreed with.

He said it is Hichilema who must be put ‘ku wire’ by the people of Zambia because he has failed to explain how he gained his wealth.

“You see, start by saying the chairman laughed, because if there is one hell of a rich man who has not explained to the Zambians how he has become rich, he is one of them. Instead of him informing us his part on the privatisation, he gets angry. You see when you live in glass houses, don’t throw stones. You can’t incite people in that manner and you intend to be a Head of State, then they should not vote for anyone who is rich, that includes him. That includes him, he must be put in the wire, because he has not explained how he became rich. He has not told us how he came rich from a little village in Namwala, he has not told us how he became very rich all of sudden. These are questions that have been asked on various fora, he has not told the people. All of the sudden, he should be the only person who is rich. In this game and at such a rate, Zambia is involved there can’t be only one millionaire. There are many people who are involved in various activities and have very honest activities,” Mukupa said.

“So, forget about that fellow, what comes out from that young man surprises me. Isn’t he on record that people can’t eat roads? As far as he is concerned, roads are not a developmental issue. As far as he is concerned roads don’t give any economic value to the society. When a person is aspiring to be a President and has got that warped thinking, why do you have to follow him? Tell me, 10 years ago which police men had four cars which they are having now? Which teacher in a rural area had two cars, three cars? Now you are telling me that there hasn’t been a change and upward thrust in the economy trajectory of this country? Somebody must have his mind examined. Look, go to any district today, and look at what changes have happened at a personal level. Look, I came from Kaputa, there are taxis in Kaputa, in spite of very bad roads in Mporokoso there. It is everywhere, the changes are everywhere, do we have economic difficulties? Yes a lot of them, but we are not on the same levels we were two to 10 years ago. There has been change and Zambia will never be the same.”

He said, Zambia’s GBP had been on a consistent trajectory of growth, and it was wrong to suspect everyone who had gained wealth.

“This is the Zambia we know, the Zambia in 1964, the Zambia in 1974, the Zambia in 1984 keeps on going up and up including the GDP. The Zambia we inherited seven years ago, as PF is not the same Zambia. Whoever thought they would bring up various areas in Lusaka that would by far make Kabulonga look like a child’s play park. You cannot say go and investigate everyone in Chalala, [and say] ‘where are they getting the money? No, put them in the wire’, what type of thinking is that? It can’t come from the mouth of a president. Then that kind of a president must be known and taken for who he is, a dictator! He should encourage, by all means people to acquire wealth because it is for the general good of the country. These people are found everywhere in PF, in NDC there are so many of them. Because many of our supporters who are not actually active participants in politics but are our supporters are very genuine people. Even him knows very well that in those political parties they are people who are genuinely rich people and are not active participants. So if you are talking about people who should go to the wire, I think the ball begins with him.”

He charged that Hichilema’s style of reasoning i what had been causing him to lose elections in the past.

” You know the kind of congestion that we have had in this country speaks volumes to our inability to do work, to also do business easily. So, when government is undertaking to ameliorate that issue, a reasonable man, whether he is in opposition, is supposed to say ‘it is good work, but perhaps we can do something better’. But for somebody to simply say ‘abash it’. then you simply know that there is something wrong with that person. History is very clear, with that kind of a mindset, you can never become a President. He should check his record of how many times he has failed and why. These are the things that somebody should be able to read. ‘Why isn’t it that I am not a preferred person. You can’t be 20 years in opposition and want to be very proud of it, live for others to take over, they might have brand new ideas. He has the highest record of the vice-presidents he has fallen out of favour with. That is the biggest record world wide. He should be recognised by the Guinness Book of records. UPND must examine their top leadership.”