AFTER stealing from you, they offer you the same stolen money then you say ‘these are kind people, HH niwa kaso’, aikona man, says UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

And Hichilema says the writing is on the wall that it’s time for change.

Meanwhile, Hichilema says the economy under the Patriotic Front is a leaking bucket due to corruption.

Speaking during the launch of the party manifesto for 2021 to 2026, Friday, Hichilema accused the PF of using public money to hoodwink voters.

“People who have never done any business ever in their lives, today they can use cash as pillows when citizens have gone to bed hungry. Just for a moment think about that, is that the life you want to live another five years? Under the UPND there will be a difference between private money and public money, there is no difference today. People are pocketing public money and tomorrow they can call it private money, and they call themselves business men, what business do you run? The answer is known, that money you got from the treasury through contracts from roads,” he said.

“Over the next four months, you will hear arguments [and] disagreements about what we said today. You will no doubt be exposed to fake news. Don’t believe lies, too many lies are told about each other. This don’t kubeba has destroyed our society’s moral fabric. Someone is stealing from you, but they want to praise you. Tomorrow they want to offer you K10,000 from your money, stolen from you. Then you say ‘these are kind people, HH wa kaso’, aikona man. Wait, we will facilitate you to earn not K10,000 but annuity income, maybe half a million. We will be proud to do that, not these handouts stolen from you.”

And Hichilema said the writing was on the wall that it was time for change.

“We are here to talk about the need for change, so that we can wash away the troubles of our country. Zambians need change now, not tomorrow. This year latest, not beyond August 12, 2021. We have suffered enough! If anyone is not sure of the fact that we need change, just look around you, what do you see? Unemployment, poverty, rising prices! Every week prices are changing upwards. Zambia is in a crisis, the biggest crisis in decades. There is need for change, change for the better,” he stressed.

“When we see the prices of goods, food, fuel, cooking oil rising each week, we know it is time for change. When we see children filled with ambition and talent failing to go to school because their parents or guardians need them to do some work and not to be in school, then we know it is time for change. When we see people in need of medication attention, denied a hospital or bed because there is no capacity or facilities in a hospital, then you know that it is time for change. I don’t know what else will provoke you to agree that it is time for change. When the healthcare budget has been spent on expired drugs, on faulty condoms, then you know there is a problem. It is time for change. The signs are written on the walls everywhere, read those signs.”

He said the PF government had no idea how to rescue the economy charging that another five years with the said government would be ‘living hell’.

“This PF government has no answer to all these problems, after all, they are the ones who have brought us to this degraded level. We must all agree that this particular government, this particular party has failed the people of Zambia. The Government of PF has no answers to these problems, answers lie with the UPND, Alliance partners and the people of Zambia. Our colleagues have no idea how to rescue our economy and how to put food on the table. After a full term in office, 10 years, it is shocking, with all these failures scattered and written on the walls, this PF is looking for another term in office. To go and do what? What the people have seeing is more than damaging. Another five years of these PF colleagues will not bring change that we need, absolutely not! With them continuing in government nothing will change and the next five years will look like the last five years. Actually, we are being polite, the next five years will be living hell. I want to ask a question to the people of Zambia, can you survive another five years?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, Hichilema said the economy under the PF was like a leaking bucket because of corruption.

“Corruption is theft. It steals from our children, from our retirees. We are just sitting and looking at it. If we leave corruption the way it is, this manifesto will not be implemented because there will be no money. So, under the UPND, our economy is going to be different, under the PF today, the economy is like a leaking bucket. Anything you put in it, it leaks away through corruption. We shall seal those holes, we shall plunge those leakages. We shall protect our scarce resources. The victims of this corruption are the Zambians. The corrupt are living well, you are living worse and worse. How can you support that on August 12? How can you continue damaging yourselves? You are the ones that pay taxes, but all those taxes end up being stolen. Enough is enough, Zambia cannot afford another five more years with this corruption, this failure. It is time to stop this criminality,” said Hichilema.