PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says the PF deserves to remain in office because is has done more than what Zambians expected it to do.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport terminal two, Monday, President Lungu said the infrastructure was a masterpiece of international standards.

“Today, the Patriotic Front government presents to you the new terminal two of the Kenneth Kaunda International airport. This infrastructure is a masterpiece of international standards. It being the first sight international travellers see as they descend on the Zambian soil, this airport will be the flagship of the transformation that my government has presented to the Zambian people. It represents our legacy as a leadership that has transformed Zambia through infrastructure development. This is why we deserve to remain in office because we have done more than what the people of Zambia expected us to do. You, the Zambian people, must be proud of what we have achieved in such a short space of time. You must be proud of being Zambian, with such infrastructure at your service. You are part of this great story,” he said.

President Lungu said his government would continue to work towards the country’s desired destination beyond August 12.

“My government is working towards our desired destination and as the old adage goes ‘Rome was not built in a day’. Therefore, we will continue beyond August 12, 2021 laying blocks every day and soldiering on. We are working with what we have to build a foundation that engenders our fortunes as we go into the future. This investment is another one that will benefit us and one that will have to measure up to the legacy of the great man in whose honour this airport was named,” he said.

The Head of State said the coming of the KK international airport terminal two had increased capacity by four million passengers per annum

“Dr Kaunda must have seen the development of this infrastructure. But had he been with us here, he would have been proud of this moment. Unfortunately, we lost him. The Lusaka international airport, as the Kenneth Kaunda international airport, was Initially called, was constructed during Dr Kaunda’s early days as Republican President in 1967. It had a capacity to facilitate two million passengers per annum. The coming of the KK international airport terminal two has increased that capacity by four million passengers per annum. This terminal has been constructed by the PF government on a government-to- government loan from the Chinese Government. This is a testimony of the warm bilateral relations that exist between Zambia and China,” he said.

And President Lungu said his government had invested more than US$1 billion in the aviation sub-sector.

“On 5th August 2021, I was in Ndola to commission the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International airport which was also funded by China. This is one chosen trajectory meant to facilitate development in our country. There can never be economic development in any nation without infrastructure development. That’s why the PF government has invested more than US$1 billion in the aviation sub-sector. No past administration invested such huge sums into the aviation sub-sector, making our aviation infrastructure match with modern times and meet world-class standards,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of State noted that the peace which the country enjoyed should not be taken for granted, and further condemned the recent politically motivated murders.

“More importantly, the peace we enjoy in Zambia has been commended as a key strength for our economic competitiveness. But we must not take that peace for granted. Everything can fall into pieces if we let our narrow ambitions ride roughshod over national interests. The politically motivated murders we have seen recently must be condemned in the strongest terms and all culprits must be booked and punished. All these things we are doing are meant to attract investors and tourists to our country. But remember, we are in competition with other nations. Investors and tourists will choose peaceful destinations over trouble spots. This is why peace must be maintained at all costs,” said President Lungu.