KABUSHI PF member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo says President Hakainde Hichilema inherited a stable country which already had friends like China, Russia, South Africa, among others.

Commenting on President Hichilema’s sentiments that Zambians would soon see the benefits of his trip to the United States of America, Lusambo said the Head of State only went to the USA to see places as well as the vice president of that country.

“President Hakainde Hichilema should know that Zambia as a country is not at a standstill. President Hakainde Hichilema succeeded or inherited the country which was moving and stable and a country which had friends. We had friends like China, Russia, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. President Hakainde Hichilema went to the United States of America on holiday. He just went to see places and see the Vice-President of the USA and that is all. Which benefits are we going to get from President Hakainde Hichilema?” Lusambo asked.

“Is it the IMF? The IMF is not a benefit, it has just come to milk our country and we have seen this before. Those people who are excited about the IMF should come and ask us when the IMF came in 1990 to 1991. That is how we have failed to recover in this country economically because the policies which came from the IMF were to cripple a country like Zambia. I can assure you that there is nothing that you can get from the whites because they do not want Africa to develop. They do not want Zambia to develop and they just want their country to develop. How can you explain the situation where today, the IMF comes to Zambia and they will give us the loan which will take so many years to repay? It does not make sense.”

Lusambo said there was need for mindset change and to stop seeking solutions outside the country.

“So President Hakainde Hichilema, the only thing why we are happy as Zambians is that he came back safely into his country Zambia and we want him to concentrate on home-based solutions to home-based challenges we have. There is no solution which will come from America, it is a lie. There is no solution which will come from America to come and sort out home-based challenges. We have plenty of natural resources. If we want to change the fortunes of this country it is us ourselves, the Zambians, to change the fortunes of this country because we have everything. Americans will come through USAID, COVID-19 because those are the things which they support. They do not give money to the country. Our colleagues in China will give you money to build schools and hospitals,” said Lusambo.

“So in short, if this country has to develop, it is you and me to make sure that we change our mindsets. The biggest problem Zambians have is that our bodies are in Zambia but our minds are in America, UK, South Africa, Dubai and everywhere, our minds are scattered. Until we bring the mind and the body together and start thinking in the right direction to start seeing money in the minerals we have then we will develop. So the trip by the President is just one of those trips. It is more like your father has gone on holiday in Solwezi just because Solwezi has minerals and you think those minerals proceeds will come to benefit your household, it cannot. So in short that is Hakainde Hichilema’s personal achievement but what is the benefit of the people of Zambia? Nothing.”