UPND National Youth Chairperson Gilbert Liswaniso has lamented that some youths within the ruling party don’t want to work but simply want handouts.

And Liswaniso is urging the police to explain their actions to Zambians, saying if they remain silent, people will think President Hakainde Hichilema is a dictator.

Speaking when he featured on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview, Liswaniso said the youths who had been complaining that he had neglected them after working hard for the party should know that there were many others who worked for the party without benefitting anything.

“That’s been the complaint from the citizens that it’s only UPND who are given these opportunities. And we have said it’s not only UPND, it’s everybody. So when you see such a video, it tells you that even in UPND there are those who are complaining. Even our youths and leaders within the party are complaining, it’s a serious matter. That’s what I go through every day. The answer is I can’t please everyone in one day. UPND is big, we are many who suffered for this party. But when you have been given an opportunity, say thank you. It’s a bigger thing, we acknowledge and agree with their frustration, across all 116 districts, 156 constituencies. I’m not going to agree with you because you haven’t eaten and you want to use the media to hammer your own political party,” Liswaniso said.

“The three or four people from Chinsali will be given opportunities, ‘go and work you eat’. Yet you’ve damaged your own political party, who will go out to control the damage that you have done? So there’s a channel of doing things, there’s leadership there. Yes, others want to build a house right now but you need to work for it, I’m just being genuine. I want to emphasise to the young people that let’s look for these opportunities with respect, dialogue. That’s the message of the President. Let’s not use vulgar language but let’s sit together”.

When asked if he was indeed eating alone, Liswaniso responded that he had been eating alone since he was born.

He added that most youths were not willing to work.

“I’ve been eating alone from the time I was born, they have [also] been alone since the time they were born. Today, I go to Chinsali and we do a roll call, you will find that a few of the same youths who were complaining got something from this government. We need to be honest with each other. There will be no handouts which will come to you. Government resources need procedures. You have been told to come up with cooperatives, make a company, you don’t want. You get a loan for K50,000 you don’t want to pay. Let’s be serious, these resources are for the Zambian people. Cash for work comes, you don’t want to participate, because the mindset for sure, the 10 years of PF destroyed every member. But this government is teaching us how to become responsible,” he said.

“It’s not only in Chinsali where they are complaining, it’s everywhere even here in Lusaka.The President adopted and is implementing the views of the young people across the country. We are not going to be pushed in the corner because you’re telling me that ‘I worked for it’. The President was arrested and went to Mukobeko where you and I were not, so don’t talk as if you’re the one who worked more than everybody. There are people whose homes we used for mobilisation, up to now they are here, up to now they haven’t even gotten K1000. But you have been given a job in government and you want to continue to attack”.

He warned that the UPND would expel any youths who attempt to destroy the party.

“As National Youth Chairman, this 2025 going into 2026, a young person who becomes cantankerous, with the vision to destroy the party and country…I think they know me, most of the youths in UPND know me, I tolerate, yes, it’s part of leadership, we need to tolerate our children. But if you go beyond that then we cut you from there, then you can go to another political party, go and decampaign us very well. We cannot lose an election because of groupings. Groupings within the party, this one has this group and so on, I’ve told them that I won’t allow the groupings. These things come in every political party, so we need to manage it collectively. The President was very clear to me, ‘Liswaniso I don’t want to see groupings in the party’,” Liswaniso said.

And Liswaniso urged the police to explain their actions to Zambians.

“I’m saying this to the police command, since you’re dealing with the citizens and you’re implementing the rule of law, you should be seen to be on top, that you explain to the people of Zambia. You cannot sleep on duty, wagona chabe (you just sleep). People will accuse President Hakainde Hichilema of being a dictator, that’s he’s a bad person, yet he has told you to investigate before you arrest. Investigate before you arrest so that by the time you arrest such a person, they go to court and they are convicted, no one will point a finger at you. But if you’re not explaining to the citizens, you’re seated and propaganda is continuously harming, even when you’re doing the right thing as police, even CSOs take from the opposition,” said Liswaniso.

“The role of the opposition is to attack. If the CSOs are continuously listening to one voice of people complaining, and the police who are in charge of the rule of law are quiet, even when they are doing the right thing, it becomes the truth. But when you explain to CSOs how you’re doing things, you’re showing the criminality on the other side, those CSOs will support you. So here there’s been a lapse of communication”.