Maravi

Politics have taken a toll on my money - HH

Politics have taken a toll on my money - HH
By George Chellah
Wednesday March 14, 2007 [02:00] P

OPPOSITION UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has admitted that his joining politics has taken a toll on the financial resources of the family. And Hichilema said his K23 billion declaration of assets was disgraceful if his next-door neighbour could not have a meal or take children to school. Meanwhile, Hichilema said UPND does not believe in political rewards by allocating plots to cadres.

During a Muvi-TV's ‘Eyeball to Eyeball’ programme on Sunday evening, Hichilema - who was asked whether his joining politics had made him a K1,000 or K1 billion less - responded: "We need to change the way we fund political parties. It takes a toll on financial resources of the family. Not just on us but other people in the party as well. Otherwise, I am fortunate my family has been very supportive."

Hichilema continued: "The answer is yes, you've got to spend. In our view, political parties represented in parliament need to be funded, this is what will strengthen democracy. So it's bound to happen that we will spend resources here and there but it's not just us, other people as well. The answer is yes, but that's not the most important thing." Hichilema said it was not easy to run an opposition political party. "We have already talked about funding and commitment," he said. Asked to reveal the secret to his wealth, Hichilema said it was a cultural issue for him. "It was sad that we had to make the declaration. That was a legal requirement so we did it. Otherwise we are humble people," Hichilema said. "I am not proud to say this is what Hakainde and family have."

He expressed sadness at one of the situations he encountered in Western Province where he found people eating boiled mangoes. "Hakainde's asset declaration is something... yes it happened. But it's disgraceful. Hakainde's declaration is useless if the next-door neighbour can't have a meal, can't send children to school. My declaration is useless," Hichilema said. He said he had been extremely busy and that public life was very demanding. Hichilema also said he had no regrets about joining politics because he made a conscious decision. "We expected very difficult processes, especially in the way we do politics in this country," he said.

He said he had begun to drift public opinion from negativity to decency by not responding to political attacks. "If I was to react negatively to such issues, the people of Zambia will not know the difference. They will think we are like the old stock of politicians," Hichilema said. He said he did not think that he was as young as people thought. "Dr Kaunda was 40 when he became president, John F Kennedy (former US president) was 44. Forty is the time to give your best. I am 44, I was 43 last year," he said. "We should have a situation where we are drifting to politics of skills. The measurement of modern era to manage the economy has changed. It's not just that somebody has been in politics for 40 years then they qualify to be president."

On the house demolition exercise in Kalikiliki, Hichilema said UPND does not support illegality.
"Let's try to operate in a legal way. We also don't believe in political rewards by allocating plots to cadres. First of all, who was allocating those plots? If there was proper monitoring and control, the houses should never have been there in the first place," he said. He also said corruption was a cancer that needed to be fought before it consumed the nation. Hichilema said the UPND was in a development mood. "I am travelling a lot. We are in a buoyant mood at the grassroots level. We are very clear in our minds that this is what needs to be done," said Hichilema.

Labels: CAMPAIGN FINANCE, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, LAND

posted by MrK @ 3:59 AM