Kalabo residents flock to see HH

Kalabo residents flock to see HH
By Nyambe Muyumbana and Lambwe Kachali
Friday October 03, 2008 [04:00]

TEACHERS at Nalioma High School in Kalabo were on Wednesday at pains to control their pupils who jumped out of their classrooms to catch a glimpse of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. And Hichilema said Vice-President Rupiah Banda's political hooliganism has the potential of turning Zambia into a sinking Titanic.

Efforts by the teachers at Nalioma High School to restrain the pupils proved futile as they rushed to the roadside to see Hichilema's convoy which was coming from the airstrip in Kalabo.

The pupils stood by the roadside, chanting: "we want change, we want change."

Kalabo town almost came to a standstill as marketeers, some government workers and ordinary villagers rushed to the roadside to see Hichilema.

However, before Hichilema went to address the rally, MMD cadres in the area blocked the road leading to the market grounds where the event was expected to be held.

The cadres also pulled down all the UPND posters and threatened to beat up people who would attend the rally.

When Hichilema's convoy reached the point where the cadres had created a barricade, he instructed the driver to stop and he got out of the car.

Hichilema approached the irate cadres but they continued singing songs against him. However, UPND provincial chairman Best Makumba advised Hichilema to get back in his vehicle and the convoy proceeded to the venue of the rally.

At the rally, Hichilema said the MMD cadres blocked the road out of ignorance because they did not know that he had the capacity to take them and their children to school once voted into office.

"This type of politics the MMD is conducting is very unacceptable and petty. It shows that they are scared since they already know that they are going to lose," he said.

Hichilema accused the MMD government of stealing the UPND manifesto on cattle restocking which they did not understand and that they ended up restocking without eradicating animal diseases.

Hichilema said he was ready to redeem Western Province to become economically viable.

After the rally, Hichilema walked through the market amidst songs of praise, to Nyoka Guesthouse where he spent a night.

On Tuesday, UPND and MMD cadres clashed in Mongu town when the latter tried to block people who wanted to attend the UPND rally at Blue Gums ground.

The visibly annoyed MMD cadres who were clad in their party regalia were in the morning seen roaming around town in their campaign vehicles warning people against attending the UPND rally.

But people seemed not to have paid much attention, as some of them replied that they wanted change.

As the afternoon approached, MMD vehicles started ferrying some of their cadres, putting them in strategic points to block people from attending the rally.

This action angered UPND supporters who wanted to confront the MMD cadres.

Police had a tough time maintaining order.
When MMD cadres started attacking UPND cadres, Hichilema advised his supporters not to retaliate because doing so would not solve anything.

Hichilema said it was the duty of the police to restore order because the UPND had obtained a permit to hold a rally in the province.

After seeing that UPND cadres would not retaliate, MMD cadres started to disappear gradually.

During the mammoth rally, Hichilema said he would revive the cashew nut industry as well as establish a mango factory for the production of mango juice, in an effort to boost employment and consequently bring an end to poverty.

Hichilema said the MMD government had neglected Western Province as evidenced by the poor road network, lack of healthcare facilities and poor state of schools.

"You have seen the hooliganism exhibited by Rupiah Banda's cadres. These cadres are working under Rupiah's instructions and it is clear that once you vote such people in high offices, they will turn Zambia into a sinking Titanic.

The man has the potential to put the country on fire and we can't run a nation like that. Rupiah's political hooliganism should not be tolerated in this modern Zambia. We want to conduct clean campaigns based on real issues because you people here want change," Hichilema said. "I can assure you that once I come into office this month, fish and animal diseases will be priority number one.

Western Province is rich although MMD's poor policies have impoverished it. Don't worry, because time has come for economic liberation."

He urged people not to be cheated by politicians who claimed to be messiahs because of their fade-out political experience, saying Zambia's development was dependent on economic skills.

On the Mongu-Kalabo road, Hichilema said it did not require a specialist to advise that one could not build a road on water by using concrete as was the case with the MMD government.

Hichilema advised that Zambians could not continue to make a mistake of voting for leaders who did not put the aspirations and needs of the common people first.

"On October 30, do not vote for hungry people to State House. Hungry people when voted in power will first concentrate on feeding their tummies. And after feeding themselves fully that's when they will look after you. Just look at how big their tummies are. Look at me, I have come here flying not paid by government but I paid for myself. If you vote for me, I will first take care of you because I'm not hungry," Hichilema said.

UPND provincial publicity secretary Sishwashwa Mbinji said the party would lodge a complaint to ECZ against the MMD cadres that pulled down the party's posters.