By SIMON MUNTEMBA
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has warned UPND cadres not to take over markets or bus stations and cautioned senior members of the party to desist from encouraging such activities because it would be in direct conflict with his directives.
And the President has also warned the Patriotic Front members to behave themselves by not provoking a situation that he was managing well because UPND members who were in majority to be vengeful, their lives would be miserable.
President Hichilema has warned UPND cadres against taking over markets and bus stations as he was working on creating genuine opportunities for them.
Addressing a press Conference at State House in Lusaka yesterday, President Hichilema asked the PF members not take the good will they had received from UPND members for granted, as they suffered so much mistreatment during their rule.
“I am asking the PF to behave themselves because we said to our members that do not attack your colleagues in PF, allow them to wear their uniform (party regalia). But did they allow us to wear our uniform or trade in the markets? The answer is no.
“So, PF behave yourselves because you are lucky that HH is the President. Let sleeping dogs lie, but for you sleeping dogs, keep lying there,” he warned.
The President also warned UPND leaders to refrain from agitating party youths to take over the running of markets and bus stations because doing so would be undermining his administration which he would not tolerate.
He said the debate on cadres returning to markets and bus stations should come to an end as he would not allow that to happen under his administration.
Mr Hichilema further said he would not like UPND leaders to be caught on the wrong side of the law by agitating for lawlessness.
The Head of State advised UPND members to act responsibly as a party in Government as opposed to becoming new thugs in town.
Mr Hichilema said all he wanted was bring back normalcy, freedom and equity to the country.
President Hichilema explained that under the PF regime, political cadres took over the running of markets and bus stations which disadvantaged councils and many innocent citizens whose trading stalls were taken away from them.
He said his administration was working hard to turn around the economy to create jobs for the masses and uphold his campaign promises.
President Hichilema also announced that going forward, no timber licenses would be issued to foreign nationals.
He also clarified that contrary to speculations, he never went to the United States of America for lesbian and gays rights as he was a dedicated church elder in the Seventh Day Church who could not go against the bible and Zambian constitution.
Asked if he would consider lifting the immunity of former president Edgar Lungu to answer to criminal charges if he would be implicated, President Hichilema said, “we will cross the bridge when we get there”.
He also said he had managed to get $30 million pledge from the United States in addition to other support given to Zambia.
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