By NATION REPORTER
THABO Kawana has rated the performance of the UPND government in 2023 at 80 percent and that the new dawn score card is showing that the Hakainde Hichilema administration was fulfilling most of its campaign promises.
Mr Kawana, the Ministry of Information and Media Permeant Secretary is claiming that the performance of the UPND in 2023 on a scale of one to 10 was showing that the ruling party had scored eight marks.
Mr Kawana said the tabulated scores of the UPND successes was starting from the 100 percent disbursement of the 2023 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to all constituencies without any form of segregation.
He said the assenting of the Access to Information Bill into law and the freedom of the media, government had embarked on was a mammoth task of delivering the Access to Information Bill (ATI) and that the success was because the UPND administration had nothing to hide from its citizens.
Mr Kawana said the bill was initially taken to Parliament in 2002 by then Livingstone Member of Parliament Sakwiba Sikota but was never enacted as it kept on being withdrawn until the UPND came to power that saw President Hichilema assent the bill into law.
“The bill was subjected to wide consultations and its successful enactment is as a result of the contributions of various stakeholders having agreed to have the bill as law,” Mr Kawana said.
And Mr Kawana is claiming that President Hichilema has restored the rule of law and insinuations that the country’s democratic space was shrinking were untrue.
According to Mr Kawana, there was no democracy to talk about in the previous government and that the UPND under President Hichilema had restored multiparty rule for which Zambians were happy about.
He said in the past Zambia was characterised by partying and very little work was being done due to the character of the leadership at that time.
Mr Kawana said the country’s work culture had diminished and that President Hichilema was doing his best to shepherd the country and lead by example through his hard work, honesty and integrity.
Mr Kawana also said the collection of over K100 billion by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) was not by chance but a demonstration by the President that as a public servant, one had to serve the people.
He claimed that institutions in the country were beginning to thrive and the economy was picking up too.
Mr Kawana said Zambians economy is already on the rebounding trajectory, the county just need to work hard and produce more hence the President declaring 2024 as a year of hard work.
“Government welcomes criticism as it gives a new perspective and opens government’s eyes to things it may have overlooked or never considered. However, inciting people to rise against a legally elected government is illegal and will not be tolerated,” Mr Kawana said.
