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By BARNABAS ZULU
GILBERT Liswaniso has strongly defended his recent caution that the UPND has significantly lost its popularity in Lusaka and the Copperbelt, stating that his remarks were never meant to cause controversy but to help President Hakainde Hichilema know the truth by conveying the reality on the ground.
Mr Liswaniso, the UPND national youth chairperson has often been forthright with the truth.
Speaking on Millennium Radio’s the Interview Programme yesterday, Mr Liswaniso said he would continue to speak the truth as long as he remained the party’s youth chairperson.
“I am speaking the truth here. I will not come on radio just to make you happy because I am part of the community. My politics started as a volunteer, and I understand that the community needs help.
That is why we tell the President that people want this and that. We are happy when people are talking,” Mr Liswaniso said.
“I don’t want to hear a good song. Other people are forwarding me messages, ‘No Liswaniso, did you say this?’ Don’t forward that to me. Why? You are forwarding for what?” he asked.
“If I tell the President that I was in Marrapodi and people are saying things are okay…we are seated with over 200 people, talking to each other, and they are bringing out issues affecting them.
Then I tell the President that people in Marrapodi are saying things are better? No. I speak the issues that I have found on the ground – and that is the truth,” he stated.
“So, the point is that let’s speak the truth. Whatever people are complaining about, let’s speak it. But the good part of it is that the President is doing so – the President is doing so for the people of Zambia.”
And Mr Liswaniso has dismissed claims by some members of the ruling party that the UPND is not facing strong opposition, insisting that such claims should not be taken lightly.
Mr. Liswaniso said the UPND government was fully aware of the difficulties Zambians were experiencing and was actively working to address them.
He stressed that UPND members should remain focused on delivering on their commitments rather than downplaying the role of the opposition.
Mr. Liswaniso also highlighted the negative impact of load shedding on small businesses trying to create jobs, noting that Government is seeking funding to expand power generation and ease the crisis.
