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By BARNABAS ZULU
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has called on Zambians to focus on more serious national issues, rather than getting caught up in social media gossip, after his policy advisor, Ms Chipo Mwanawasa, became the target of false rumors.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Powerful Diligent Veracious (PDV) metal steel plant in Lusaka’s South Multifacility Economic Zone (MFEZ) on Thursday, President Hichilema took aim at the spread of false claims circulating on social media that suggested Ms Mwanawasa was pregnant.
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“We need to be a practical nation. Let us not be a nation of social media. Tik tok, tik tok, 01 tik tok, even a lot of lies,” he lamented, addressing the crowd.
The rumors began circulating two months ago, accusing Ms Mwanawasa, the daughter of late President Levy Mwanawasa, of being involved in various scandals. The President took the opportunity to personally address the situation, inviting Ms Mwanawasa to stand before the crowd to dispel the false accusations.
“Does she look pregnant, that young lady? Honestly speaking, we better grow up as a nation,” President Hichilema added, gesturing toward Chipo. “We really need to grow up.”
The President also spoke out about the dangers of hiding behind social media to spread harmful accusations.
“You can abuse me, it’s okay, I’m used to that. But you could destroy a young person like that,” he said. “Who is in mourning, and you are happily doing that? When you are pursued, you say, ‘No, no, my democratic rights are taken away.’ What about her liberties and freedoms?”
In a clear call for change, President Hichilema urged Zambians to focus on productive endeavors. “Let’s focus our time and energy on productive things, such as learning from today’s function, not squabbles. We are all family here,” he said.
He also directed the Minister of Home Affairs, Jack Mwiimbu, and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to take action against individuals spreading falsehoods online, saying those breaking the law should be “locked up.”
The event also marked the official commissioning of the PDV steel plant, a significant part of Zambia’s industrialization strategy. The President praised the plant’s potential to contribute to economic development, create jobs, and reduce the country’s reliance on steel imports.
“This state-of-the-art plant will not only contribute to the economic development of our country, but has equally created employment opportunities for our citizens, especially the youth and women,” President Hichilema later wrote on his official Facebook page.
He also stated that the importance of local resource utilization, encouraging the company behind the plant to pursue an iron ore mining license to ensure a continuous supply of materials for manufacturing. “Our government remains committed to growing the manufacturing sector through the private sector,” he added.
President Hichilema’s remarks came as part of his broader efforts to showcase how joint ventures between citizens and foreign investors can drive economic growth, with the PDV plant serving as a model for such collaborations.
