Leave Chiluba alone, MMD tells HH

MOVEMENT for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) youths have lashed out at United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema for his recent remarks on former President late Frederick Chiluba over alleged corruption.

Last Thursday Mr. Hichilema claimed that the levels of corruption in the Patriotic Front (PF) government have made corruption in the Chiluba government seem like nothing.

MMD Youth national secretary Gregory Mofu says it was wrong for Mr. Hichilema to try and draw the late Dr. Chiluba into his political rhetoric just for political mileage, disregarding Dr. Chiluba’s achievements for Zambians.

“It is shameful that out of ignorance and naivety, many unsuspecting Zambians continue to be misled into thinking that the legacy of President Chiluba was one of corruption and theft.

“President Chiluba did a lot for Zambia, from the restoration of multiparty democracy to the liberalisation of the economy and to the upholding of all fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and media, which Mr. Hichilema is now enjoying,” Mr. Mofu said.

He said many Zambians benefitted from Dr. Chiluba’s house empowerment policy which saw sitting tenants buy former government, council and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) houses.

He said had it not been for this policy, many people would not have gone to school as they were coming from homes headed by retrenched or jobless parents.

Mr. Mofu said contrary to popular thinking, an audit of all the people that served in the Chiluba regime will reveal that they were mostly of average means.

He said it is clear that the only people who benefitted from questionable and underhand ‘ransacking’ of national assets were the people whom President Chiluba’s government entrusted with handling the privatisation process.

Mr. Mofu said MMD youths will not allow Dr. Chiluba’s legacy to be insulted.