RESPECT JOURNALISTS, MUSENGE ADVISES HH

PHe said in an interview that if President Hichilema RESIDENT Hakainde was not comfortable with Hichilema the media asking him probing should respect and critical questions, he Journalists as the should stop calling for press fourth estate and should conferences since the head resist the temptation of of State was allegedly avoiding dictating what kind of scrutiny. questions to ask and how “When a republican President many they should restricted,’’ holds a press conference, Mwenya Musenge has that is an opportunity said for the media to ask questions

Mr Musenge, the opposition on various issues affecting Advocate for People’s the nation and they Prosperity (APP) interim should not be restricted in president, said a press ponference any way. But what we are by the republican seeing under the new dawn President was an opportunity government is something for the journalists to ask else.” questions on various issues “This is not the first time affecting the nation and such a thing is happening. should not be restricted. The other time, the President Mr Musenge said last himself stopped the

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+260 965 500165 ing dictatorial tendencies. urged clerics and Zambians in general to pray to God to give President Hichilema wisdom and guidance to understand that Zambia was a multi-party democracy and should not turn it into dictatorship.

“President Hichilema

23 must not praise himself that the country was now peaceful than it was under the PF because his government is destabilising the opposition and stopping them from participating in local government by-elections,” Mr Musenge said.

Mr Musenge said Zambians have no hope of achieving economic recovery and national development under the UPND because the ruling party was serving the interests of the colonial imperialists who were coming in form of multinational companies getting minerals without paying any tax.

“In the two years of the Hakainde Hichilema-led government, Zambians have seen 100% increments on almost all commodities starting with mealie meal which was at K115 under PF, but was now at K305 per 25 kilogramme bag, fuel which was at K17 in PF is now at K30 per litre,” Mr Musenge said.

He said all the prices of essential commodities had skyrocked, while private sector employment has dwindled and the economy has no money, thereby worsening the poverty and hunger in communities because people have no buying power

Mr Musemge has challenged President Hichilema to get down to the people in the communities and townships so that he can understand and appreciate the worsening poverty and hunger which has been caused by his government’s mismanagement of the agriculture sector which has failed to set the stage for food security and poverty alleviation.