. Hichilema

By SYLVIA MWEETWA –
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader, Hakainde Hichilema has promised Zambians that he will improve the standard of living for the poor once elected as Republican president by implementing policies which favour the marginalised.
Mr Hichilema further pledged to reduce the cost of fertiliser to allow farmers increase their agricultural productivity which in turn would reduce the cost of the staple food.
Speaking when he featured on a local community radio station, KNC Radio in Kabwe yesterday, Mr Hichilema said one of his tasks once elected would be to ensure that the standard of living for the poor was improved through creation of jobs as well as provision of small loans to street vendors and other vulnerable people.
He emphasised the importance of paying farmers on time to allow them plant on time and that his government would also encourage the managing of water from streams to use it for irrigation purposes.
“As UPND, we have given ourselves to be servants of the people and not masters and our duty is to see to it that we improve the living standards for the poor,” Mr Hichilema said.
The UPND leader said he was the only credible leader who had a ‘heart’ for Zambians, especially the poor and unemployed, and maintained that it was possible to change the story of Zambia if the electorate gave him a mandate to manage their affairs.
Mr Hichilema said once elected, he would also reverse the 65-year retirement age to 55, saying it was one way of creating employment opportunities for the youth.
He pledged to address the cost of living, health system, education and cost of food, especially mealie meal which he said was not affordable to ordinary people.
Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema said he was a strong believer in the independence of the public media and wanted the institutions to operate without interference.
He also pledged to ensure that the Freedom of Information Bill was enacted into Law.
On the enactment of a new Constitution, Mr Hichilema said he would ensure that the country has a new Constitution before the 2016 general elections and to show his commitment he had since signed a social contract with the Grand Coalition.
Mr Hichilema said the Public Order Act (POA) should be properly managed to allow people express themselves, and that the UPND would repeal the negative NGO Act.