Wynter Kabimba, leader of the Economic Front party, has accused Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema of putting business interests before the well-being of the citizens. In an interview, Kabimba accused Hichilema of having “a fetishism, religious belief” that money should be made at all costs, even if it means hurting the people. Kabimba pointed to Hichilema’s response to the Millers Association of Zambia’s complaints about the regulatory framework on the export of mealie meal, as evidence of his belief. Kabimba also criticized Hichilema for not understanding the importance of mealie meal and maize to the national security of the country.
Kabimba accused Hichilema of being “a danger as head of state” and criticized his administration’s attempts to resolve the high price of mealie meal, stating that they were telling the FRA to give cheaper maize to millers without considering the huge cost FRA had paid for it. He added that the UPND was not living up to their promises, as they had offered short term solutions to the people during their election campaign, but were now using the five-year mandate argument to justify their failure to resolve all the problems.
Kabimba also expressed concerns about the liberal economic explanations from economists and the recent increase in the cost of the monthly food basket, despite the drop in inflationary figures and the weakening of the Kwacha. He urged the President to consider the well-being of the citizens before making decisions that might hurt them.
