SPECIAL Assistant to the President for Policy Compliance Joseph Lungu says the UPND government is referring to the promises outlined in its manifesto when it says 90 percent of its pledges have been fulfilled.
Lungu says politicians say a lot of things during campaigns but implement what is in their manifesto.
In a video circulating on social media, Lungu said State House had released a report indicating that the UPND administration had achieved over 90 percent of its promises to the Zambian people. He added that the report shows what government has done starting from 2021 to 2024.
However, many netizens disagreed with the report, questioning which promises had been fulfilled to that extent, given the high cost of living and other challenges.
In an interview, Tuesday, Lungu clarified that the 90 percent figure was based on the party’s manifesto.
“Those people who are talking about that, have they read the manifesto? Have they seen what is contained in the manifesto document which we launched in April 2021? They should look at what the manifesto says, the written word. What does the written word in our manifesto say, and what is it that we have achieved? I have a document which compares what the manifesto says and what we’ve achieved. I have that document, so it is from that basis that we say we have done 90 percent of what we said we’ll do,” he said.
And Lungu said while politicians might say a lot of things during campaigns, it was their manifesto that holds them accountable.
“In my view, politicians can say a lot of things, but we say sometimes circumstances change. The written word is the issue. Talking about things like fuel, things like mealie meal prices, a lot of things were said, I remember, but circumstances have changed. Circumstances are not the same. For instance, the price of fuel at the time that we were, or people were saying those things, what was the global price? Because we don’t manufacture petrol in Zambia, we don’t manufacture diesel in Zambia, so we have to import that. So, if circumstances change, two factors have changed: the global price of fuel and the exchange rate. So the circumstances [have] changed; you can’t expect things to be the same even when these people who are making noise, the PF, took over, the Kwacha was at K4 [a dollar], they left it at K17. Where the things the same?” he asked.
“So, circumstances change, for example, let’s look at the prices of mealie meal. We don’t shy away from debates, we don’t shy away from facts. This government does not shy away from facts and debates, we don’t. So, people say things during campaigns, but I can tell you, if you have to hold me to account, hold me to account on what I have put out as my manifesto. A lot of things that are said, I can say anything when I am in Lundazi, I [can] say, oh, this bridge I will fix it, but will I put that in my manifesto? No, I won’t, but what I will put in my manifesto is a government programme because what the government in waiting says is in a manifesto document”.
When asked about the UPND’s verbal promises regarding the cost of living and mealie meal prices, Lungu acknowledged that a lot of things were said before elections.
“When people speak, they speak like that, but what I am doing myself, a lot of things were spoken before elections, a lot of things were spoken, but what I am referring to is what we said in the manifesto; that is a written word because a written word does not lie. So, people must read what the manifesto says and what we’ve achieved, full stop. I mean, a lot of things were said in Kalabo, a lot of things were said in Chipata, a lot of things were said in Mbala, a lot of things were said in Kitwe, a lot of things were said in Livingstone, but the document we rely upon is what is contained in the manifesto document; that’s the word that we rely on because that is the written word,” he said.
“Someone promised that I am going to construct a bridge along the Kalabo road, some MP said it there on behalf of UPND; someone said he is going to construct a road along the Luangwa River in Chama, someone said it there. All that is part of manifesto promises, but the bottom line is what is contained, and the programme that this government is following is what was written in a manifesto. Anything can be said, a lot of things were said, people were saying a lot of things, but the bottom line is the written word is what we are following, is what I am following. I am telling you, people can say anything, a lot of things were said, but I can tell you what is important in all this: to trigger an action, it is not what you’ve said, it’s what you commit to, and what you commit to is written in the written word”.
Meanwhile, Lungu said it takes time for economic gains to be felt at an individual level.
He however added that policy pronouncements such as free education cushion the effects of high prices of essential commodities.
“Those are facts in the booklet. Of course, they won’t feel the impact because for them to feel the impact, it takes long for economic gains to be felt at an individual level. It’s not a one-day thing. It takes time for benefits to be felt. Are they not seeing that they are no longer paying for school fees? They are not paying for meal allowances for university students. That’s an immediate impact. Instead of paying for school fees and mealie meal allowances, that money is available for them to buy mealie meal. There’s cash for work, and people get K600 after working for 10 days; that’s an immediate impact. It’s just that people don’t see it. So instead of politicking, let’s drill down into actual issues,” said Lungu.
“When you talk about the mealie meal prices, fuel, [and] exchange rate, we found the price of mealie meal at K150; you can get mealie meal at K220 from ZNS. Of course, maybe not all the time, but it’s available. We import diesel; we’ve no control over that. So when people talk about the cost of living, we need to contextualise that. Is there not [a] 20 percent NAPSA partial withdrawal? Is there law and order in public places? Have we not revived the mines? Have we not paid retirees? Has anyone died of hunger because of lack of food? We want to know. We’re not aware? So I challenge them. What are their alternative facts? So it’s not 100 percent, but they (achievements) go some way to cushion the effects of the high prices of mealie meal [and] essential commodities. If you have five children and you’re not paying school fees, that’s money you’ve saved that the government is paying”.
