By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia

Senior Members of Parliament from Zambia’s largest opposition party, the Patriotic Front (PF), have launched a strong critique of the UPND government, accusing it of misleading traditional leaders and the nation at large with claims of equal infrastructure development.

Speaking during a press briefing held yesterday, PF parliamentary leader Hon. Brian Mundubile and Hon. Mulenga Fube said the President’s assurances to chiefs about equity in development were not backed by reality on the ground.

“We cannot continue assuring chiefs about equality in project distribution when places like Luapula have roads that remain untouched,” Mundubile said. “Talk is cheap. Let us see the works.”

He called out specific infrastructure gaps, highlighting the Tuta Road, the Samfya to Mansa Road, and the road to Kaputa, the home district of the Vice President, as examples of serious regional neglect. “It should not take four years to work on a road to Kaputa, especially when it leads to the home of the second-highest-ranking official in the land,” he said.

Mundubile also questioned why roads in Southern Province, particularly those connected to President Hichilema’s village, had been completed while other regions continued to lag. “If we’re being honest, this is more than equal. It’s preferential,” he charged.

COSTS, CLAIMS, AND CONTRADICTIONS
Mundubile went on to highlight ballooning infrastructure costs under the UPND, noting that some roads now cost nearly three times more than they did under the PF. “This isn’t just about politics, it’s about value for money. We built more at less cost,” he said.

He challenged President Hichilema’s recent claim that graders and road equipment were being seen for the first time in rural areas under the enhanced CDF. “That is false. In 2020, I personally saw graders and tipper trucks in Chilubi, Lunte, Kasama and other districts. The claim that people only now know what a grader is, is dishonest,” he stated.

MULENGA FUBE: “TOXIC NARRATIVE MUST END”
Adding his voice, Hon. Mulenga Fube decried what he called the toxic language being promoted by the ruling party, that PF discriminated in project implementation during its time in office.

“We’re tired of hearing this lie. Records show Northern, Eastern, and North-Western provinces received a significant number of prefab hospitals, mini-hospitals and rural electrification projects under PF,” Fube said.

He called for the Kasaba Bay project to be included in the national budget, highlighting its potential to unlock tourism in the Luapula and Northern region. “You say you care about development, but Kasaba Bay, one of Zambia’s richest tourist corridors, has been ignored.”

Fube also took aim at the soya and cotton sectors, accusing the government of decimating smallholder agriculture through poor planning and failure to support processing infrastructure. “We are killing the cotton industry. We are killing small-scale farmers. This is a betrayal of the rural masses,” he said.

BUDGETING WITHOUT DISCIPLINE
The PF MPs criticised what they described as budgetary indiscipline, citing large supplementary budgets and erratic CDF disbursements. “You can’t bring a national budget, then fire a supplementary almost equal in size. That is not financial discipline,” Mundubile said.

He called on the President to use his final budget in this term to redeem the government’s image by delivering development equitably. “This is your last opportunity in this mandate. Let development be visible, not political,” he said.

Fube also raised concerns about mineral royalties, the lack of transparency in mining contracts, and missing gold reserves. “Where is the gold under BOZ? What happened to ZAMGOLD? Why have you dismantled everything PF set up to make the mining sector accountable?” he asked.

UNITY IS NOT IN WORDS, IT’S IN BUDGET ALLOCATION
The PF MPs concluded that unity cannot be achieved through photo opportunities with chiefs, but must be demonstrated through fair distribution of the national budget.

“Bringing chiefs into one room is not unity. Unity is how you use 97 percent of the budget,” said Fube. “And right now, that budget is not being used fairly.”

They urged President Hichilema to stop making “first-time” claims and instead acknowledge past efforts while focusing on measurable delivery for all regions of Zambia.

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