PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has urged citizens to focus on discussing serious issues of national interest opposed to spreading false social media rumours.
The Head of State said this when he came to Chipo’s defense over malicious social media attacks that were suggesting she was pregnant.
The online rumours were perpetuated by some bloggers and opposition leaders who accused her of myriad of issues, two months ago.
Chipo, a daughter of late President Levy Mwanawasa happens is President Hichilema’s policy advisor and Presidential Delivery Unjt (PDU) deputy head.
Commissioning the Powerful Diligent Veracious (PDV) metal steel plant in Lusaka’s South Multifacility Economic Zone (MFEZ) yesterday, President Hichilema came to Chipo’s defense, asking her to stand up and face the crowd in their midst so as to ascertain whether she was pregnant or not.
The President stated that there was need for the nation to grow up and focus on serious matters instead of spreading lies on social media.
“Let us be a practical nation. Let us not be a nation of social media. Tik tok, tik tok, 01 tik tok even a lot of lies. There is Chipo, there. Chipo can you stand up, can you face the crowd this side. Does she look pregnant that young lady? Honestly speaking, we better grow up as a nation right. We really need to grow up,” said President Hichilema.
“You can’t hide behind a phone and abuse a young person like that. You can abuse me, it’s okay, I’m used to that I can take it. But you could destroy a young person like that. Who is in mourning and you are happily doing that and when you are pursued you say no, no my democratic rights are taken out. What about her liberties and freedoms?”
“So I’m saying this deliberately to say let’s focus our time and energy on productive things. Such as learning from today’s function not squabbles we are all family here. Let’s focus on serious things.”
He added that he had instructed the Minister of Home Affairs Jack Mwiimbu and ZICTA to ensure that those breaking the law are locked up.
The President said he was honoured to officially commission the Powerful Diligent Veracious (PDV) metal steel plant in Lusaka’s South Multifacility Economic Zone (MFEZ) as part of government’s industrialisation agenda.
He explained that the highly technologically advanced steel manufacturing plant was testament of how joint ventures between citizens and foreign investors could work for the good of the economy.
President Hichilema pointed out that the country had been heavily reliant on foreign imports of steel however, with the commissioning of such a plant, Zambia was on course to be self reliant and even manufacture for export.
“This state of the art plant will not only contribute to the economic development of our country, but has equally created employment opportunities for our citizens, especially the youth and women,” the President later wrote on his Facebook page.
“We have encouraged the company to consider getting an iron ore mining licence to feed into this plant as part of the value addition. Our government remains committed to grow the manufacturing sector through the private sector,” added President Hichilema.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, November 8, 2024
