PF CHAMA South member of parliament Davison Mung’andu has openly confessed that the former ruling party deliberately destroyed the country’s economy and institutions so that President Hakainde Hichilema could fail once his administration took over.
Speaking during President Hichilema’s public engagement in Choma, Mung’andu likened PF’s exit from government to a defeated army resorting to scorched-earth tactics in war.
He said in warfare, when one side realises it is about to be defeated, it destroys everything so that the victors inherit ruins and fail to govern effectively.
Mung’andu told the gathering that this was exactly what PF did when it lost power to the UPND in 2021.
“I want you to carry this message. This is the country that President Hakainde Hichilema inherited. Everything, as PF, we destroyed so that the ones that had triumphed should not succeed, just in case we could come back and fight them,” Mung’andu said.
“Just one example, we carried US$ 9 million. This is the biggest heist in Europe by an African man, carrying US$ 9 million in bags, when we knew that Hakainde Hichilema would be sworn in the next week.”
Addressing UPND members who may be disappointed that life has not instantly become luxurious under the new administration, the PF MP said the suffering was a result of the huge debt burden deliberately left behind.
He explained that the PF government left a debt mountain so huge that it was impossible for the new administration to enjoy public resources the way PF leaders allegedly did.
Mung’andu further made a startling confession that PF members expected Zambians to quickly turn against President Hichilema and even prayed for calamities to befall the country so that he could fail.
He admitted that PF celebrated disasters such as cholera outbreaks and drought, believing they would weaken the President politically.
“We were very sure that those who voted for Hakainde Hichilema would rise against him in five years time. We continued to pray for all sorts of bad things to happen to him. When cholera came, we celebrated. When drought came, we celebrated,” he said.
The Chama South lawmaker also said ‘PF inclined’ media are spreading false reports about President Hichilema’s health, claiming that PF members were still praying for his downfall.
“Even now, check the media, they are saying Hakainde Hichilema is in hospital on the drip. We are still praying,” he said.
However, Mung’andu said their plans failed because, according to him, President Hichilema prays to a “Supreme God” who has protected the country from total collapse.
He expressed shock that despite the economic sabotage, no Zambian died of hunger and instead development funds started flowing into constituencies.
Kalemba January 8, 2025
