President Hakainde Hichilema said on Tuesday his administration’s priority was to serve Zambia’s 21 million citizens rather than seek the approval of a small number of public officials, warning that delays in government projects would not be tolerated.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the United Capital Fertiliser (UCF) urea plant in Lusaka, Hichilema said he was prepared to become unpopular among some civil servants if that meant accelerating investment, creating jobs and improving the lives of ordinary Zambians.
“I don’t need popularity of 5,000 people. I need to satisfy 21 million Zambians,” Hichilema said.
The president said his focus was on fulfilling the mandate given to him by voters, whom he described as his true employers.
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“I know where my bosses are. You are the real bosses,” he said.
Hichilema said delays in approving government projects and investments denied citizens employment opportunities and slowed national development, adding that such conduct would not be tolerated during his second term.
He said public officers who unnecessarily delayed projects were frustrating efforts to attract investment and create jobs.
“This president in this second term will be ruthless about these issues. Anyone sitting on work, on projects, on investments will not be HH’s friend because you are delaying the job creation for those people there,” he said.
Hichilema also urged citizens to expose public officers responsible for delaying projects, saying investors should not face lengthy administrative and procurement processes that could stretch for months or years.
“When you see public officers delaying projects, shout,” he said.
The president reiterated that his administration would continue prioritising decisions that benefited the majority of Zambians, even if they proved unpopular with some individuals in the public service.
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