When there was a power outage at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium during the Zambia-Togo match in Ndola the other day, a pocket of fans erupted into “Pe Lampi!” chants as they flashed the Tonse Alliance symbol. It is common knowledge that PF cadres who have since metamorphosed into Tonse…

When there was a power outage at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium during the Zambia-Togo match in Ndola the other day, a pocket of fans erupted into “Pe Lampi!” chants as they flashed the Tonse Alliance symbol.

It is common knowledge that PF cadres who have since metamorphosed into Tonse are stubborn in their support. This is not likely to change any time soon. Just look at how Tonse supporters led by the likes of Jay Jay Banda, Binwell Mpundu, Lillian Mutambo and Emmanuel Mwamba behave on social media. Not a single day passes without them offloading cheap propaganda. How can they be spreading lies that the President is indisposed or even calling for his assassination, and yet we have Church leaders cheering them on? Hypocrites!

We would like to urge the President and his incoming administration to keep ignoring these dimwits and minions and focus on his Grow Zambia Agenda – the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 blueprint that speaks to real issues: maize, electricity, tourism, copper, soya, wheat, sugar and beef exports.

Let the work speak for itself!

President Hichilema’s Grow Zambia Agenda is ambitious. But for it to work, it must move like lightening from every village, city and province.

1. 10 Million Tonnes of Maize – Who Will Grow It?
Is it only the commercial farmers? How does the villager in Shangombo or on Chilubi Island participate and benefit? This is where Cooperatives come in. The whole concept of cooperatives needs to be overhauled and adapted to changing seasons. We need genuine, production-based cooperatives – not briefcase cooperatives formed just to share FISP. Let us equip them with irrigation, mechanization and guaranteed markets.

2. 10,000 MW of Electricity – Diversify Now.
With El Nino always looming around the corner, the country must speed up diversification into alternative sources of energy. We cannot continue to depend on hydro alone. Councils must prioritize using part of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to invest in solar power plants and even waste-to-energy plants. Every district has an abandoned dump site or sewer ponds that can host a solar plant.

3. 5 Million Tourists – Clean Up Zambia First.
No tourist is going to come to a dirty country. They are afraid of contracting cholera or malaria. The Mayor-Elect of Lusaka is already doing a commendable job cleaning up Lusaka. We hope this will be replicated countrywide. We expect clean cities, paved walkways, street lights, working traffic lights and flowers blossoming everywhere! Tourism starts with order and cleanliness.

4. 3 Million Tonnes of Copper – Not Raw.
Is this copper going to be exported in its raw form as we have done for 60 years? We expect to see value addition. We want to see copper cables, electrical wiring, motor windings and EV battery components manufactured right here in Zambia. That is how we create jobs.

5. 3 Million Tonnes of Soya Beans – The Feed and Oil Link.
Soya is the new gold. It links directly to stock feed, cooking oil and exports. Let us support out-grower schemes and oil processing plants in every province.

6 & 7. 1 Million Tonnes Wheat and 1 Million Tonnes Sugar – Winter Cropping.
This calls for serious irrigation investment. We have water everywhere but we only farm in the rainy season. Wheat and sugar are winter crops that can be grown under irrigation.

8. $1 Billion Beef Exports – Bring Back Ranches.
We had great ranches in Mumbwa, Chisamba and Southern Province. They collapsed. Let us revive them with proper breeding, veterinary services and abattoirs that meet export standards.

In short, 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 is possible – but only if we decentralize it to cooperatives, councils and ordinary Zambians.

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Secretary General
HH Mpaka 2O31 People’s Alliance