UPND Pledges To Deliver For Teachers

UPND Alliance presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema has promised to deliver for teachers if his party his elected to form a government, saying that the Patriotic Front has failed to support this vitally important profession.

Writing on social media, Mr Hichilema said that the UPND Alliance is “strongly committed to delivering for our teachers” and that his message to them ahead of August’s elections is “that we stand ready to support them to deliver the best possible education for our children”. 

Having grown up poor and been educated on a government bursary, HH said he knew “first hand” the transformative impact a good education can have. He also said he was “privileged” to have former teacher Mutale Nalumango as his running mate and that together they would “listen to, support and motivate our teachers”. 

The opposition leader accused the Patriotic Front of having failed to understand that investment in education requires investment in teachers and as such has neglected these highly important professionals. Under the PF, pupil-to-teacher ratios have risen rapidly and yet over 40,000 teachers remain unemployed.

“Today, it seems there is work and money to be made for PF thugs, but not for qualified teachers. This is unacceptable,” Hichilema wrote. 

It follows barefaced attempts by the government to bribe teachers into voting for the Patriotic Front at August’s elections, offering to negotiate debt swaps in exchange for their votes. 

UPND National Chairman Steven Katuka called out these hollow promises earlier this week and accused Vice President Inonge Wina of “hoodwinking vulnerable teachers” by pledging to cancel their debt.

He pointed out that a debt swap is only possible when two parties owe each other for services rendered to both parties. As no major lending institution is indebted to the government, this would not be possible.