PATRIOTS for Economic Progress leader Sean Tembo says Zambia’s economic potential is under threat.

Tembo stated in a statement yesterday that Zambians must not make the mistake of moving from one level of mediocrity to another.

“The common song that is often sung in this country largely by the politicians, both ruling party and opposition alike, is that Zambia has a lot of potential! I’ve been hearing this song since l was born, during the second Republic and it is a song that is likely to continue being sung for the unforeseeable future. Zambia has a lot of potential! Zambia has a lot of potential! Zambia has a lot of potential! A very nice sounding song indeed. But what does it mean when people say that Zambia has a lot of potential? Or more specifically, does Zambia really have a lot of potential? If so, then what kind of potential is this? To what extent has Zambia’s potential been exploited, not only by the current government, but by successive governments as well?” Tembo asked.

“By the way, while we are singing this song, our economic potential as a nation is under serious threat. Our mineral resources are being depleted at a very fast rate that in a few years time, there might be nothing left of our mineral wealth and nothing to show for our depleted national wealth except the large holes in the ground! Similarly, with huge increases in electricity tariffs in the recent past, the majority of our citizens cannot afford electricity as a primary source of domestic energy and have resorted to charcoal. Today, our trees are being cut at a far much faster rate than they’re able to grow, thereby threatening our weather patterns and also depleting the forests needed to sustain our wildlife.”

Tembo stated that the high levels of poverty and squalor among Zambians in Game Management Areas had seen a rampant increase in poaching, as a way of survival.

“Added to this is government’s mediocre approach to the preservation of wildlife. Are there any current or future plans which, either the government of the day, or indeed any of the opposition political parties, have to adequately exploit the economic potential which this country has and translate it into tangible economic benefits for our people?” he asked.

Tembo stated that the average Zambian believes that there was no government that could uplift their economic status and that their current levels of poverty and squalor was a permanent situation which would have to be inherited by their children and then passed on to their children’s children.

“No hope whatsoever of any significant economic prosperity for this country. Nothing at all! But the question is; how did we get here? How and when did our citizens become so battered, bruised, hopeless and resigned to their fate?” he asked.

Tembo wondered how long Zambia’s potential would last.
“Or perhaps more pertinently; what is needed to start fully exploiting our economic potential as a nation and translate it into real economic gains for our people? As a matter of fact, what this country needs is a competent and incorruptible Republican President who fully understands what has gone wrong with this country and can conceive a practical and feasible plan to turnaround our fortunes as a nation before it’s too late,” Tembo stated. “Otherwise at the pace that we are going, soon there might be nothing to turnaround…. It makes no sense whatsoever that despite our huge economic potential, our citizens should go and become economic refugees in neighbouring countries like Namibia, Botswana, South Africa etc.”

Tembo called for a revolution in 2021 similar to the one in 1991 failure to which the country “will be destroyed beyond repair by the current vision-less Government.”
“The main opposition is not an option because it is just a faded carbon copy of the ruling party. This country needs real practical solutions to turn it around,” stated Tembo.
“This country needs serious leadership only, or we shall continue to sing our song forever and ever; Zambia has a lot of potential! Zambia has a lot of potential! Zambia has a lot of potential! Zambia has a lot of potential!”