MULUSA ENDORSES MUNDUBILE AND MAKEBI
…says Zambians have endured five years of hardship under UPND.
Former Special Assistant to the President for Projects and Monitoring, Hon. Lucky Mulusa, has formally endorsed Hon. Brian Mundubile, the presidential candidate for the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), and his running mate Hon. Makebi Zulu, describing the duo as the strongest, focused, tested, reliable, exposed and forward thinking leadership available to Zambia.
He said Zambians have endured five years of economic hardship, rising poverty, and diminishing opportunities under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government.
Speaking during the Red Hot Breakfast Show on Hot FM, the former Minister of National Development Planning observed that public confidence in the current administration has significantly declined.
Hon. Mulusa said it has become increasingly rare to find citizens speaking positively about the government, arguing that the overwhelming majority of Zambians are frustrated by the high cost of living, limited job opportunities, and what he described as the government’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises.
The former Solwezi Central Member of Parliament, who holds a Master’s Degree in Development Finance and a Master of Philosophy in Sustainable Development, also questioned the government’s announcement that Zambia’s international reserves had risen to US$6.5 billion.
He noted that the Bank of Zambia had previously reported reserves of approximately US$5.5 billion in December 2025, making the reported increase of about US$1 billion within just three months difficult to reconcile with prevailing economic conditions.
Hon. Mulusa argued that an economy such as Zambia’s would ordinarily struggle to generate such an increase in reserves within such a short period through domestic economic activity alone, suggesting that if the figures are accurate, government must clearly explain their source.
Turning to the mining sector, Hon. Mulusa, who served as the MMD Member of Parliament for Solwezi Central Constituency home to some of Zambia’s largest and most strategic mining operations criticized what he described as the government’s misplaced tax priorities.
Drawing from his experience representing one of the country’s key mining constituencies, Hon. Mulusa questioned why ordinary Zambians continue to shoulder a heavy tax burden while large mining companies benefit from generous tax incentives they never requested.
According to Hon. Mulusa, government justified these incentives on the basis that mining companies would reinvest the savings to expand copper production to three million metric tonnes and create thousands of jobs for Zambians.
However, he argued that those promises have not materialized.
Hon. Mulusa recalled that when the MMD government under the late President Levy Mwanawasa introduced the Windfall Tax, copper prices on the international market were around US$5,000 per tonne. Today, with copper prices reportedly reaching about US$14,000 per tonne, he questioned why Zambia is not proportionately benefiting from its vast mineral wealth.
He further argued that despite generous tax concessions, employment levels in the mining sector have not significantly increased, as many companies have instead invested in large-scale mechanized equipment that extracts more copper in less time while employing fewer Zambians. As a result, he said, government is also losing potential revenue through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes.
Hon. Mulusa who is the former Secretary General of the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) also dismissed recent remarks by President Hakainde Hichilema in which he referred to Hon. Brian Mundubile and Hon. Makebi Zulu as “boys.”
He described the remarks as unfortunate and beneath the dignity expected of a sitting Head of State.
Hon. Mulusa pointed out that President Hichilema himself was only 28 years old when he was entrusted with a leading role in Zambia’s privatization programme and 42 years old when he became President of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
“In contrast, Hon. Brian Mundubile is 55 years old, while Hon. Makebi Zulu is 45 years old. No one called President Hichilema a boy when he was 28, nor when he became UPND President at 42. Why, then, should he call men who are 45 and 55 years old ‘boys’?” Hon. Mulusa questioned.
He noted that both Hon. Mundubile and Hon. Zulu have distinguished themselves through public service as elected Members of Parliament and through senior leadership roles in government. To belittle leaders with such experience, he said, reflects a worrying disregard for merit, experience, and the kind of mature political discourse Zambia deserves.
Hon. Mulusa concluded that Zambia deserves politics anchored on ideas, competence, and practical solutions rather than personal attacks. He said the country now requires leaders capable of reviving the economy, creating jobs, maximizing benefits from its natural resources, restoring investor confidence, and restoring hope among ordinary citizens.
He urged citizens to judge aspiring leaders not by political rhetoric, but by their proven record, character, and capacity to unite the nation and deliver meaningful economic transformation.
By John Phiri