Zambian president says he came to presidency with ‘clean hands’

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said Friday he came to the presidency with “clean hands” and dismissed accusations that ties to foreign associates placed him under state influence.

Hichilema spoke on a live radio broadcast to mark his first year in office from the capital, Lusaka, and said he had a wide network of friends that he will utilize to create economic opportunities for Zambia.

He was addressing accusations by the main opposition party, Patriotic Front, that he had become “a puppet of the West” and allies like South African author Greg Mills.

“Greg is an author and his books are on many Zambian shelves. Of what wrong is interacting with a person like that? IMF Managing Director Kristalina (Georgieva) is a friend and now we are on the verge of a (IMF) deal and this is what these interactions do. We are not an island,” said Hichilema. “I come with clean hands. I do not take what is not mine and this is the leadership we lacked as a country in the last seven years.”

Hichilema also hinted that he will continue to reside at his private residence because of the high cost to rehabilitate the existing presidential house located within State House grounds.

The president described his first year in office as largely successful, yielding results such as an improved economy, the creation of 42,000 public sector jobs, the introduction of free education and the restoration of the rule of law.

Other commitments he said his government will seek to realize in the remaining four years of his five-year term were abolishing the death penalty and reviewing archaic legislation such as the defamation of the president.​​​​​​​