Economic woes set to weigh heavily on high-stakes Zambia vote eNCA
President Edgar Lungu, who is vying for re-election in the August 12 poll, stands accused of borrowing unsustainably, to splurge on infrastructure projects.
"Mismanagement at the macro level is affecting common people," said Zambian economist Trevor Simumba.With tensions rising ahead of the elections next week, Lungu ordered an unprecedented deployment of the military to clamp down on violence. According to a survey at the end of May, 80 percent of Zambians considered the economic conditions"bad".
For the typical Zambian voter, who has a low paid job or is informally employed, the election is"all about the economy", said Chelwa.In his campaign manifesto, Lungu boasts that Zambia has"experienced unprecedented transformational development" and is"better than it was in the 47 years under previous administrations".Roads in the bustling capital city have improved drastically since Lungu took office in 2015.
Joblessness has been exacerbated by coronavirus and the streamlining of two major copper mines, in which the government has stakes. Critics denounce unnecessary government spending, inflated costs of public projects and say state corruption is widespread."They have built clinics and schools but they haven't employed doctors or teachers because they can't afford it," he said.The final months of Lungu's first term were weighed down by difficult negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
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