PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that he was almost getting in trouble with first lady Mutinta, thanks to mischievous social media gossipers who insinuated he may have had a fling with International Monetary Fund
Managing director Kristalina Georgieva.
Apparently, President Hichilema's friendly encounters with the IMF boss got some imaginative Keyboard warriors see more than there was between the two.
But the Head of State who is also a Seventh Day Adventist Church elder said there was no such thing but that he was just doing his job in solving the country's debt crisis.
With a chuckle, he assured everyone that these were just part of his job, building professional relationships as Zambia's Chief marketing officer
"Vice president this social media almost put me in trouble with my wife you know Kristalina, managing director we growing to be very good friends."
"So every time I'm going out to these meetings, they see Kristalina coming to greet me she hugs me, I hug her so they post... Ah! Ba Mutinta trouble yayamba."
"They are inciting my wife to riot when I am just doing my job," President Hichilema said jokingly with a smile.
He said the relationships he has built including one with World Bank President Ajay Bunga, are for there purposes of assisting the nation sort out external challenges beyond the country's control.
"For the typical Zambian, every friendship, you read something which is not there. Ah Ah, Aikona man, don't bring trouble in my house," he added.
"These are colleagues we are cultivating relationships, (it is) very professional.that is why even before the board meeting met we already knew that we have done our part and we will pass the test," he said.
Meanwhile, the World Bank yesterday, announced that its executive board of
directors approved a US$125 million International Development Association (IDA) grant for the Zambia Second Macroeconomic Stability, Growth and Competitiveness Development Policy Financing (DPF.)
This is the second operation in a programmatic series aimed at helping Zambia restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability and promote private-sector led growth.
It builds on the success of the first DPF approved in October 2022 and is part of the World Bank’s multi-sectoral support to help Zambia emerge from the debt crisis and shift to a more sustainable and inclusive economic growth path.
CC:Kalemba
