Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo has allegedly physically and verbally attacked a Ndola Marketeer, who confronted the Copperbelt  Permanent Secretary, demanding the Presidential Empowerment Fund.

And Dr. Lusambo, a Patriotic Front (PF) Kabushi Member of Parliament (MP) is yet to pay polling agents, a year after elections, on Thursday 11th August 2016, it has been disclosed.

Giving her testimony in a recording that has gone viral, the Marketeer, identified as Heartless said Dr. Lusambo insulted her before pulling her clothes at the Cabinet Office in Ndola.

Heartless who spoke in her native Bemba said this was in full view of Public Officers and visitors.

” Nachima naya pa Cabinet office mukumona Ba PS pelyashi lyama empowerment. Nishi ninjikala pa waiting place efyo nachimona Ba PS bafuma mu office yabo ba patilila baya ku office yaba Minister ba Bowman Lusambo. Efyo nachufwa amashiwi ati Heartless, Heartless kwati bachishupanako . Efyo nachisa mona ba PS naba Councilor bafuma. Ba PS nokwamba ukwipusha ati bana mayo ba Kukabushi balikwesa noyuwine ati Heartless?  Efyo ba Shisanjipusha ati na chikutuminapo phone line? Naisa asuka ati awe tamuntuminapo phone elyo tamwachishiba ati tuleisa. Afwe twachilandafye  na ba Secretary benu ati tulefwaya ukomona  pelyashi lya empowerment.Naba Minister efyo bachamba ukufwaya. Ifyo bachisanga mu passage ninjikala nokwisa njipusha ati finshi wakoka kuno? Nakaili baisa ipusha ati finish wakoka kuno? Ine naisa mona kwati baleseka nokwisa basuka ati nakoka imwe bene ba honourable. Baisa fulwa nokwisa impushi ati te PS wakoka ? Tefyo achikutumina phone? Naine naisa yasuka ati ba PS tabatuminapo phone. Elyo bachisa landa ati welakonka mumano. You are a very stupid idiot. Efyo bachisa njikata muchakufwala no kwisa nsunka ati get out from here,” Heartless  said loosely translated as ( I went to see the PS over the empowerment programme.

The secretary told me to wait for him in the waiting room. A few minutes later, I saw the PS coming from his office. He by passed me and went straight to the Minister’s office. I could hear them shouting  the name Heartless then I realized that something was wrong. The PS come out of the Minister and asked for me and some women from Kabushi. Then, he asked me whether he had called me to go there. But I told him that he did not but that I had asked for an appointment from the secretary over the empowerment programme.

As the PS proceeded to his office, the minister came looking for me. He found me in the passage and asked me what  I was looking for. Thinking that he was joking, I answered that ‘it is you honourable I am looking for.’ Then he said it is not me you are looking for but the PS who called you to come. Then, I responded that the PS has not made any phone call to me. This is when he charged on me and called me stupid idiot. Don’t try me. Then he grabbed me by my clothes and pushed me out of the passage).”

And the other woman narrated that Lusambo has not yet paid polling agents K600 each for the job they did in the last elections.

“Ifwe twachiya kulya na Ba Kaloko ward. Ba kaloko ward bachiya mukwipusha impiya yama polling agents. Tabalabapela nanomba ama K600 babalaile. Ba Lusambo efyo bachisa nokwisa twita mu office nokwisa twipushe ati finshi mwaisa mukuchita kuno? Naifwe twaisayasuka  ati twishile mukumona imwe Ba honourable. Nokwisa ipusha ati namukwata appointment? Naifwe ati awe batwelele tatwachishiba ati kwaliba protocol yamusango uyu kuno. Efyo bachitweba ati kekaleni nalamimona first ndadeko na Ba PS. Otherwise efyo twachikoka tabachifishiba na Heartless fyo achikoka tabachifishiba. Twachipapa fye ukumona ba Minister balemusuka,” the woman said in bemba translated as(I went to see the Minister and on the waiting queue, I was joined by people from Kaloko Ward who had gone to Dr Lusambo to get their money for the job they did as polling agents. The MP has not paid us the K600 till now. So, when he came, he asked as to go in his office and asked us what we were doing. We said we were there to see him. He asked us whether we had an appointment. At this point, we apologised for not observing protocol. He then told us to excuse him as he had a brief meeting with the PS. He doesn’t  know what we went to do neither does he know what Heartless went to do there. All we saw was him pushing Faides).

Efforts to get comments from Lusambo proved drew a blank as he phone was off within press time.