The Patriotic Front (PF) is jealousy of Hakainde Hichilema’s African Freedom Award, United Party for National Development (UPND) National Chairperson Mutale Nalumango has charged.

Reacting to the Zambia Police Service raid on the party secretariat, Ms Nalumango said the PF regime is burning with envy following Hichilema’s award.

She said the coincidence of the  police raid and the honouring of Hichilema is very interesting.

“My simple answer to that question is just like Jesus responded …’it is as you said’.The PF are jealousy because HH was given an award as a champion of freedom in Africa. This is why they raided our secretariat, searching for guns that were not there,” Nalumango said.

Briefing the press earlier, the UPND National Chairperson wondered how the top government officials claim they were not aware of the police raid.

“We remind Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo, Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja and Justice Minister Given Lubinda to advise (President) Edgar Lungu correctly on the rule of law.

How can top officials in  Government claim they were not aware of the police raid at the secretariat? Who is the Commander-In- Chief of Armed Forces? How possible?” Ms Nalumango wondered.

She reminded President Lungu and the PF that UPND is an institution founded on the Constitution of Zambia and not a label group, so  for them to imagine that the party has concealed weapons, is very strange.

“There conduct to raid the secretariat is undemocratic and a violation of human rights. PF should be reminded that in a democracy, we compete with ideas not military approach,” she said.

Nalumango claimed that the PF’s behavior is meant to frustrate the dialogue process, but maintained that the UPND is committed to the process.

“They want to use  us to frustrate the dialogue process. There is no way out of the dialogue process,” she said.